Relationship Symptomatic ptsd

[Gemini83]

I’m sure its different for everyone, but what does it look like? Apathy, indecision, complete contradiction between words and actions?

 

[Sweetpea76]

Sure... and then some. People react in different ways, and things can be pretty specific from one person to the next. Panic, hypervig, stress, depression, avoidance, isolation... on and on and on. We just see the outwards manifestations. The real fireworks are going off inside.

Symptomatic just means they're experiencing symptoms, and people react to and cope with these symptoms in different ways.

 

[EveHarrington]

I have PTSD. I hope it’s ok for me to respond.

My tell tale signs are isolation, pushing people away, and running away.

Oh and speaking in extremes.

 

[Sweetpea76]

My vet isolates when he hits his limit. It usually builds up to that... he starts off edgy from anxiety, then usually ramps up to snark and verbal lashing out, then isolation for a few days to, as he puts it, "unf*ck himself". That's the typical pattern, but it does vary. Sometimes he goes through more of a depressive mode than anxious. He usually eats and sleeps little, if at all. He doesn't leave the house.

He has a million little "tells" that I've picked up over the years. He has a pretty good poker face though, and he still manages to surprise me sometimes.

 

[Gemini83]

Perfectly ok and completely appreciated.

I think my husbands psychiatrist is right and I’m a stressor for him. I think he is symptomatic but it’s hard to tell as I live in a different state and he’s stopped his medication a few weeks ago. He contradicts himself, he’s he doesn’t care about anything.

 

[somerandomguy]

Remember, even good stress is still stress.

 

[Gemini83]

Remember, even good stress is still stress.

Right now I’m not good stress. I think I’m a reminder of him failing. I don’t think the yo-yoing will stop until he works through everything and that won’t happen for a while. He’s ignoring me now so I’ll let him be. I see my therapist Thursday. It’s taking its time getting here.

 

[Hojay]

This is hard, I hear you. Symptomatic in my SO’s case means isolation (as in not being able to talk about anything and retreating,) incredibly short fuse when it comes to me, my thoughts and emotions, and panic attacks complete with lingering physical symptoms like chest pain etc. It’s hard either way, but especially so when there is a legitimate reason for us to be angry and in need of resolution but they’re simply incapable of “solving” anything. It’s not uncommon for it to feel like the table has suddenly turned and we’re the bad guy for “being a stressor,” while clearly they screwed up and aren’t able to take full responsibility in their condition.

 

[Freida]

Sometimes the people closest to me are my biggest stressors. It's a guilt thing. I know I'm taking it out on them, but I can't always control it, so I try to isolate, but then I feel guilty because I'm screwing up their lives and blah blah blah. Then I end up blaming them for how I feel - because in my best ptsd logic if they weren't there I wouldn't feel that way. :banghead::banghead::banghead: