Symptoms of PTSD & Complex PTSD

There are many people with this same diagnosis..not all have every symptom but suffer the same...It can be debilitating and life-changing..I applaud you for getting away from the situation that caused this disorder...it isn't easy...but you have had 7 years away and my hope for you is that you soon can distance yourself from some of the memories and make new better memories for your new life...believe me I am not making light of any of it...whether verbal, physical or emotional..abuse is abuse and can leave the victim frozen in time... for me the decision to survive the abuse and then survive the "survival" was my best choice... I learned to live around the symptoms which was not easy...but it gave me hope of a new life...and I am here to tell you today that "Freedom is what you choose to do with what was done to you"... There is no quick fix and each victim has their own wounds to heal... take the time you need and get good help.. then set yourself a goal of what you will choose to do with this burden...and how you will turn it around to help you instead of hinder you...I am 36 years away from my abuser and I disallow him any power over me today..yes, I still have situational issues that I have to deal with...but I choose to live around it all rather than live through it again....Please be good to yourself...but look for the light...even a speck of light and hold on to the fact that you will reach that light and come out on the other side into that light and thrive!!!! Look toward the days and the things you will do that will instill the joy back into your soul...for if you really want it back ...you will make your journey to find it....It's very easy to get held up in the depression of the day..but try to move through it with a goal of some sort..some small insignificant thing that you can claim as a victory...these small victories will begin to build into a feeling of accomplishment and goodness...and as you restore your soul with the goodness it once knew you will begin to be the person you choose to become... Our minds and bodies are very powerful and just because your power was taken from you once does not mean you can't get it back 10 fold...My best advice is to always look ahead...try not to look back too often...for your future is ahead of you....your past has affected you dramatically but do not let it deprive you of a happy, healthy life...again I repeat...true freedom is what you choose to do with what has been done to you....choose well..and be well....

Another cause of PTSD can be loosing a loved one. It's hard to deal with it on your own. Are you getting counseling or maybe joined a group of people that went through the same? Talking about it can help a great deal.

I was diagnosed with PTSD just a couple of years ago, although I have had it for about 15 since I lost two children in a house fire. Although I don't have all of the symptoms you have all of the symptoms you have mentioned, I have many of them. I am sure that is true with many of us. I am also a survivor of abuse as well. The children's father was an abuser, though mostly verbal and mental abuse until after the fire. After the fire, the abuse became physical as well. I took our other three children and fled our home. I have been on medications for PTSD and depression for many years, and see a therapist regularly. I have also kept a journal for many years. I find the journal is a wonderful way to get things out and release stress. A few years ago, I was a hermit like you. I felt no desire to leave my house, and almost dreaded the thought of even walking out the door. Eventually, a friend got me to run some errands with her. She said she needed to stop in at a local karaoke bar to talk to someone she knew. Eventually, she started dragging me out to karaoke occasionally, then once a week. My best advice is that if you can find any one thing that you enjoy and force yourself to go out, and do it. Whether it’s once a week, or even once a month, it will do wonders. Often I didn't feel like going, but usually felt better once I got there. Now it’s a part of my life and I never miss it. If I did, I think sometimes that it’s the only thing that pulled me out from where I was.

Hi QualityBookReviews. I am an adult survivor of parental domestic violence. I completely understand, and have experienced the symptoms of PTSD. After my father choked me to the point of unconciousness, I experienced chronic depression. I sought consistent therapy from a psychologist while staying with my paternal uncle and aunt in another town. The therapy was very effective, and six months later, I was ready to return to my hometown. However, one week prior to my leaving for home, my uncle physically assaulted me while banging my head repeatedly against cupboards and the floor. Once again, I blacked-out during the assault, and doctors believe that these periods of unconciousness definitely contributed to a condition known as Post Concussive Syndrome. It is definite that my uncle and father were abusing some sort of substances during the assaults, and each time, I was blocked from leaving the house. After the second assault, I experienced emotional numbness, social withdrawl, intense hypervigilance (increased arousal to stimuli, and constant scanning area around me for physical threats) and flashbacks, insomnia, and crying. Luckily, I worked with a professional who administered EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing)! It is commonly administered to victims of trauma such as those who served during the Vietnam War, rape victims, survivors of domestic violence. I highly recommend the treatment for anyone who is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as I felt relief from my symptoms after just one session! Of course, there were more sessions that I attended; approximately eight to 10. The following site provides detailed information regarding the treatment:www.emdr.com/briefdefs.htm Hope this helps!