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Sufferer Trying to understand ptsd and dissociation

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OnMyOwnTime

New Here
After a bout of hypothyroidism, I thought I would be fine once I was diagnosed and starting taking thyroid pills. Instead I've entered the twilight zone. My psychiatrist recently told me that apparently I no longer have the mental energy to compensate for PTSD and I am experiencing dissociation. I didn't know I had PTSD, I thought that was only experienced by soldiers and disaster survivors, and the only thing I knew about dissociation was Sybil with all her personalities.
I've been seeing psychiatrists all my life for recurrent depressions and panic attacks due to a rough childhood. I've had some therapy but for years I've been doing fine on just meds. But now things are so messed up, I can't even work. I'm always late, sometimes really really late. My friends have asked me over and over what I was doing, but I don't know. To me, time seems to jump around. A couple of times I've come out of a reverie to find myself driving my car with no idea where I am going. The first time I almost had a heart attack when I suddenly found myself driving down the freeway.
Something I was trying to look up today was how when I get really stressed it is like my mind starts stuttering. Instead of moving continuously through time, it's like a slideshow: I'm sitting on the bus then (next slide) I'm sitting on a bench then (next slide) I'm sitting in the waiting room, with no recall of what happened between slides. I tried looking it up here but my search only brought up actual slideshows and flashbacks that were like slideshows.
Does anyone else experience this?
 
I don't experience the time jumps quite as severely as you appear to, but yes I certainly lose chunks of time. Sometimes I have serious trouble focusing, I know people are talking to me, but I just can't grasp what they are saying. I am trying to work with different grounding techniques (mostly focused on "waking up" my senses, so things like holding something cold, smelling/tasting something strong, etc). A couple close friends know what to look for so sometimes they can initiate these things, but I am trying to be able to do it on my own. But, you certainly shouldn't rule out medical explanations prematurely. Welcome to the forum, I hope you find it helpful!
 
I have dissociative identity disorder (DID) and there are times that I don't have memory of what happened in-between the "slides" so to speak. When it happens, it's scary. There's a spectrum of dissociation from daydreaming to DID. I can't work right now either as things have been such a mess lately and complicated. I did have a student once who had seizures like @TexCat that kind of mimic dissociation.
 
I have 'lost time' a lot. Ever since I was a child. And all the symptoms others listed.
So welcome to the Forum. Hope you talk with you therapist about this and find answers. And we are here for you. Many of us have this. You are not alone.
 
Thanks for replying, it really helps to know there are people out there who understand. I only see my psychiatrist for brief medication appointments so there's not a lot of time to talk. He recommended a book "The Haunted Self" but it was pretty technical. I'm glad I decided to check the internet.
 
Hi @OnMyOwnTime
Welcome to the forum.

I too have hypothyroidism and when it's not medicated properly it wreaks havoc with my PTSD. Here are the symptoms which are the same as PTSD for me:
anxiety
sleeping too little
sleeping too much
hopeless
empty
sad
withdrawing emotionally
loss of interest or pleasure in activities/hobbies
thoughts death/suicide
brain fog

And loads more.

Here's a Link Removed I found the National Academy of Hypothyroidism website. It's a PDF so it opens immediately.

I see an endocrinologist every six months to keep my thyroid working right.

I used to have DID and still dissociate.
 
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