I have been dealing with a type of PTSD since AT LEAST 1974 when that doctor-induced amnesia on me at age 9 1/2 years old.
When PTSD moments happen, you may be doing something else at that moment as well, and it is sort of a collision, not a merge. So be sure to keep that straight when you are analyzing & going over it to understand. What you are doing at that moment has nothing to do with what you experienced & are having the PTSD moment memory of, although it can or may seem to you that one has something to do with the other, it does not. There is such a thing as bad timing coincidence. So chalk it up to rotten luck, or bad luck, although I personally don't care for the phrase "luck", that's all that it is, so don't let people distort what you are dealing with into something that is not what you're dealing with, & don't let yourself, if you do, correct that as soon as possible, A.S.A.P., for society can push you that direction, take back control. For you are dealing with enough learning to understand your PTSD, so don't put added pressures on you that are not relevant and have nothing to do with it & are completely unnecessary, you don't need the added stress. PTSD is something you yourself went thru at an earlier point in your life, & it is like flashbacks of what happened to you, what you experienced, what you went thru, & what you are doing at that moment that you have this flashback is just that "what you was doing", so don't let no one merge these things in together into something it was and is not. Deal with what you are remembering at that moment, & not with what you were doing at the moment the two collided, so don't merge it, deal with it as it is, for what it is. It is complicated enough to understand & comprehend, don't make it more difficult, for then it is being twisted into categories that need not be explored. You have heard the saying "don't make a mountain out of a molehill", well that's about what that is, deal with the relevant facts of, a memory is a memory. A good memory is a good memory, a bad memory is a bad memory.
PTSD does not mean you need to be institutionalized/committed to a mental facility. It does not mean you can't live and have a life. You are not an animal, you are a human being, and that's all there is to that. So take any negative comments said to you or about you like a grain of salt, people are ignorant & twist anything they can into more than need be, so let's all not let them. You can live a full life & learn to function and deal with it as need be, you do not gots to be locked up or declared unable to care for yourself, you can care for yourself & you can live without an overseer, rare cases of anyone needing that, I know mine is not one that I need anybody to oversee my care but me and my doctor if I so need to help me manage. It is manageable & you are capable of being on your own. Even if you have a flair up here or there, it isn't anything that you can't get a grip on & deal with if people will let you, those around you have to understand that it is real & it is not them, & you are not needing to be kept in the dark, so none need to collaborate behind your back about, it is your life.
I myself am also dealing with a ringing in my head 24/7, sometimes it is mild, sometimes medium & at other times loud, so it is affecting my hearing, this just began a few years back, as I broke thru into flooding remembering years of stuff, not so slowly anymore. Now the ENT doctor says this is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life. I sure would have rather done hypnosis, than to have this 24/7 ringing in my head.
This is my feelings, beliefs, opinions of it all, as I am a sufferer of, each person is different, as each person handles and deals with things differently and no one person's experience is the same exact for every person.
Get counseling/therapy when you need therapy & don't sweat the small stuff, when you are stable &/or able to handle/deal with it on your own, then be proud, but don't be ashamed when you do need a counselor or therapist, you yourself know better than anyone else.
It's my life, & your life is your life, don't let anyone order your life.
Deborah Kim B-Kennedy
(They had no right to take my right to know - 1974.)
PTSD Examined: The Five Types of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Originally, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was thought to be something only military service members and veterans faced. Now, we understand that this stress disorder can happen to anyone, especially those who experience an intense, often life-threatening, event. PTSD differs from acute stress disorder in that the experiences are more long-term and will usually disturb daily life. An estimated 7.7 million Americans have suffered or are suffering from PTSD and another eight percent of the population will eventually develop the disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM-5, defines PTSD as an anxiety disorder triggered by exposure to actual death, the threat of death, serious injury, and/or sexual violation. Symptoms can appear as soon as the episode ends or even years later. PTSD is a multidimensional disorder with many different causes and outcomes. Research has begun to explore the idea of five different subcategories that require different treatment methods.
