Poll When Did the Symptoms of PTSD First Appear, After the Initial Traumatic Event?

[kers]

I did not vote because I do not know when I first began manifesting symptoms.

 

[Zolicor]

Actually, I'm all confused. I came on here because of my PTSD relating to having been a murder attempt victim - and symptoms appeared coming up to the first anniversary - but I realize I haven't taken into account the other trauma of my life (giant car accident - was run over by a neighbor when I was eight) and have realized that I suffered PTSD from then too (but just didn't recognize it as such)

 

[PerfectEmpire]

I was 13 when the symptoms (the most severe, clear cut PTSD symptoms) began. The trauma that triggered it all occurred when I was 12. But I was also still living through the trauma of psychological abuse (which ended when I moved out at 18).

I voted 12+ months because the event that triggered my downward spiral was 1.5 years before.

 

[BrownEyes]

I can't really answer the poll. Like others have said, I really don't remember a time when I didn't have symptoms.

I really have no "normal before hand" to compare it to.

My symptoms have increased and decreased over the years, but I've always had them as far back as I can remember.

 

[shiraz]

With cPTSD, one can only guess. I know the abuse started really young(age 2/3) .... I remember panic attacks and dissosiation at age four. There have always been some symptoms, but the full blown cPTSD hit at 37.

I can't vote, as I don;t really know.

 

[Jagged Angel]

I am unable to answer this, as there are many 'events' and I cannot tell which one was the catalyst for the symptoms

 

[catjudo]

I'm unable to answer this poll. My initial trauma was as a child...I remember when it ended but have no memory of how old I was when it started or how long it lasted. I don't really know how to compare my current self to a pre-PTSD self...I was just too young to know.

 

[Paloma]

The physical abuse started at 4 mos when my twin died...and pretty much didn't stop until I left home. There were many other trauma and life threatening issues in my early years. I too wet the bed until about 9 or 10...constant nightmares...socially isolated, etc. In highschool I discovered drugs and alchohol and was stoned continuously from 14 to 18. So I guess I would say it has been a constant. For the purposes of the poll, I picked the rape when I was in the military as that really put me over the edge and I could kind of establish in my mind that it was about 3-6 mos later that I started to become symptomatic in a way that tied into that particular event. My first full blown complete star spangled meltdown with hallucinations and self injury was after my husband died and about 15 years after the rape. All kinds of crap came boiling up.

Gosh...hope I didn't skew the poll. This is actually hard to answer!
Paloma

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I didn't vote b/c I don't know when my symptoms started. I have been living with symptoms as far back as I can remember, however the trauma was when I was 4 and it is impossible to determine when the symptoms started in relation to the trauma.

 

[Grama-Herc]

I voted for over 12 months only because of when I was diagnosed and hospitalized.
1997! But the date of when the ptsd started is one of my unknowns!

 

[Tinyflame]

I shouldn't really have voted, because it's been 25+ years, I can't remember. I remember some instances in 2-3 months, because I have a date I recall, but I voted '3-6 months'. It was really spinning out of control by 5 months later, but I can't remember when I it started. I blocked most of that stuff out.

 

[AmberEyes]

I have blocked out most of the childhood stuff...it is difficult for me to say whether my reactions were PTSD or not when I was a child, though I do remember flashbacks in my teens, and in my twenties. But whith this latest event I started having intense anxiety immediately (probably due to fear of life-threatening situation) and I think I started with symptoms of PTSD within a week or so, or maybe it was just fear, I don't know. I had nightmares, intense fear and anxiety, but also I had been unknowningly drugged and going through withdrawal.