PTSD Fact Sheet: Frequently Asked Questions

We will all face different situations in our life that could leave us feeling vonerable and helpless and sometimes even self blaming. Often times simply putting blame in the right places and being self praising can be benifical. You are a survivor and should really see yourself as a survivor. So often people have been rape and sometimes injured and left for dead. You were in a bad cituation and you must have done something to defend yourself for not being raped of injured. Empower yourself by using your stong innerself. I think your handled yourself extreamly well because you did not allow yourself to be anything but a survivor. Maybe others should be asking you for help.. i dont know you. But im giving you a big big hug right now and i want to tell you, im so proud of you!

Hey Laura. I know you may not be checking this email. However, I have to tell you that what your father is doing is abuse. He is sexually abusing you by forcing you to remain unclothed when it is not your desire to do so. You should really report him to the cops, or find yourself a different living situation. I hope you and your sister are ok.

Honestly You Should never belittle your situation if it makes you feel a certain way Maybe people have had “worse” Pending on what you consider is worse than that Put in my personal opinion your situation does matter I know it feels little and stupid to talk about but I promise you It’s not I don’t know if you’ll ever see this again but know that you matter and that if something makes you feel distressed or distraught it dies matter the key to relive your “ptsd” Or strong emotions from what happened in my opinion is to talk about it there’s several different ways to get through it although they might not be a cure it is a treatment keeping things bottled up and never talking to anyone won’t help I promise you that I recently went through an accident which was life-threatening and I’m about a week out The feelings are terrible at first and trust me they don’t ever really get better but the key is to make them happen less often and stay in a good routine for me what works is is a really good support base therapy/counseling and oddly enough I know it’s hard to go back but if you avoid the very thing that’s causing you to feel this way in the first place it’ll never get better you got a face your issues head-on and beat them the first few days I was OK mostly still in shock but other than that I was OK couple more days went by and I started to feel anxious about certain things or events related to the accident and that caused me to stop sleeping and stop eating but lately I’ve been trying to think as positive as possible it’s been working I’ve been sleeping and eating and all of the such I still feel the emotions here and there but that’s normal for the first month or so but slowly and slowly They fade as well as the fear that was created from that accident I promise you

i haven't even read everything you said because it's so much. you are going through alot . this does seem legit and the way your dad treats you is kinda not good. i think you should be treated better. we all love our parents but you know there is an extent where you should be mistreated you know. you may be young i don't know but if you are a young adult that can provide for yourself i would move out make some boundaries with your parents, but in a respectful way, and hopefully get some family counciling. they may not want it but getting help for me is a sign of respect for your family you know you just want the best but if they still treat you bad then.... live your life without them but keep in contact show that you still love them. hahaha i don't know... but yeah hopefully all goes well and wish you the best

I am no physician, however, I have a strong belief in not labeling people. In my humble opinion, you can say you experience trauma memories, some of which come back with imagery. I cannot speak for others, but I myself have both happy and traumatic memories linked to my five senses. A smell, a taste, a song, seeing something/someone, or the feeling of something will flood me with emotions. I had to learn to not deny these feelings, but instead embrace them-be honest with them, take comfort in the process...then let them go!!

Hi Sweetheart,
First off, I want to let you know that you are a very strong person for have going through what you've gone through and are still pushing forward. That is the best you can do is to keep yourself occupied with things like work, if possible, hobbies, going to the gym. Im not talking about a full hardcore workout if you do not have the strength for that, but definitely something light because it helps tremendously when it comes to your mind body and soul. Plus you will start meeting others who are regulars and therefore, meet new people. I am going through a very very hard time in my life. It has not involved surgery, but I don't want to write a book because my problems are so severe at the moment, I can hardly leave my house. I have dealt with manic depression/anxiety all my life but about two years ago, I moved into a new place for a job position and I was doing well up until then. Long story short, I managed the apartment part-time where I was living and the owner was the devil. She would abuse me by harassing me since day one, yelling at me, calling me names, accusing me of things I was not doing, all the while the tenants said I was one of the best managers they had because any problem they had, they always got a hold of me that very day, and it was taken care of within 24 hrs. Even if it was something a simple as a light bulb change. When I came there, no one trained me to what there standards were or proceedings. I have been in management for 20 yrs but my occupation is a personal trainer for the elite and I am also a certified nutritionist who competes in body building as well so I have a lot of clients and I was able to balance these two things no problem. When I first got there, she had 4 vacancies. I rented them all in 2 months. The rents were sky high because it was Hollywood so we only had studios the time I was there and the last one I rented was $1795. All in all, since I lived there, I rented a total of 9 units and the building was at capacity. But she accused me of not being there, of tenants not being able to get a hold of me, and I bent over frontwards and backwards for this woman. At the time, I also met this man that traumatized me. I never felt this way about any man in my life. I am usually very picky, I dont get attached easily and even if I do, I will hurt a bit when its over but get over it. To this day I cannot let go of my feelings for this man. It is an obsession to where I cry everyday because of him. I shake severely, cannot sleep, can hardly shower, I snapped. I was super social and know a lot of people, had a ton of friends, would go out every time I would be depressed. I would die if I stayed home. Its been a year since I have gone out. Im sorry to drag this on. Im not trying to vent about myself but I just want to give you support and understanding that you are not alone and that others are going through this God awful disease that I dont wish on my worst enemy. All my friends are gone. I have maybe 3 friends that I still talk to. They have all tried to get me out and I can't even meet them for coffee. The gym was my addiction and i haven't trained in over a year. I have no strength, all I do is what is absolutely necessary and quickly come home and barricade myself in my room and watch tv. And then it starts. The severe shaking, my mind fills up with dread. I feel so abandoned, alone and I am terrified that this is it. I will die alone, no one will ever want to be with me, time is ticking, I will never be my normal self again and it sends me into extreme shock and I start crying uncontrollably. Honey, your friend gas probably went through a trauma of her own or has depression or anxiety and is dealing with her own demons and I'm positive she feels so guilty for not being able to be there for you but some people have so much on their plate that they can't bare to have any other problem and don't know how they can help you because they hardly know how to handle things themselves. But she still should be there for you in some way and not abandon you at the time in your life where you need her the most. You know how the saying goes, you know who your true friends are when when they stand by you through your toughest time. If she can't help you, or doesn't know how to deal with it, she can still call you and offer to have lunch with you or coffee, or act like she did before this so you are not alone and at least distract you from the situation but to if she is not willing to do that then what I would do is simply move on and wish her the best even though it may be hard but in the end, the meaning of a friend is someone who loves you, cares for your well being and is by your side at your worst time, but if she isn't even there for you emotionally, physically or in anyway, then you have to stop and think "how am I even benefiting from this friendship in any way if I am alone?" Focus on yourself and getting better and like I said before, you can even join a therapy group session of people who are going through the exact same thing you are going through and you will meet new people and not only that but people who need someone like you just like you need them and know your not alone. I guarantee that you will make new friends and even learn new coping techniques. All in all, don't be afraid to join groups, or forums with people going through the same thing your going through. It can definitely help change your outlook on life. I hope I was able to help in some way. Sorry for the novel I just wrote but I hate seeing people in pain and suffering alone because i know the feeling of not having anyone understand what your going through and that feeling of abandonment. I wish you well and if you ever need someone, I am more than happy to speak with you and try to kelp as much as I possibly can.

