HOW LONG CAN YOU SUFFER FROM PTSD ?

[mazer]

Hi,

I was diagnosed with PTSD 8 years ago after sadly loosing my baby daughter who was stillborn.[V]I had to go through having the birth induced and having a normal delivery.(this itself was horrific to go through).Then her father left me weeks after for someone else.I was on medication for depression also after.I am still constantly thinking about what happened especially as I have a 4 week old baby daughter (who I dearly love [^])Having looked at the signs of PTSD,I have almost all them but my CPN says that I do not show any signs of depression but in my mind I suffer from it.I do not know if I should mention PTSD to my health visitor or maybe my GP as my CPN is crap.( sorry but she is !)

[blondeangel]

Hey..
I too have PTSD from a very abusive traumatizing relationship almost a decade ago. I began to have major PTSD symptoms a few years after that...but for a few years I was drinking and abusing drugs...probably to forget what I went through.....and when I was diagnosed 5 years ago I had anxiety, panic, and depression..and I was having major flashbacks. I was on daily meds for 2 years and then switched to taking a medication when I needed it becasue I felt way better. For 3 years I had few and small anxiety/panic attacks, and my depression went. Now I began on my second diploma to be a Child and Youth Counsellor, and my PTSD and panic are back. I have to go read about and go over awful case files on children/youth, and one course focuses on abuse. And the professor of that course is a b i t c h.
Anyways...from my education on PTSD, sometimes certain symptoms will go, and some will stay...and sometimes it does go away. It depends on so many things...but to answer it, no one really can. It can last anywhere to stopping now, to being for a few years to being more.
Another thing...nurses don't get a lot of psychology training, and she may not know much about it. For one thing....you don't need to show all of the signs....and also, sometimes certain signs will show righ away, while others occur later. Out of the three people you mentioned, I would say to mention it to your GP. They may also be able to refer you to other resources, counselling and/or therapy.
If you need to know anymore just ask....I am currently taking Abnormal Child Psychology so this is stuff that I have been learning about...plus it may really help with my exam coming up (exam week is next week!).[:P]

[Shaz]

Hi Mazer,
I've been suffering from PTSD for nearly 2 years brought on by witnessing my husband have a cardiac arrest in my lounge. It's been a nightmare trying to get a GP to diagnose this type of condition without making the problem worse, which he did by sending me for many cardiac type tests. Anyway my point to you is that just because you have PTSD doesn't mean you have depression as luckily I don't. I'm not sure if a health visitor can help diagnose your concerns, but this site does help to make you understand and begin to diagnose yourself. I have had some sessions with a psychologist which has been reaaly useful as she understands. Perhaps this might help you.

Take care
Shaz

What cannot be fitted into your day, cannot be done - forget about it!

[leanne1980]

Hi

i think i suffer from this to, i lost twins in jun03 and haven't been the same since, i have gone on to have a beautiful son, i too had a normal birth, well c section.

leanne xx

[Meggy]

OMG my heart goes out to you. I was an L&D-RN for many years, also a midwife. I worried so much for patients laboring with stillbirths, how they did when they left the hospital. The folowup with these patients was nearly nothing. I can not imagine your feelings. The labors always seemed much more dififcult, more painful too because of the medication used usually at least in the US. It can make you feel very sick on top of everything else. I hope you didn't have to go through a seaweed derivative. But I always felt like there was no program in place to help these women, families after we discharged them and now adays people are discharged so rapidly at least in the US.

I was diagnosed with PTSD. I don't have what I'd characterize as depression per se altho my therapist said depression can manifest itself in different ways. I mean I've experienced depression in the past over different things and what I feel doesn't feel like that. Occasionally, not often. I have huge anger, I cry easily and over inappropriate things. I didn't realize I was hypervigilant but gosh am I. I just thought I was being smart! I do some odd things too like I have to fight, usually loose, the battle not to hide if someone knocks on my front door. I was raped by multiple men who came to my front door. If someone knocks or rings even this much later I hit the floor and belly crawl into hiding. But she is telling me the root of some of these things, and others is depression. I once took an SSRI (anti depressant) that helped me a great deal when I lost my parents and youngest son. But I'm taking medications now for a disease and I can't take both.

My gosh I have seen the horrible trauma women go through what you did and then your husband left? You know my first impression of you? My gosh you're strong. That would sink many ships I'd think. Of course in me, I'd have a rage (sigh).

Welcome.

Meggy

PS What is a CPM?

[hurtssomuch]

hello, im not sure you can put a time frame on PTSD, i have been suffering for 32 years, i was very abused as a child, both physiclly and mentaly, i was molested by my mother, and at the age of 13 had a gun held to my head and was foerced to watch a man rape my mother, then the man holding the gun raped me, put the gun to my hjead and pulled the trigger, there were no bullets, just a click, at 15 i ran away from home rather then be put away by my mother in an instatution, well a man grabbed me from behind when i was hiding, being very scared, i freaked out, all i could think was he was going to hurt me, i picked up a stick and defended myself, as i saw it, i didnt see the nails in the syick, and 6 months l;ater he died, i suffer from night terrors and flashbacks, depression, deep guilt, and shame, i have spent mosty of my life punishing myself in many different ways, oh i am male also, not that i think of myself as much of a man, but the parts are all there, i can in no way understand how your expecriances afect you, all i can do is say hang in there, and dont think your alone, it helps me to remember that, and to know theres people like here in NMP that will talk to you, and be there in your times of need, i think each of us suffer in our own way, so no 2 people can find help for there problems in the exact same way, i have tryed meds, and therapy, cbt, hypniosis, nopthing seems to help me, ive been told its becasue of the guilt i feel i dont want it to, in a way i can understand that, i am sorry for you loss, like i said being a man i could never imagine what it must feel like, i can only try, and to me it seems like what i have been through pails in comparison, i have a daughter, and i no the pain i would feel if i lost her, be strong, and i hope you find NMP helps, i no it has for me,

the tears i cry will forever be in vein

[stu]

my God! I can relate to a lot of this, too. After very abusive relationship, I am left constricted more and more in a little "safe" world fearing to branch out. After 4 years the flashbacks stopped but the fears remain. This is like PTSD -though the "trauma" was 7 years in length

stu

[dave11282]

potentially for the rest of your life

I have suffered with PTSD for 24 yrs since my motorcycle accident

it still robs me of life till this day