Poll Ptsd- Still Widely Misunderstood By People

[ReturningSmile]

I had spoken with various people and polled their knowledge on PTSD, and here are some of the most common myths:

(1) PTSD only applies to people who experienced natural disasters and people who cheated death
(2) There is no PTSD (Neo: There is no spoon)
(3) I have trauma too (People can have trauma without PTSD)
(4) (popular one) Stop dwelling on this, others pulled through, why can't you?
(5) You are pretending so you can claim benefit.

 

[Jen93]

My parents use number 4 a lot. It's annoying.

 

[Jane.l]

Yes- and I have to admit I use no 4 on myself too !!!

 

[ClairBear226]

(2) There is no PTSD (Neo: There is no spoon)

Spoon? You lost me.

How about, "You can't have PTSD if you weren't in the military"? Heard that one from my mother. Who is an RN.

I have also heard people self-diagnose themselves with PTSD, then just "get over it". Therefore, they lack understanding about those who have actually been diagnosed, who struggle for years on end. I had an enlightening conversation with a young woman who had diagnosed herself with PTSD because she had nightmares and anxiety following a family death. She had no idea that I've had this for nearly 25 years. She went on to tell me how she conquered her PTSD and was now cured, with no intervention from a therapist. So if she can do it, why can't everybody else? Especially those soldiers. They're stronger than her, after all. BTW, she brought up that she had PTSD after my knowing her for less than a half hour. SO MANY issues with this girl, that I had to just walk away. I didn't know where to begin, or how to keep my temper in the process.

Yes- and I have to admit I use no 4 on myself too !!!

Yup. Guilty here too.

 

[JarHed]

Most people are fools and go about life misinformed but self assured that they are right. Till they experience some of the things that we have they won't and can't possibly understand what it's all about. There's still a terrible stigma attached to any mental or emotional problem.

One traumatic event will cause permanent changes to our brains. What we do after those things happen is the yardstick to measure our difficulties by. If at all possible, that when something like this happens if you can get to someone, a therapist, and help you to deal with it at an early stage the better it will be for the person to deal with it all. Conversely, the longer one is outside the circle of help the harder it becomes to deal with. I've heard all of those reasons above.

 

[Deleted member 20280]

I have personally come across so much ignorance about my own PTSD which stems from child, neglect sexual and Military PTSD issues.

There is so much ignorance out there I was told
Seer a councillor. I need a therapsit to treat me now a shoulder to cry on.!!!!

 

[Upside Down Eagle]

The list actually brought a laugh to my face.

I mean it's not even remotely funny, but somehow the way (other) people deal with PTSD seems silly. All the things on the list are recognizable. Personally, my environment is in love with four and five. "Aren't you done yet?" A favorite of many.

I've been thinking about this subject a lot, even today actually. About how horrible it must be to be physically and thus visibly handicapped (I screwed up my foot and I haven't been able to walk all week, that's one reason for reflection). But also about how it blows that if you look "completely normal", people expect you don't have a reason to be "weird"...

Don't you just want to strangle them. ;-)
(Just kidding. But not completely :P)

 

[ClairBear226]

Gotta love how the media portrays it, too. The sheer volume of stupidity within the public isn't completely their fault, IMHO. Can we have ONE television show that accurately portrays PTSD? By someone that actually gets it? Please?

 

[Anna]

Yes. I tend to avoid people. I have serious trust issues and my paranoia is very high.

 

[LongStoryShort]

It has happened to me quite recently that people have talked to me about suffering from depression and anxiety and then I tell them I suffer from the same due to my PTSD and all of a sudden it's: OH everyone has their issues to deal with. And full stop.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I don't think anyone will answer "no" unless they have no friends, no family, and live the life of a hermit in the middle of the woods who has no human contact---oh wait, those people wouldn't even be online!

3 gets my goat!!! It takes forever for me to disclose and when I get b!tch-slapped with an overly excited "me too!!!" Instead of some sort of "I'm sorry for XYZ", it's really irritating. Yeah, we all wanna be in the damn club. Don't forget to pick up your toaster...

 

[Deleted member 1860]

@ClairBear226,

One way to tell a faker (other than those who confess self-diagnosis) is when they tell you right off the bat that they have PTSD. Ok, so once I did let it slip to a stranger, but only after being triggered, and it was someone I knew I'd never see again. Those of us who really do have this horrid disorder go to great lengths to appear as un-PTSD as possible which includes disclosure to only those we trust.

That girl sounds like a real piece of work. What she describes is a NORMAL grieving process that EVERYONE goes through at some point. I doubt it even came close to being traumatic grief.