Hi I wanted to reach out to you because I have a similar story and am still struggling with it it happened July 11 2020. I feel like noone understands or gets what its like to watch something like that happen. Maybe we could talk through email or something

Hi Alex
I have complex PTSD and I also support othee people who have experienced mental distress for my job. I was really impressed with how you are taking responsibility for your recovery especially as you are so young. I just wanted to say in support that it's good to build up a focus on the things that make you feel good. Focus on your wellness. It doesn't matter what those things are, they are your well-being support structures that you use to make your bridges or steppingstones through recovery. It can be cuddling a per or walking a dog, cooking, baking, listening to music, doing yoga, hearing others positive recovery stories, making art of some kind, joining a laughter workshop or doing exercise and so much more. Whatever it is that makes you feel better or happy. These are the things we focus on gaining our wellness strength with and these are what help us if we get down. See if you can add some to your recovery kit. I think you are an amazing person. Kia kaha. (Go well.
I am from New Zealand and that is Maori)

Hello, Could this be “Syncopy”? I think this is the correct spelling. There is another diagnosis too that I cannot think of. I am not a medical professional. There may be a test where a person is laid flat and then the “board” is tilted backward. I am sorry I do not recall the name of the test but only a partial procedure. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you! Thank you for your many years of service! God bless you!

You might want to look into a Stellate Ganglion Block. I had one and it helped my symptoms a lot but then COVID19 happened and I am again triggered. Supportive family/friends are essential IMO. I don't have that. I would recommend the block though. Ultrasound-guided. Dr. Mulvaney in Annapolis, MD is amazing.

Request a referral to another counselor

Anna, your medical well-being in this situation comes first. As a counselor, you are trained to deal with overwhelming/frightening situations such as what you have experienced, but that gives your counselor absolutely no reason to not provide you with the help you are seeking. Don't hesitate to seek out a new medical professional, because you definitely deserve the best for yourself. It is important to note that if you decide to transfer to a different counselor, it will by no means offend your current one. She definitely might work for some people, but as it happens, she doesn't work for you. And that is okay! Just seek out the best help for you, and remember the goal is to heal and be able to live comfortably and peacefully in your community.

Do you have an email address I can contact you on? I've suffered from PTSD since childhood along with other disorders so I've personally experienced a lot of what you described. And although I may not have all or the answers yet, years of therapy and self-healing have truly opened my eyes and taught me so much!

PTSD comes in many forms. Some have few symptoms some have more.

Every now and then when I hear loud noises to close to me I'll dive on the ground and reach for my gun that isnt there, havent been out of the houses in over a week now, normally 5+ nightmares a week, cant sleep more than 45 to 60 mins without waking up, short term memory loss, anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, afraid to be around another person, outside of being startled loud noises make me sweat profusely and vomit, and few times I wake up to gunshots or mortars and feel like im back overseas.

My friend has been diagnosed and his only issues are people getting to close to him and new or unknown areas give him anxiety, hes easily startled, irritable, loss in interest in daily activities, and hypervigiliance.

Just because he doesnt have as many symptoms or the same symptoms as me doesnt mean he doesnt have PTSD. Everyone is different.

See a psychologist and just talk about what happened. I wouldnt say not to take meds, but CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy) helped me a lot. Also, I used to worry whether or not I had PTSD as if once someone told me itd give me closure and help or something. All in all, it doesnt matter. We just have issues and need help every now and then, get a therapist. You'll be fine, I'd say you have PTSD, but im not qualified to make that decision