Poll What Is The Cause Of Your PTSD?

What is the cause of your PTSD?

  • Childhood abuse of all types, rape or assault.

    Votes: 250 61.7%
  • Abduction

    Votes: 7 1.7%
  • Adult rape/ sexual assault/ sexual abuse.

    Votes: 57 14.1%
  • Assault.

    Votes: 20 4.9%
  • Natural disaster.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Emergency services such as fire or paramedics.

    Votes: 11 2.7%
  • Army or war.

    Votes: 12 3.0%
  • Death or suicide.

    Votes: 22 5.4%
  • Medical condition.

    Votes: 9 2.2%
  • Accident.

    Votes: 17 4.2%

  • Total voters
    405
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Mine was from childhood abuse and then alot of secondary woundings for years of my adult life. I was raised to be the perfect victim. And so I was for most of my adult life. Not anymore. I am alot healthier now. I am isolated too, so that is part of my current problem. I do have a life and it is a small one. But it is better than nothing at all. I feel so much better not being victimized anymore. Interesting thread.
 
Um if you wanted split it up you could have put a section for adult things and then another for children as or better still have another box saying child or adult (like war vets would come under adult and childhood sexual abuse under child), it might have broaden the poll to much.

I find it difficult as a lot of the abuse can be sexual or war related these seem to be the main two and I fit into neither I believe my is a bit of a rarer one. Psychological abuse but not from a family member. I also have a disability too.
 
As many others have said, it was my extensive and chronic childhood abuse that paved the way for all that came next. Not only did this leave me with the psychological injuries that would later become apparent, but it also provided me with the series of cognitive schemas and emotional deficits that predisposed me to place myself in victimising and vulnerable situations.

Ultimately, it was an adult sexual assault that triggered my psychological collapse and led to my diagnosis. But I suspect that particularly as I was in receipt of proper psychological support within a fairly short timeframe following this adult assault, an otherwise healthy person may well have escaped the PTSD curse. For me, however, it was the proverbial straw that broke this little camel.

Maddog
 
I guess there were a few things I was curious about. I don't know how well I am going to be able to express them but shall give it a try.

I was wondering how many actually have the framework of PTSD in their childhood even when the catalyst is in adulthood. And what came to mind with that was that the trauma was there and was waiting for either a re injury (which obviously can compound the final PTSD and make it more severe) or for the person to feel safe enough to deal with it for the symptoms to fully emerge. I think both were the case for me. And that those deficits in childhood make it more difficult to keep oneself out of danger in adulthood (or childhood for that matter) and mean that we don't have the right type of coping skills to manage traumatic situations in childhood or adulthood.

Deficits in childhood mean we can't manage emotional states well and cannot self soothe well. We have no internal ability to nurture ourselves and tend to default to blame and self judgement. All of those intensify the damage I think.

I was also curious to see how intentional interpersonal harm affected PTSD development. How much knowing that someone is intentionally harming us for personal motives affects the likelihood of harm being done.

I hope that makes some sense. :O_o:
 
That along with adult sexual abuse is what caused my PTSD.
Hi Sailorgal,
I think the best one then would "adult rape and sexual assault". I should have worded it in a way that it clear that it could be ongoing. And I think emotional abuse comes along for the ride with them all doesn't it. :( Such difficult stuff to get past I find. I am so sorry you experienced all that.
 
Abstract, I don't know if this should be listed but for adults and children, there is emotional/psychological abuse that has no sexual abuse involved. Such as a verbally abusive teacher, manager, friend, etc. Just my 2 cents. Mine personally was psychological - very different from assault. Maybe it was just me here. :bag:
 
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