Is bereavment PTSD?.

[karen 1955]

my daughter clair 28. died tragically 4 yrs ago. I seem to have moved on, and cn talk about her easily. there were a lot of factors in clairs death that were horrendous. sometimes out of the blue I feel overwhelmed with feelings. could this be PDST?> lol karen

[Maj]

My heart goes out to you Karen. To lose a child, no matter what age, must be one of the worst things in the world. None of us would like to walk in your shoes. Although you say you have moved on I still think it is very early days for you. I don't think you can ever get over it but can learn to live with it. You do seemed to have coped but I'm not surprised you feel overwhelmed at times. I can only imagine this is perfectly normal how you are feeling. Maybe a talk with your g.p. can help you at the moment to cope. Maybe someone on this site has been through the same as you and can support you. I hope so. Please take care.
Myra:bighug1:

[Lynnann]

Hi Karen,

I can only imagine your pain and I send you all my love and wishes for healing from your horrendous loss.

In answer to your question I don't think bereavement is PTSD. I have experienced both and they are different things. I think it is an abnormal experience that you are dealing with; no parent expects to bury their child and I really hope you are having counselling and support to get through this difficult period of time.

Have a chat with your Gp as to what other support is available. I hope that you are able to talk to your family as well as this is a difficult time for you all.

Hugs again to you

Lynnann:flowers:

[Judee]

Hi. I am really sorry for your loss. I think bereavement can cause it, as I never suffered with anxiety attacks and chest pain before my mum died last February, and have had nothing but trouble ever since she died. I read up on the different symptoms of PTSD, most of it did fit, (Avoidance) I can't visit her grave yet, and have tried to shut thoughts of her out of my mind, to avoid being overwhelmed and have physical chest pain which is frightening. The only thing I have dwelt on and my last memories, were of her in a&e having a massive heart attack, then stroke. I used to say my head was stuck in a&e, and indeed it was...I think it is when you can't move on, and go over the same memories again and again, and also are overcome with all of it. I think if a death of someone you are close to is horrendous, and traumatic, it can affect you just as much as anyone who has had a traumatic experience in some other way. Hope you get more insight into it, but you are questioning it, so you are making a start. Take care.x Judee:)

[Maj]

Judee I also feel for you. It's still very early days since the death of your mum. You heart will still be breaking. I'm fortunate to still have my parents, and they are my best friends, but I don't know how I'll cope when I lose them and I feel for anyone who has. I know it's part of life but I don't think it makes it any easier. You still needs lots of tlc:hugs:
Myra x

[PoppyC]

Hello Karen
I am so sorry for your loss. I really cannot begin to imagine how you must feel. I think to lose a son or daughter must be the most painful thing to experience in life, that there can be.
I lost both my parents within 6 months in 2009. After the unexpected death of my Dad, I had to go onto antidepressants, because I was seriously going downhill.
I had a breakdown a few months earlier and started to feel better and then my Dad passed away and I knew the signs for how I was feeling were not good. The antidepressants have really helped and have given me my life back.
Doctors don't like to give antidepressants for grieving because it is important that people grieve, but as my anxiety was spiralling, I was given them.
I do think that PTSD could occur, depending on the circumstances surrounding the death. Have you had any counselling?
I don't think people who lose a child ever get over it but I do think maybe they learn to live with it in time.
Have you ever contacted CRUSE? They are supposed to be very good for helping people with the loss of a loved one.
http://www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk/

I wish you all the best.
Sending lots of hugs to you.

[bottleblond]

Karen

So sorry as i have only just came accross this thread.
I think you have gone through the worst thing that any parent could go through and you have my deepest sympathy. I can't even begin to imagine how life must have changed for you.

To answer your question, and this is only my personal opinion but i think that any traumatic event can cause PTSD. The death of a loved one, an illness, anything that has had an effect on your life and wellbeing with after effects, i truely believe yes, it is very possible.

My heart goes out to you Karen
Lisa
xxx
:hugs:

[magpie girl]

Hi karen yes bereavment can cause ptsd,and it can happen years after the actual event.Your body can go into a coping strategy and shut out all the real emotions you feel,then a sound,smell ect can trigger the actual trauma as if it happend yesterday:weep::weep::weep:Im so sorry to hear of your loss,i can not begin to imagine the pain you are in xxxxxx

[lindor]

Karen, my son killed himself 3 1/2 years ago. I thought I was coping with it, because at the time I was diagnosed with having Hepatitus C from a blood transfusion back in the 80's. My mind was in a whirl with that and my son's death then having to have to take strong drugs to kill the virus.

About 2 years ago my panic attacks started. I coped with them on my own at first, they didnt affect me often..but just before Christmas something happened and they got worse.

I think my son's death did cause me to have PTSD. I blamed myself at the time and it doesnt matter what anyone says I still blame myself and I will carry the guilt of his death to my grave,

[RLR]

The act of bereavement is entirely normal, even if extended beyond a certain timeframe as long as it produces no negative influences that affect capacity in some way. As such, bereavement is not associated with post traumatic stress disorder. It's important to realize that many people form subjective interpretations of disorders like this based upon commonsense application of the disorder to their own symptoms.

True PTSD has very characteristic patterns of evolution of the disorder, most often producing a variety of somatic or physical features that are couched within a likewise set of emotion-based patterns that together represent a direct inability by the mind to resolve or overcome the original exposure. Soldiers are the most commonly observed representation of persons affected by PTSD and the unanticipated horrors of war can produce a refusal by the emotional centers of the brain to logically comprehend and resolve the psychic trauma. As a consequence, they may begin developing physical manifestations such as a chronic rash that flares up, constant symptoms of a challenge to respiratory patency such as allergies, autonomic dysregulation, compulsory patterns, cognitive changes and other signs of general illness that often fail to meet the characterization of known ailments. Seldom does the individual with actual PTSD have a clear recollection of the precipitating factors which caused the disorder to manifest itself. In a way, PTSD becomes a placeholder for the original traumatic event and patients with the disorder rarely possess the insight to make the connection. They can suffer flashbacks of a nature, but it is as though the event reproduces the original psychic trauma, much like it is occuring for the first time in some regards. These patients don't look upon such manifestations as necessarily linked to all that troubles them. They are more confused by the events than savvy to their cause.

Many persons self-diagnose themselves with PTSD based upon their intepretations and/or information read about the disorder. Without training and experience in first-hand exposure to and treatment of true PTSD, which in fact is quite rare by comparision to what many believe to be the case, many persons self-qualify the requisites necessary to be suffering from the disorder. While this doesn't discount their actual difficulty in any regard, it does raise clear evidence that they do not suffer from PTSD if they claim to, if you see my point. People with true PTSD are focused on the physical manifestations and the psychological breaks that may infrequently occur, but they do not label themselves as suffering the effects of post traumatic stress.

As to your particular plight, it is not uncommon for the experience of losing one's child to resurface many times beyond the original timeframe. It would only be a concern if the patterns caused you to experience a loss in capacity to perform daily life chores or alter your social/occupational function in some regard.

Best regards,


Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)