Post Traumatic Stress Disorder...?

I am currently researching to do a presentation on PTSD for a counselling diploma. I have all the facts and fugures and definitions etc from the internet to helo me with my presentation. BUT I feel there is something lacking. I want to construct either a handout or poster as a visual aid but I feel I need real life accounts to put on it. I was wondering whether people who have experienced it (either themselves or through a relation) can give me an account of their experiences.

NB please note I want to use this in my presentation, so please don't put anything up here that you regard as private and not for my use.

This help is totally and utterly appreciated and will be dealt with in the most delicate manner. Many thanks for all your answers and your contributions.

I have PTSD. Something your presentation should definitely touch on is how a sound, smell, tone in even a strangers voice-just about anything under the son, is a trigger that makes the sufferer become the age of the trauma and make them feel the EXACT way they did in the moment. For example, I was raped by my 1st cousin at 5. One of my triggers is a shattery tv screen because that was the backround noise when it was going on. If I see or hear one, I become 5 again and can't help but feel that fear and confusion I did at that time. Only once the reason for a trigger is realized(through lots of therapy and self work), can one bring themselves back to reality, although the underlying feeling is still very disturbing. PTSD is virtually new to the psych. world, nut thank God it's been realized so that now the people who suffer from it can have some peice of mind about what's wrong with them. I don't feel like a nut any more. I now can understand why I flip at the weirdest times. Any way, hope I helped some. Best of luck :)

I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder every month - when I get the phone bill

I was physically and emotionally bashed around when I was younger. Recently, someone at work shouted at me and invaded my personal space after she misinterpreted my behaviour which caused me to have a 'flashback' the next time I saw her. I imagined she was my mom thwacking me, and the fear was so intense that all I could do was curl up on the chair and cringe. It as horrible. Following this, all I felt was fear for weeks afterwards, I suffered mood swings and kept waking up early. Anything that associated that person to my work - my skin crawaled...like her phone number on the wall (she works in another building). Not only this, she humiliated me and my sexuality, and brought back feelings of sexual harassment I had years ago.

In the past, I had been diagnosed with severe depression because of this, and had been taking Cipramil for years. When this flashback happened, I was off my tablets. Now I am on them again and the fear has gone, the crawling of the skin has gone. I have an illness which, this woman's behaviour triggered a stress response. For a long time,I swung between lust and this fear. It was like all my past had come to me in that chair.

A nurse I know said it sounds like C-PTSD. I have yet to discuss with my doctor.

Hi I am 20 years old and I have been diagnosed with PTSD since the age of 16, this is due to abuse I suffered for 3 years from the age of 12 until 15. One thing I would like to say is that even though we have PTSD we can lead a normal life as everyone else, because I go to college and have friends and do everything they do. The symptoms that I experience because of my PTSD is flashbacks. I have two different levels of flashbacks. If it is not severe then I am still aware of my surroudings and my friends that know me well can talk to me and tell me where I am and reassure me that what I'm experiencing is just a flashback it's not really happening, I am safe and with them. Other times however my flashbacks totally take over me and I have no sense of where I am the flashback that I am having feels so real and it is very distressing... I have been looking at triggers with my therapist for a year now and what I do is keep a diary of when I take a flashback and I note things like what was the last thing I remember before the flashback, exactly what I was doing. Some of the triggers for me have been certain smells, situations and peoples voices. Everyone is going to have a different experience and trigger as they are remembering a totally different traumatic event.
I think what your doing sounds really good and I hope this was of help to you, if you need anymore information then feel free to email me I would be happy to help you. Good luck with your presentation

hi,as a sufferer of PTSD id like to say that there varying degrees of this,mine has taken 20 years to rear its ugly head and this not uncommon among combat vets,the average time frame for ex military is between 15 to 20 years to upset the apple cart and there is no rational for this,unlike the states here in the UK the medical world is only just getting to grips with the problem and this is just the civilian population,there are only 3 treatment centres for serving or ex military and the waiting list can be up to a year, with the current deployment of troops to combat zones world wide this problem is not going away,its growing,it would be interesting to check the figures today of those suffering now to those in 20 years time,good luck,a much under rated problem,needs high-lighting.