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Can someone tell me about their experiences with PTSD


PatPaul

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Hi Everyone,

I would like to know if anyone out there has experienced PTSD? I have read how veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from it, and I assume people who have experienced severe trauma like rape, murder of someone close etc. could also be susceptible. I have never experienced such aforementioned trauma, but I would like to know if job loss could lead to PTSD?

I have had a string of painful, short-term jobs which involved very strressful job losses and then relocation and beginning a new job:

Japan one year-drank myself out of a job.

Saudi Arabia (only lasted 3 monthsbefore I was fired, but was relieved to get out of SA)

Middle East 5 years-two jobs; one for 3 years and the other for two. Both I had trouble with anxiety and stress. I was fired from the last one.

Can job loss (getting fired) and being thrown into a new job cause PTSD?

PP

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Hi Pat Paul,

I have had PTSD for nearly 2 decades now. (lucky me not) I was diagnosed as a teen, and was in hospital more or less for 2 years. (seriously not good).

My PTSD is mainly down to chidhood traumas, (thanks to having v.sick evil minded parents). What is it you would like to know about people that have this label ?

I dont know if you could have PTSD through a succesion of loss jobs, or through your personal life experiences. The only person that could really give you a correct answer to that question is your doctor.

Loosing your job is very stressful though and if you loose jobs relatively easily or in short periods of time, then your confidence is going to take a battering. If you are struggling with stress and anxiety, then if it is possible its worth seeking advice from your doctor. Maybe you could try yoga, or breathing excercises, that helps me like loads with my anxiety, and lessons the chance of it becoming overwhelming.

I hope this helps a little

Take care

Jj

Edited by SweetSue
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I have and do experience PTSD and mine has primarily developed from a specific childhood trauma and just exacerbated by ongoing traumas.

You mentioned veterans. I spent a period of time in hospital with 3 wards (one for psychiatric patients, one for addicts and one for veterans - the hospital was considered the best in Australia, at that time, for treating PTSD) and spent most of my time talking with the veterans and also saw a lot of what they went through. I also saw what some other people with PTSD from other sources went through, like a seriously abused police officer.

So even though I don't treat it, I think I understand people going through it quite well so what was it you wanted to know from those of us who have it for reasons other than war?

Well if job loss could lead to it.

Someone wrote this quite well in another post. I'll paraphrase as I can't recall it verbatim and don't recall what post it was. The discussion was whether or not war causes you to develop PTSD or not so. I think the comment was if you went over having experienced few traumas in your life you'd be less likely to. I would've thought the opposite thinking you'd be less equiped, but as they pointed out so well, if you've experienced a lot of trauma and then go into a situation where you'll experience more you're limit will be reached far more quickly. You can only tolerate so much.

So I guess maybe the question is how much trauma (smaller traumas or tolerable for lack of a better way of putting it) had you experienced before you lost your jobs. Were they the breaking point, the trauma that sent you over the edge.

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Hi Cheylissa, JulianP, and jessicajane1925,

Thanks for replying to my questions so quickly. I have been doing a lot of personal introspection over the past year trying to sort things out...Indeed I have had a checkered past(employment, academic etc). I am still struggling with my drinking problem and have been working the AA program to the best of my ability. I wondered if some of the anxiety attacks and panic disorder I suffered over the years was because of getting fired from one stressful job and jumping from the frying pan into another fire so quickly (i.e. moving from one job in the Middle East to another without a chance to decompress). I don't want to make it sound like my stress could be compared to what a soldier in Iraq would experience or a rape victim, but as an alcholic and a child of alcholic parents I am searching for causes and more importantly, answer; if they do exist?

My panic attacks in the classroom could be severe, especially when I was being observed by my supervisor. The way I dealt with the chronic nature of this illness was drinking. My depression really affected my ability to remember and concentrate on things...Before my first child was born in February 2007 I was having bad anxiety as a new to be dad.

PP

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... I don't want to make it sound like my stress could be compared to what a soldier in Iraq would experience or a rape victim, but as an alcholic and a child of alcholic parents I am searching for causes and more importantly, answer; if they do exist?

...

This happens to be a pet peave of mine, so I wanted to address it. Did you qualify what you wrote by saying it wouldn't/couldn't compare with what soldiers are going through because people in your life have many a time said to you remarks like, "well you're better off than the soldiers in Iraq" or "you don't have it as hard as the kids starving in Africa" and completely unrelated remarks like that? Or did the need to say that come from you worrying we might think "what are you complaining so much about - you're in a better situation than the soldiers really forced into suffering PTSD"?

I do ask that genuinely as I don't think anyone should ever have to feel a need to minimise their own situation because someone else may have it worse. For all you know the person who has it worse may be coping better, so essentially they don't really have it worse than you at all. A soldier has an idea of what they are entering into. Where they're headed, what is on the path (for the most part) that they're taking. They make a choice. It often turns out much worse than the glorified look being a soldier is given, but it doesn't make them worse off than you. Not to mention it's understood a lot of what will/can happen to them and therapists are far more equipped, imo, to work with them, generally speaking.

So please don't undermine yourself. Please don't - because there's enough people in this world who don't understand psychiatric illness or who simply don't care who'll do that for you, so no need to do it to yourself.

At the current time you may feel like a victim of circumstances and feel unable to get your head above water. But you will find a way, you sound passionate about working to find a way and you will become a survivor and empower yourself.

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hi PatPaul,

I agree with seaj

Just wanted to to add, that Panic Attacks are very frightening and wondered if you have had any help in how to overcome these, or atleast reduce the chance of them being so servere.

Would you consider visiting your Doctor for some advice and help, the Dr would be able to point you in the right direction, and may be able to suggest some form of Therapy or even local support groups, to help you overcome and deal better with the stress and anxiety that you are currently experiencing.

Take care

Jj

Edited by SweetSue
coz i cant spell ~ oooops
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