Teacher Diagnosed With PTSD

[ghostgirl]

I am a 27 year old teacher, wife and mother from the USA. I was involved in an extremely abusive relationship several years ago (that I got out of, thank goodness), and was recently diagnosed with PTSD. I am going to therapy every week, but really struggling with a lot of issues. The main issue is sleeping- fear of going to sleep and nightmares that wake me up, and sometimes I wake up thinking I am in the past. One thing that I've noticed is that I am having short term memory problems, misplacing letters or numbers when I am writing (for example, if I am trying to write 763-2988, I might write 736-8928), and I am even having problems with spelling- all of which are completely uncharacteristic for me. This is all very frustrating. Just wondering if anyone else has had these sort of issues- if it could be related.

 

[Capt3]

I have also experienced the memory loss, and inability to concentrate. From what I understand, it may very well be related.

 

[Michel]

Hi ghostgirl. I also have PTSD from an extremely abusive relationship. I often have problems with memory, concentration, attention, and any cognitive activities that involve any of these - which, sadly, is all of them. I also have lots of trouble with sleep and, less frequently, I have nightmares, which are mostly related to the fact that (contrary to my strongest wishes) my son now lives with this father - my abuser. I would say your difficulties are probably PTSD-related.

I am sorry you are having to deal with these issues, but welcome to the forum.

 

[kers]

I am in the same profession, and the memory problems can do a number on me. Sometimes I give directions and it comes out of my mouth all jumbled, because I'm not able to focus on what I'm thinking and what I'm saying. It stinks. Post-it notes save my life on a daily basis, LOL. I find that the memory stuff is definitely related to the PTSD. It gets worse when I am feeling stressed or when I've not slept well. All my symptoms worsen when I sleep poorly. I take a sleeping med to help me get the rest I need to stay in control of my symptoms. Although I'm up two hours past bedtime, so that doesn't say much for the med!

Welcome to the forum.

 

[dharmaBum]

I am a teacher also, although on hiatus as an at-home parent of a preschooler. I have major concentration problems, and I have been doing much better one year after a major crash via PTSD. I still have silly cognitive fatigue problems that crop up after only one nightmare, like calling the orange crayon yellow or saying I'm passing the butter instead of the syrup at the table. I've had an EEG and a structural MRI, and it all checks out good!

For example, I first wrote "crop off" on this paragraph and had to rewrite it to say "crop up".

 

[ghostgirl]

Hi Michel. Thanks for sharing- that story is terrible. I am fortunate to have no children with this man.

 

[ghostgirl]

Kers, I have thought about sleeping medication, but my husband is seriously against it. He's afraid if I start sleeping meds, I'll become an addict. Do the meds help you sleep through the night (in other words, do they keep away the nightmares)?

 

[Michel]

ghostgirl, I know you didn't mean to suggest otherwise, but I can't help sharing the thought that popped immediately into my mind when I read your note: that I feel tremendously fortunate to have the very child I have - whom I could only have had with his father. That is, I don't wish I'd had no children with him. It makes me horribly sad that my son and I have lost years of the sort of childhood-time-home-life we should have had, but that sadness comes from great love, and I would not want to have missed out on that. (Sorry, for some reason I'm not sure I know how to put this exactly.)

 

[ghostgirl]

Michel, yes, I believe it- I definitely don't mean that I think you should regret your child! I'm just glad that I did not have a child until I met my current husband, as I would hate to have permanent ties/complications with my ex. The mind thing is bad enough!

It is a very sad situation for you. How old is your son now?

 

[Michel]

He's 16. And I am grateful for your feeling the sadness of my situation...

 

[kers]

Ghostgirl, I was worried about that, too. But so was my psychiatrist. I take Trazodone, which is an anti-depressant with sedating qualities. It has all but eliminated my nightmares and makes sleep much easier. Since it is not habit-forming, I can take it (or not) as needed. There are other drugs that are used to improve sleep that are also non-hypnotic, not traditional sleeping pills. A good doctor will listen to your concerns and help you make the best decision for yourself.