When someone thinks they have cptsd from being spanked as a child…

[Friday]

Wow, I haven't heard that kids can't get PTSD. I would definitely disagree with that statement. And I am so sorry that you witnessed a friend being killed by a car.

Cha.

Kid-brains are so “plastic” (extraordinary, resilient, almost magical) that responsible clinicians are EXTREMELY reluctant to diagnose ANY lifelong disorder (like PTSD, as well as most other acquired instead of “born with” disorders) and are flat out banned/not allowed to diagnose anything that requires an “enduring & persistent” (personality disorders).

Speaking as a PARENT of a traumatised child? I watched him flip through several dozen “disorders” in his adolescent & teen years. FULL ON XYZ, or ABC, for a few months here, switch to another for a few months there… and again, and again, and again. So I’ve learned to reeeeally appreciate the cannon of NOT dx’ing a child… until age brings stratification/immobility.

Did you know that over 90% of ADULTS with PTSD are asymptomatic in under 6mo with ZERO treatment? And never, ever, another symptom again? 6 months. I’ve read the numbers fluctuate between 92-96%. Of people actually diagnosable. Poof. Magically better in less than a year. And good for LIFE.

The LANDSLIDE majority (99.9999999999999999 (bar) %) of traumatised KIDS will not go on to have PTSD as an adult. Granted, some will have conditions faaaaaar worse. Like personality disorders; or so called “middling” like substance abuse, delusional, generalised anxiety, ocd, eating disorders, etc. But? Anyone HERE with PTSD from childhood abuse? Falls in that teeny tiny narrow percentage of MILLIONS. As we’re now a population of tens of billions. So a teeny tiny minority of children? Is still a helluva lotta kids. Also a helluva lot less than the 4% or 1% of born with disorders (like dyslexia, blindness, deafness, diabetic, ADHD, GAD, etc.).

SMART clinicians? Don’t diagnose children, until they’ve had room to heal/grow.

That doesn’t mean that children cannot, but that children aren’t all fixed/static. Instead? They’re plastic as hell.

Children can absolutely have any of DOZENS of disorders & conditions resulting from trauma. PTSD is one or the luckier/better ones, to lock onto. As it is sooooooo localized/discrete. Most traumatised children aren’t that lucky.

We all (most of us) have PTSD. Can you even imagine your worst trigger being… everything (like GAD)? Zero relation to trauma. Pure, life = brutal pain/anxiety/reaction. Or OCD, where your worst trigger is NOT something that actually happened, but something that once crossed your mind, so is now “real”? Or a personality disorder where EVERYONE IS your rapeist/abuser/etc., including the 2yo waving at ducks? So, of course, you should murder that toddler and feel relief in their guts being ripped out / set on fire/ etc?? An innocent child, a puddle of goo? PTSD is a reeeeaally looooooooooooooow bar. It is a disorder that is super concentrated/focused….comparatively. Compared to what we might have, instead. PTSD is understandable. Relatable. Sensical. Most other options? Are sooooooo much worse.