Undiagnosed Ptsd from (possibly) being threatened?

[raw83]

Someone (possibly an ex-coworker who is a sociopath and was trying to get his job back) shined a laser into my eyes while I was sleeping and it woke me up. Ever since this I've been stuck in this "alert" mode. After being in this alert mode for about 8 months, my sleep gradually got worse and I ended up having bad sleep problems. I'm assuming this is what's causing my sleep issues but not quite sure. I know this guy is no longer a threat to me, but I'm still stuck in this alert mode where it feels like I'm instinctively seeing everyone initially as a threat (even though I know they aren't). So it's like my instincts are stuck in this alert mode... I once accidentally gave a person a bad look because of it. Is there a way to get out of this alert mode with medication or something? Is this hypervigilance? I've had to leave my job because of my sleep issues. I've started Zoloft 50mg but only on about week three. Also take Remeron for sleep. I'm not 100% sure this is causing my sleep issues (although I don't have sleep apnea and I'm otherwise in good health).

Not sure how to edit above post, but... I should add that this PTSD (or whatever it is) causes me to avoid eye contact with people since I'm afraid I'll accidentally give them a threatening look with my eyes (like I did to that one person as described above).

 

[Friday]

You can get PTSD from the threat of death, but not other kinds of threats.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological disorder formed by exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Basics

While it's possible to experience severe life threatening trauma & sexual violence and NOT develop PTSD, Criterion A trauma is required to even make PTSD a possibility. Do you have that kind of trauma in your history?

 

[raw83]

I have no other traumas. Since that laser was shined in my eyes at around 2 AM, I've been stuck in this "alert" mode which causes me to sometimes give other people a threatening look (with my eyes) when eye contact is made. So I avoid eye contact. I have no other traumatic incidents in my life and I'm 34 years old. I'm emotionally stable, don't have anger issues, although I do have sever sleep issues since about 8 months after this happened. Before this happened, I slept perfect every night. Now I have to take Remeron to get to sleep.

I should add that I had to quit my job because of my sleep issues and move back in with my parents.

 

[Ronin]

That wasn't a threat.

That was you interpreting something as threatening, because you interpret that person as threatening. Unless there's more to the story you're not sharin'.

He didn't beat you up following that laser thing. He didn't set your house ablaze while you barely got out. He didn't shoot your family dead in front of you. He didn't... anything of that. Sure, bit of an asshole wakeup, but that isn't a threat to life.

 

[raw83]

That wasn't a threat.

That was you interpreting something as threatening, because you interpret that pers...

Well, that's when this "alert" mode started for me. It even caused me to give a person a bad look with my eyes when making eye contact. I should add that the person that probably did this is a very ganerou

That wasn't a threat.

That was you interpreting something as threatening, because you interpret that pers...

Well, this person is a former Iraq war soldier that has killed many people. I used to work with him and remember that one day he said (out of the blue)... "If police officers come in here I'm going to shoot them!". He has a bad attitude and has a hard time getting along with others, which caused him to get let go from his jobs (he's a computer programmer). He then tried to come back to where I work, but the owner refused him. I did nothing to this person, but shortly after he tried to come back was when this laser event happened. Also, someone changed a bunch of email passwords for people in our company at that time and he has access to those passwords. I'm guessing he was trying to intimidate me into leaving the company, which would force them to hire him back (since they would then need an emergency replacement, and would have to hire him especially since he already knows the code).

Regardless though, ever since this laser event happened, it's put me in some weird "alert" mode. So even though I know there's no threats around me, it seems my subconscious still thinks there's a threat.

 

[Ronin]

FFS.

On duty shit doesn't make one a sociopath. (As mentioned by your post prior.)
Actually 'path people who are vets don't equal danger for those reasons, sole. (As much as I'm not happy thinking of those intersections for personal reasons.)

Off remarks here and there don't mean someone is actually out to kill people.
- Do you think every teenager talking about killing is out to get you, /too/???

Programmers are kind of notoriously introverted.
Access doesn't a guilt prove. Maybe y'all are just lax with password choices. Or it was random.
How would you leaving get him an automatic get back when he was laid off is kind of beyond me. There's thousands more 'emergency replacements' that are more reliable, if this is a trust issue. People your company didn't have a history with.

Wee bit hypervigilant is no where f*cking near what PTSD hypervigilance is like.

 

[EveHarrington]

Why do you want PTSD?

Serious question.

 

[Deadman]

It even caused me to give a person a bad look with my eyes when making eye contact.

How does a laser control how you look at other people?

 

[Suzetig]

Being on "alert mode" isn't PTSD, it's being vigilant to perceived threat and it will pass in time. It's sounds like you've blown this laser thing out of all proportion for whatever reason - I don't doubt it startled you but it's hardly life threatening.

I suggest you stop making excuses for how you look at others though - giving someone a "bad" look is their issue unless you meant it to be a "bad" look in which case you're in control. If you didn't intend to give them a bad look and they think you did, it's about their perception of you and it's their issue.

 

[Justmehere]

Someone (possibly an ex-coworker who is a sociopath and was trying to get his job back) shined a laser

You don't know for sure who was shining the laser? Did you see anyone with a laser device around you? Any other evidence of a laser? Where were you sleeping?

It doesn't make sense that someone would seriously threaten another by shining a laser at a sleeping person with their eyes closed.

Someone (possibly an ex-coworker who is a sociopath and was trying to get his job back) shined a laser into my eyes while I was sleeping and it woke me up.

You were asleep when the laser was shining into your eyes? How do you know it wasn't part of a super realistic dream?

I have woken up suddenly from dreams of things that seemed so realistic. I was convinced someone bit my arm once. Took a bit to really shake off the feeling that it actually happened when it didn't.

I know this guy is no longer a threat to me, but I'm still stuck in this alert mode where it feels like I'm instinctively seeing everyone initially as a threat (even though I know they aren't).

Your level of suspicion of this person and of others around you is very high.

I should add that this PTSD (or whatever it is) causes me to avoid eye contact with people since I'm afraid I'll accidentally give them a threatening look with my eyes (like I did to that one person as described above).

This is not a symptom or fear suggestive of PTSD. It's actually quite concerning that you would cut off eye contact because of this tremendous anxiety that you have that just the way you look at them would be a threat. .

I think you are struggling with some level of paranoia. That's not to invalidate you or your concerns. Paranoia is very distressing to experience.

Have you spoken to your doctor about these fears and symptoms? Be sure to tell your doctor about these symptoms and fears, and about your thoughts. Remeron can cause increased anxiety and abnormal thinking in a small percent of the population. All the meds you are on you are on can sometimes have a paradoxical effect, and lead to someone becoming "stuck on alert" and feeling very anxious.

We can't diagnose what mental health condition that you may or may not have, or what might be causing these symptoms. Anxiety and insomnia are symptoms of many mental health conditions that could be stirred up by an event like this. It seems clear you need some support to work this, especially with ending your job because of the sleep problems and with the possibility of the medications backfiring. I do believe there is hope and help out there and you can get to a point where you feel a lot better. Because this doesn't seem related to PTSD, I can't really recommend any specific therapies or options to look into. I would highly suggest working with a good psychiatrist and a therapist to sort all this out though.

 

[Sideways]

Someone shone a light in your eyes and it woke you up. And you think that might have given you PTSD...?

FFS:facepalm:

 

[joeylittle]

Regardless though, ever since this laser event happened, it's put me in some weird "alert" mode. So even though I know there's no threats around me, it seems my subconscious still thinks there's a threat.

See a neurologist. This is not the forum for you.

Locking.