Trying to understand what's going on in my life

[shiningdark]

Hi, this is my first post on this forum, sorry for my English.

I'll get straight to the point: one night, 3 months ago, my girlfriend told me some bad experiences about her past boyfriends and her past in general.

Knowing those stories destroyed me and, already the next day, I started to develop intrusive thoughts, particularly about 2-3 of her ex boyfriends. I asked her for reassurance but it only got worse, I learned a lot more information that completely shocked me and made the intrusive thoughts increase a lot.

I couldn't eat, to this day I struggle to sleep and our relationship has deteriorated a lot since that day.

Yesterday I saw a photo of her from a time when she may have known one of her ex boyfriends and it completely devastated me: I still have thoughts about it, I can no longer look at the photo (an absolutely normal photo) and I was shaking for two whole hours.

Now I'm in therapy, but my therapist still doesn't know the cause of these thoughts and doesn't know why they have ruined my life so much in the last few months.

A theory of mine, also shared with my girlfriend, is that it could be PTSD: the intrusive thoughts are recurring, random, anything that can be vaguely related to those situations torments me for days, fictional stories similar to my gf past don't let me sleep for weeks and, during the day, phrases and images keep coming back to my mind in a completely random way.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Could this be a correct diagnosis? Whatever it is, it cannot simply be a matter of mentality...the situation seems much more serious and profound to me.

 

[Movingforward10]

Have you looked up the criteria for PTSD? this website might be helpful: Causes of PTSD – PTSD UK

Also, you might want to look up the criteria for diagnosis in the country you are in. It's unlikely to say that hearing about someone else's trauma, as a one off, will give you PTSD.

You don't need to have a diagnosis for something to cause you distress. But addressing it with your T is the way to go.
No one here can diagnose you.

I suppose, why has it shocked you so much? What reassurance do you need from your gf? Do you have past trauma that this has triggered?

In terms of managing it, with the intrusive thoughts - can you stop them? Thought stopping can be effective, with practice. Life doesn't need to deteriorated. You can regain control of your thoughts and life can improve.

 

[Dark.Green.Feathers]

i’m sorry for you and your girlfriend’s experieces.

PTSD does not cover this. have you looked into OCD? intrusive thoughts and reassurance seeking is a big part of that. take a proper look and see what you think, it may be a closer fit and therefore lead to more effective management suggestions. i know how life consuming this stuff can be.

 

[Friday]

Has anyone had a similar experience? Could this be a correct diagnosis?

It’s unlikely.

Knowing the pain someone else has suffered? Can have SEVERE consequences on the third party. PTSD isn’t one of those consequences. Third party PTSD IS a thing… in extremely narrow circumstances. Like your child or spouse is kidnapped/tortured, or you’re a human rights attorney, viewing thousands of hours of people you’re responsible for, and people who’ve died you’re attempting to speak for. But, simply imagining someone else’s hardship? Is a HUMAN thing. Not a pathological thing. Unless there were other disorders involved.

 

[oliver767]

The brain really said, "Hey, here’s a photo of your girlfriend... time to spiral into an existential crisis for two hours straight." Classic overachiever behavior.