DSM-5 Criteria for PTSD

No, not necessarily, especially in the case of childhood victims of repeated sexual assault, more so in their younger years when they repress memories and it may take a severe triggering event to allow these memories to resurface.

It can take years for these memories to resurface in full, decades even. However the patient may be completely unaware that their current behaviour and emotional responses are a direct result of severe trauma in their young years

Check ISTSS.org for info about evidence-based treatments and how to find care.

Hi anonymous, I'm not qualified in this area, but I identify as having CPTSD as a result of having a narcissistic mother and family. Narcissism is brutal. You deserved better from your Mum and from your school. You did nothing wrong. People who ignore you for a week and have a go at you about it when you say that's not okay - are worth letting go. You deserve better. Learning to love yourself and getting to where you really know you deserve better is key. Setting boundaries. It's not okay to disrespect you, and yes, if you are in contact with someone many times a week - when they reduce that to once without a why - you have a right to ask. Love yourself... and head to YouTube - there are many videos on Narcissistic survival and recovery. It's insidious. So much coercive control and abuse that is only recently being seen by professionals.

I'd recommend time with self, self awareness, fostering self love and boundaries... get rid of, I mean go no contact with ASAP, anyone that makes you feel less than them - and doesn't seem concerned about it - if they have no respect for you - get them out of your life. Only let people in who will be respectful.

I'm in the process of doing all this. Better everyday for the practice. I wish you well. :) xx

Hi friend, I'm currently a college student and my studies cover a lot of ground with Psychology, Sociology, and Early Childhood Development as well and Trauma and Traumatic stress. I am by no means an expert, but I can tell you that the diagnostic criteria for children with PTSD are completely different from adults or adolescents who experience trauma. Since these situations you experienced happened while you were younger, from a developmental standpoint your brain would have responded very differently. Something that might be beneficial for you to read up on if you're curious is what is called attachment theory, specifically something called attachment injury. Attachment styles are formed within the first two years of life and often stay with us into our adult relationships. Attachment injury is anything that happens along the way that damages how we view and experience relationships. A fear of rejection is a pretty universal human experience, but if it's interfering with your day to day life this much I'd highly recommend seeking out a licensed therapist or counselor in your area, therapy has been super helpful for me in the past. Someone whom you're close to and trust can also be a good option, a close friend, a professional mentor, teacher, a pastor, priest, or other religious leader, whomever you're comfortable unpacking some of this with. Your ability to be vulnerable with yourself and others will be your greatest strength in a lot of ways. Hang in there, I know everyone says this but it really does get better.

Hi, it kind of sounds very much like symptoms of PTSD. Have you thought about seeing a counselor who is trauma informed?

I'm so sorry you are going through this. You are not a mess, you are not broken, this is not an out of the ordinary reaction to what you've went through. Please reach out for professional help, you deserve to feel safe in yourself. Take care x

That sounds more like C-PTSD than PTSD. (Yes, they’re different.)

The best thing you can do is to talk to a professional who has experience and tools for helping people heal from trauma!
Good LUCK to you! But, if you get good help, it can be ok.
I suggest that you go straight to the psychologist, or check with your doctor for a possible referral.

I too have PTSD. Only if you need a referral to see a psychiatrist do you need to explain "symptoms" that you are having (for example; anxiety, insomnia due to racing thoughts, negative thoughts, low self-esteem, or anything that you feel when being triggered. You do not have to disclose any other information or go into detail until you speak to the psychiatrist. I personally like to see a psychologist vs psychiatrist because a psychiatrist is more about prescribing medicine. They can diagnose you, however, with me I have found a psychologist is more about going a little slower and getting to the root through better testing, getting to know their patient and therapeutic conversation. A psychiatrist will try and diagnose you quickly to figure out which medicine to prescribe and they do not talk yo you or form a relationship with you to the degree of a psychologist. You can also see both. The psychiatrist for medication management. Whatever you talk to either Dr about is personal and confidential. Please seek help to get you on the road to a better future.

Find a therapist who has been working with people who have been traumatized. That can be a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Clinical Psychologist or another Masters or Ph.D level clinician. Talking about what you went through and working with someone who can help you learn to cope with and understand better the impact of the events that occurred in your life. Depending on the theoretical orientation of their training, they may help you build tools to manage you response to recurrent and intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidant patterns and the powerful emotions evoked by triggers that can re-evoke the memories and emotions, or they may work with EMDR or other tools that can help you work through the trauma. Medical doctors and psychiatrists can prescribe meds to help with sleep, depression and anxiety, but generally don't help people build coping skills needed to work through and beyond the intense phase of PTSD that can last for years for some who only improve with talk therapy. You may have an Employee Assistance Program connected with your employment which can refer you to someone, your insurance coverage should have a listing of therapists, or you could go to your area's Mental Health Services to get help.

Your psychiatrist(if you want a to seek a medicinal route) and therapist(if you want therapy, some forms such as EMDR therapy are particularly effective for PTSD) will be the ones to help you regain control of your illness. No need at all for a regular physician, unless you need them to refer you to an aforementioned specialist.

Please note that EMDR is NOT the "go to right now." The most comprehensive review of PTSD treatment was undertaken by the American Psychological Association in 2017. You can review their guidelines here: https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/. EMDR only received a "conditional recommendation." It is important that you seek out a practitioner who is skilled in evidence-based treatment for PTSD and utilizes these guidelines.

Criteria A is necessary for PTSD. This doesn't mean you aren't suffering. Mental illness means the symptoms are interfering with your life so much that you aren't functioning as well as you would normally.

Hi. This is actually a super interesting question. Some Dr.s still think that infants have no actual long term damage from the things that happen to them so early in life. its kindof contrary to the belief that a child can develop ptsd as a baby, but as we see here in the DSM 5, there is a whole category fro children under six.
Id suggest checking out Moshe Feldenkrais books and other people who study the neuroscience of trauma and child/infant development. in my studies in that field, I have been lead to decide for myself that, Of course you are affected, maybe even more from those first moments of life than any other experience you ever have. it is the foundation of all of your bio feedback as an adult. even if you have no memory consciously, your body remembers. trauma is the event, PTSD if the event still " living" inside of you, replaying and re-traumatizing you. its a way the brain protects you from further "perceived pain" ...the truth is people have differing views on this topic in the medical field, but YOU know your body and you can tell. Honestly I bring up this point to my teachers, because I have a theory that circumcision in not a good thing for brain development of the baby boys. its just a theory but as you know, you have been affected by what happened to you as a baby, even though you know it was to save your life now, as a baby you didn't know that. and thats why it was so scary. we don't understand infant development all that well, because not long ago ( even now) Drs think babies DONT HAVE FEELINGS. literally. this old school of thought is so wrong. but we still don't understand a lot of things with the brain.
I have PTSD from adult events. I wish you well in your journey, if I were you id go to a person who does believe in your issue and will help you heal it, even if it is though visualizations and meditations. Feldenkrais method could help you a lot, find a local practitioner near you, and tell them the story when you go to see them.

Talk therapy can re-traumatize you, which is harmful. Consider EMDR or brain spotting where you don’t have to talk about what happened to you but your PTSD symptoms get healed and go away