PTSD is this what this is?

Hi all,

OK so I suffer from severe anxiety and panic attacks along with agoraphobia which seems to have got a whole lot worse since January, I will explain briefly what happened.

My mum has a cronic heart condition she was diagnosed 3 years ago and has been quite ill ever since. However in January this year she fell over in her bedroom and I rushed straight into her, I tried picking her up off the floor but she got more and more breathless, I immediately phoned for an ambulance but I thought she would die in my arms before they got there, thankfully they were quite quick although it seemed like an eternity, they rushed her to hospital where she was ressucitated and put on life support, we were told she wouldn't survive and that they would give her the weekend (this was on friday) to see what happens then they would have to consider shutting life support off, amazingly she came round and got stronger and stronger and although she is still very ill and will always be and I know the medication is the only thing keeping her alive she is home with us and I have been blessed with slightly more time than I would have been with her. However now I lie awake at night can't sleep and keep replaying that night she collapsed over and over again then I go through the images of her lying on life support etc etc. My panic attacks have increased substantially and I am now uncomfortable even opening the door to a stranger and avoid even speaking to people on the phone. Would you say that this could be in part post traumatic stress disorder?

Your views would be very much appreciated.

Daniella x

Hi Daniella
I'm not a doctor but it sounds like PTSD to me.. I was diagnoised with PTSD last year after 5 years of suffering, I had a really bad experience on a plane and re lived it day after day so my advice to you is make an appointment with your doctor and explain everything and i'm sure they will do theyre best to help you. I'm not the greatest on giving advice but lots of people on here are. I hope you and your mum get the help you need. Take Care and good luck.

Thank you for the reply. I have been in touch with the doctor and they are referring me for help for all my mental health issues (their words not mine lol) but it could take up to 12 weeks until I get an appointment with someone, as I am going to need a home visit because of the agohoraphobia it will take longer they say. *sigh*

xx

Hello Daniella
Very sorry to hear of your hard times.
It sounds like ptsd, have you done a diagnosis test online?
It's hard getting a diagnosis for PTSD so you need to be well prepared when you see your Dr, do the test and print the results if you think its ptsd. Take it to the Dr with you. I'm having difficulty getting a diagnosis, I've tried so many times to get my symptoms over to proffesionals, unfortunately I go to pieces when I have to re-tell it, I leave and realize that i have failed again. On the few recent occasions when I've had the guts to say I think its ptsd I have been dismissed without them even asking why I think this.
Yesterday I went to see the GP and was determind to say my piece and not be dismissed, so another referal to the pschiatrist. (excuse spelling).
I've realized that i have to demand the correct treatment which is CBT.
This has been going on for me for 4 years and only in the last 4 months have i felt strong enough to explain that I think its ptsd. I hope you have a good GP that you can talk to because if you have PTSD you need to get treatment as soon as possible.
I hope this helps in some way
Jan

Traumatic events can certainly create a whole load of negative emotions and limiting beliefs. These will then create our state of mind, which in turn creates our behaviours.

Although knowing the specific way in which you have internalised the problem is impossible with so little information, it seems perfectly logical to see that you have some 'legitimate' fears and concerns of that situation repeating itself.

One of the ways us humans learn is by generalising things - so that as a child you were shown how to use a door and generalise that future doors open in a similar way, rather than having to figure them all out anew!

Unfortunately, sometimes our mind generalises in a way that is not beneficial to our behaviour, although it is fulfilling a 'higher positive intention' for you - in that it thinks that it is somehow protecting you from going through something like that again.

This is something that you can have dealt with comfortably and can be done relatively swiftly in the right hands.

If you would like further details it may be easier to email or PM me

Nig