When you talk about yourself as having PTSD, do you call yourself a sufferer, a survivor, both, or do you use some other term? I'm curious as I've had discussions with with several people and everyone seems to have a strong opinion about it. Personally, I call myself a sufferer, for the following reasons:
- I have suffered lol. Seriously though, I have suffered a lot, and I continue to suffer, no point in denying that!
- To me, the word "survivor" applies to anyone who has been involved in a trauma. And not everyone who has trauma develops PTSD.
- The word "survivor" also suggests, to me anyways, that the problem is over. For example, you call someone a cancer survivor when they are in remission or cured. You don't called someone with schizophrenia a "schizophrenia survivor", because there is no cure for schizophrenia, it's a permanent condition. Similarly, PTSD is a permanent condition, no cure yet.
- "Survivor" just sounds too PC to me for some reason. I think it's overused. It's become "hip" to be a survivor.