Symptoms That Come And Go?

[maal]

Is it a normal thing to have symptoms come and go with PTSD? I have had several months of more severe symptoms due to a bunch of work peers finding out my diagnosis. I was told I have PTSD, and a different therapist said traumatic stress (from domestic violence)- not sure if there is a difference between the two diagnosis either.

Now that my coworkers know it seems like some of them are determined to find my triggers by acting/saying certain things to me and waiting for a reaction. Lately one of them keeps trying to scare me by banging on my chair as he walks by, or sneaking up on me, he even said he is trying to make me mad to see what I do. The weird thing is while what he does irritates me and I jump, I don't really react in any excessive manor. it makes me doubt my diagnosis. Hyper vigilance seems to be most consistent symptom, while panic attacks and flashbacks have happened but are rare. I have lots of shame,guilt,self esteem, and social anxiety from what I experienced.

Is it unusual for me not to have much of a reaction to what they are doing? With the exception of annoyance that it's intentional? Should I be questioning my diagnosis?

 

[LaraGeel]

Let say it can be calm weather, or silence before the storm ? How can good friends being good 'trigger' you, cause you know ... they're them ... Let me say I saw the postman putting two things in my P.O.-box when I was on my treadmill ... and ... Turmoil in my head, cause somewhere I will have a big answer cause I set an insurance company on an edge with their discrimination on me. Later seen, all was o.k. in what I saw in my P.O.-box on street.Thinking to myself : " Did I went automatically angry because of this. ". But deep in me I fear something to come back. And I thought it was a police letter, who tried to change me already for a word : But not understanding that what happened to me by persons and companies with it's hidden discrimination / trans-hate to me. They always find a bat to slam, first it seems as normal, but hate is the motor behind it.

Maybe feel for yourself in how deep your PTSD is. Do you know where your social anxiety is coming from ?

 

[greenleaf]

@maal, that's no reason to question your diagnosis. People have different triggers, and we also can often distinguish real threats from obnoxious jerks. However questioning our diagnoses seems very common! Also, questioning whether whatever happened was "bad enough", and all sorts of self-doubt like that.

It's hard to tell from just reading an email, the tone of what's going on with these people at your workplace. Do they think they're being funny and are trying to connect, but in a very immature way? Or, are they bullies?

One thought I had was for you to get a balloon and sneak up behind one of them when they are concentrating, and pop it. No one likes that; see how they react... Would they laugh and take it as a joke, perhaps learn something, see you favorably and form a connection, or would it escalate and get nasty? I don't know these people, and what is best... listen to your gut feeling about it?

If they're bullies, perhaps someone else can respond here as to a good way to interact with them. It seems to me that if they tried to flip someone's wheelchair over for "fun", there would be some appropriate legal action, so why not similar action for trying to scare someone with ptsd...

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Are you in the United States? If so, someone can not harass you in order to aggravate your disability. It would be akin to taking away someone's crutches if they had malformed legs and needed them to walk.

 

[Notsowild]

WOW @maal... I was worried about getting special treatment if I told work about my PTSD. People should never treat anyone like that. I'm in Canada and we have a Workers Compensation mental health division that deals with workplace bullying and harassment.
These co-workers are jerks - do not take this abuse from them.

 

[Seasounds]

Right on, Solara!

Every situation has politics going on, in which you need to feel secure to speak up. I did it gradually, while building my relationship with my manager. Build relationships based on support vs gossip. Always be polite, even when they attempt to trigger you; that makes them inappropriate, not you. Maybe consider looking for another place to work-don't share your diagnosis except with HR and manager.

Bullying, and harassment are reasons to:

1. Speak to your manager; for poltical reasons approach your manager, having a 'helpful' attitude of educating your manager, 'ask' her if what has been going on is harassment, can reference the state law, and ask to get hr opinion.

2. Bringing this to your manager's attention, will begin to build a record for the bullies-whom won't be fired, most likely, AND you can still have protection-especially if you have dr note of your condition and get an FMLA for PTSD-do this before you talk to manager about bullying. This gives you extra protection.

Good luck!

 

[katiekat]

Record every instance of the harassment, look into laws, find a way to protect yourself from being fired if you end up bringing this up to your manager. This behavior is harassment and abuse in itself.

 

[stilldancing]

Document everything, and take it to your supervisor, and cc your HR dept. Your dear coworkers are creating a hostile work environment, and many companies find that unacceptable (plus its against the law.) I think it's absolutely normal for your symptoms to come and go, but just because they do, doesn't make what they're doing any better.

 

[NovemberStar]

I had 7 years of symptoms, then nothing for over a decade; a series of damaging earthquakes (one fatal) in my city triggered up all the old trauma from childhood again. In the last 3 years, I've had periods of a few days or weeks of symptoms, followed by breaks without anything. But they've been there solid for the past 7 months now, the longest period of them.

For me, I think it comes in waves, depending on triggers around me, as well as the supports I have in place. I think over the past 3 years, I've come close to more things being revealed, and each time, it's like I've scared the unconscious part of my mind to stop the flashbacks coming again. Time will pass, then they start up again. In the past, things have gotten to the point of crisis, then - all underground again - I believe due to a lack of support and understanding from those around me, including health professionals. "Lucky" me now I've found a therapist I trust more than anyone else I have worked with - I trust more, and yes - more intense and frequent symptoms. I can almost guarantee, if she were to stop work suddenly without any warning, and I was left without support, it's quite likely it would all go underground again. Only to be triggered back at some point in the future.

It's like the gift that keeps on giving, huh.