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View Full Version : Anyone have PTSD from a past illness/disease?



Solidsimpson
01-10-18, 14:38
Hey all!

I used to post here a lot while I had my IBS/Colitis stuff going on. I never thought it would go away. Suddenly 9 months ago, it ran its course and hasn't bothered me a day since. Its a miracle.

Having those daily symptoms though for 3 years has left me feeling paranoid and anxious though.

I still think about the IBS everyday and think about what if it comes back. The anxiety has gotten better but it is very annoying and I worry the anxiety of it will make it come back too.

Anyone else healthy now but have PTSD from their illness? If so, any advice on how to beat it?

ErinKC
01-10-18, 14:55
Yes. In 2011 I had to have emergency surgery for a fibroid that had necrotized (this is SUPER rare, but mine was massive and growing on a stalk, so it twisted around and cut off the blood supply). It came out of nowhere and was horrific and traumatic. I was ultimately fine, but my 6 week recovery time was the first time I had bad health anxiety. I kept getting complications - real and imagined - and ended up back in the ER a few times. In the end, I recovered perfectly and had no problems since. I didn't even have any more anxiety until my postpartum anxiety kicked in 4 years ago. And now, I think this past experience paints my anxiety - I have such a fear of something happening to me suddenly or something seemingly innocuous becoming an emergency. I recently discovered I have a very small umbilical hernia and the surgeon recommended just keeping an eye on it. This sparked my anxiety so much because of the similarities.

lofwyr
01-10-18, 16:23
Weirdly, I went the other direction. I was diagnosed with a serious illness, which I will carry around with me until eventual open heart surgery for it. In the mean time it could theoretically kill me, but can't be operated on yet. Surprisingly to me, after the shock of diagnosis wore off in about a month, it allowed me to focus on the actual day to day living and helped me recover from anxiety to an extent I did not think possible. It allowed me to recover not only from most of my health anxiety, but also my generalized anxiety disorder too. I do have relapses, but the tools I used before are even more effective in returning me from obsessive thoughts and projection, and allowing me to let go of things I cannot control.

The truth is, I accepted it could kill me, and it could happen at any moment. If it does so, I won't be happy about it. But in the mean time, it was like a veil lifted.

Also, bear in mind often times anxiety is the result of PTSD, and PTSD can come from many, many places. Childhood trauma, a car accident, combat, domestic violence, and yes, emergency or traumatic medical procedures or even diagnosis, but it is often dealt with in much the same manner as our anxiety, and indeed, could even be the cause of it.