This has been something very hard for me, but I have finally accepted that talking about my problem with PTSD is one of the ways of accepting and dealing with it.
I suffer from PTSD as a result of nearly dying as a passenger in a car accident. The accident was almost ten years ago (this January it will be 10 years) and seems to wax and wane with intensity over these years. For the first two years following my accident I was solely traumatized under the effects of the accident. I did not walk away from this accident, but instead suffered near fatal injuries that plague me to this day. I suffered a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) that has less impact on my present condition than the PTSD (since my PTSD is negatively impacting my day to day life).
While my physical injuries healed superficially, my family and friends began to believe that I was "back to normal," when in fact that was far from the truth. I began to suffer panic attacks, depressive episodes, and the emotional and physical strain of my hypersensitivity. Triggers like screeching tires and ambulance sirens would often either trigger panic attacks or cause me to become emotionally numb.
I have sought psychological help from day one (literally a week after my accident). While I like my psychologist, the pace is incredibly slow and sometimes I feel as though I'm suffering more than the therapy is able to handle. After a few years I tried anti-anxiety/anti-depressants and eventually wound up taking Zoloft, however complications recently had me try to stop taking Zoloft in the hopes that after two years of this medication I might have gotten to a point that I no longer needed it. Big mistake, of course. I have since spiraled into an emotional and physical mess. I had a bad experience when I was trying antidepressants that makes me fearful of trying new ones, but my doctor recently suggested Effexor XR. I will give this a try when I visit home soon (as to have family around "just in case").
I'm quite frankly, admittedly afraid of posting this information. Posting it. Sharing it even with friends. The stigma I feel for suffering this has made me feel lost in myself for nearly a decade. I've come here with the hopes of finding knowledge of perhaps conquering or controlling my PTSD and I hope to hear back from you.
I suffer from PTSD as a result of nearly dying as a passenger in a car accident. The accident was almost ten years ago (this January it will be 10 years) and seems to wax and wane with intensity over these years. For the first two years following my accident I was solely traumatized under the effects of the accident. I did not walk away from this accident, but instead suffered near fatal injuries that plague me to this day. I suffered a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) that has less impact on my present condition than the PTSD (since my PTSD is negatively impacting my day to day life).
While my physical injuries healed superficially, my family and friends began to believe that I was "back to normal," when in fact that was far from the truth. I began to suffer panic attacks, depressive episodes, and the emotional and physical strain of my hypersensitivity. Triggers like screeching tires and ambulance sirens would often either trigger panic attacks or cause me to become emotionally numb.
I have sought psychological help from day one (literally a week after my accident). While I like my psychologist, the pace is incredibly slow and sometimes I feel as though I'm suffering more than the therapy is able to handle. After a few years I tried anti-anxiety/anti-depressants and eventually wound up taking Zoloft, however complications recently had me try to stop taking Zoloft in the hopes that after two years of this medication I might have gotten to a point that I no longer needed it. Big mistake, of course. I have since spiraled into an emotional and physical mess. I had a bad experience when I was trying antidepressants that makes me fearful of trying new ones, but my doctor recently suggested Effexor XR. I will give this a try when I visit home soon (as to have family around "just in case").
I'm quite frankly, admittedly afraid of posting this information. Posting it. Sharing it even with friends. The stigma I feel for suffering this has made me feel lost in myself for nearly a decade. I've come here with the hopes of finding knowledge of perhaps conquering or controlling my PTSD and I hope to hear back from you.