1. Normal Stress Response
A normal stress response is what occurs before PTSD begins. However, it does not always lead up to a full-blown disorder. Events like accidents, injuries, illnesses, surgeries, and other sources of unreasonable amounts of tension and stress can all lead to this response. Typically, the normal stress response can be effectively managed with the support of loved ones, peers, and individual or group therapy sessions. Individuals suffering from normal stress responses should see a recovery within a few weeks.
2. Acute Stress Disorder
Acute stress disorder, while not the same as PTSD, can occur in people who have been exposed to what is or what feels like a life-threatening event. Natural disasters, loss of loved ones, loss of a job, or risk of death are all stressors that can trigger acute stress disorder. If left untreated, acute stress disorder may actually develop into PTSD. Acute stress disorder can be treated through individual and group therapy, medication, and intensive treatments designed by a psychiatrist.
3. Uncomplicated PTSD
Uncomplicated PTSD is linked to one major traumatic event, versus multiple events, and is the easiest form of PTSD to treat. Symptoms of uncomplicated PTSD include -avoidance of trauma reminders, nightmares, flashbacks to the event, irritability, mood changes, and changes in relationships. Uncomplicated PTSD can be treated through therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
4. Complex PTSD
Complex PTSD is the opposite of uncomplicated PTSD. It is caused by multiple traumatic events, not just one. Complex PTSD is common in abuse or domestic violence cases, repeated exposure to war or community violence, or sudden loss. While they share the same symptoms, treatment of complex PTSD is a little more intense than uncomplicated PTSD. Individuals with complex PTSD can be diagnosed with a borderline or antisocial personality disorder or dissociative disorders. They exhibit behavioral issues, such as impulsivity, aggression, substance abuse, or sexual impulsivity. They can also exhibit extreme emotional issues, such as intense rage, depression, or panic.
5. Comorbid PTSD
Comorbid PTSD is a blanket term for co-occurring disorders. It is applied when a person has more than one mental health concern, often coupled with substance abuse issues. Comorbid PTSD is extremely common, as many people suffer from more than one condition at a time. Best results are achieved when both the commingling mental health condition and the comorbid PTSD are treated at the same time. Many people who suffer from PTSD try to treat it on their own. This can include self-medication and other destructive behaviors. Using drugs or alcohol as a way to numb the pain will only make things worse and prolong treatment.
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Definitions above are courtesy of -
https://bestdaypsych.com/ptsd-examined-the-five-types-of-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/
If you need to talk to a doctor or therapist then talk to one, if you are dealing with it fine without, ok, and a flare-up doesn't mean crisis mode should be stamped on your forehead. We all need to learn to talk, it isn't easy explaining, but I think talking is what there needs to be much more of, conversation, if your loved one's really love you, they won't talk in riddles, and will want to know, and will understand your feelings because your feelings matter, it is your body, your life, and it was and is your experience that you went thru. Encourage talking and communicating in any normal form of communication - in person, on the phone, on the internet, skyping, zooming, etc. Normal talking is healthy.
Article by Best Day Psych of definitions of & Post/Story by me -
Deborah Kim Kennedy
A.K.A.
Bouvier, ?, Kennedy, Guffey, Garner,
Colver, Hicks
B-, C-, G-, H-, K-
02/10/2022
It is my life & no one else's right to my decisions, feelings, beliefs, etc.
& so does upside-down censorship & lack of acknowledgment, the need for anyone to it be done, or things be conducted this way, to begin with, is an abuse of power & the group/family/party/etc. exceeding their rights, a form of an authoritarian regime in sorts. Now I am not trying to offend my country, America, for I am an American & proud of it, I am also proud of being the youngest & bio daughter of President John "Jack" Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States of America, who was assassinated November 22, 1963, in Dallas Texas.
What all happened to me is very relevant in our history, very relevant in fact & deserves to be acknowledged & treated as such.
It is all extremely important, past, present & future.
Debbie Kim Kennedy