PTSD and trauma

A space for discussing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), domestic abuse, sexual abuse and other trauma. Please note some content may be distressing.

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A_Tech PTSD for Medical and First Responders
  • replies: 276

Hi, Well obviously this my situation. I was hoping to find others here that might have a similar background to chat with, it can be so hard to talk about this stuff with non-med people (and I mean no disrespect, it's just often graffic or upsetting t... View more

Hi, Well obviously this my situation. I was hoping to find others here that might have a similar background to chat with, it can be so hard to talk about this stuff with non-med people (and I mean no disrespect, it's just often graffic or upsetting to others). Im a 40 year old female that has spent the last 10years in the State Trauma Hospital as an Anaesthetic Technician. My PTSD was brought about after years of exposure to shocking traumas, deaths, and no support from management. I would love to hear from anyone that has a similar story, or just wants to chat. Cheers

All discussions

Whitecross Hi my name is Lindy.
  • replies: 14

I’ll start off by saying getting diabetes at the age of 21 has been absolute nightmare. I’m now 52 and have been through the ringer with so many things. My story is huge and it’s left me not feeling good about myself. As a very young child I didn’t l... View more

I’ll start off by saying getting diabetes at the age of 21 has been absolute nightmare. I’m now 52 and have been through the ringer with so many things. My story is huge and it’s left me not feeling good about myself. As a very young child I didn’t like myself either .. 🤷‍

Emlm History repeats...?
  • replies: 11

I’m currently on my second stay in a private mental health hospital. First stint started in October, spent most of December at home and was re-admitted New Year’s Eve. I’ve had my 13th ECT today and feel like I’m getting better but there’s a pretty b... View more

I’m currently on my second stay in a private mental health hospital. First stint started in October, spent most of December at home and was re-admitted New Year’s Eve. I’ve had my 13th ECT today and feel like I’m getting better but there’s a pretty big obstacle that is interfering with my progress. my mother, as much as I love and appreciate her I have no idea how to let her no that her actions and talk is really making it hard to get better. And I’m worried for my daughters mental health. My partner works away, so the kids are staying with my parents while I’m in hospital. My mum favours my son, he can do no wrong (13yrs). Whereas my daughter (11yrs) gets in trouble for anything and everything. Even the looks she receives from my mum breaks my heart. It was similar growing up between myself and my older brother. i have tried all different ways of addressing this issue, 11 years of it. One time after she was really nasty to my daughter I got very upset and I exploded. My mum told me she might as well kill her self.... I can’t deal with that. i don’t no what I’m supposed to do to make her see that she’s being absolutely horrible, and unfortunately I’ve seen physical marks on my daughter too. My mum was abused by her father.... but that gives her zero right to do this to my little girl. My partner wants to say something, but if he does it’ll probably be the last time they talk. He won’t sugar coat it. My dad protected me growing up, and he does the same for my daughter, but my mum rarely does it around him. shes my mum, I shouldn’t have to protect my daughter from her. I don’t no what to do, is there a way I can get her to see what she’s doing? I’ve gone weeks/ months not talking to her before. Nothing changes. My priority is my children. I need to get better so I can get home. This is setting my anxiety off the charts.

Aleksandra Abused as a kid ,becoming abuser later in life
  • replies: 3

Hello, I am new here, just wanted to see if anyone has an advice or experience with similar situation.As a kid I was in family with alcoholoc person that was agressive and I was always scared and never really talked about it. I am 23 now, I have a wo... View more

Hello, I am new here, just wanted to see if anyone has an advice or experience with similar situation.As a kid I was in family with alcoholoc person that was agressive and I was always scared and never really talked about it. I am 23 now, I have a wonderful relationship and I have abnormal anger attacks, like I get really stressed out and I am not just into verbaly arguing with my boyfriend I am becoming an abuser, I am physically aggressive, my adrenalin rushes so fast I feel like my mind is not my own. After like 30 mins I get back to normal, I usually cry because I cant believe what I just did/ say. In the moment of my anger attack I am not able to stop myself, I can not think rationaly .. And I am so scared that my kids one day would live like I did..with agressive parent... I don't even know how to fix this problem..:/

Greys Trouble accepting complex trauma diagnosis
  • replies: 4

This is my post time posting and I’m kind of anxious about it. I’m wondering as anyone else struggled accepting they have complex PTSD. I got diagnosed a while ago now but I still can’t believe I have it. It doesn’t feel like what happened to me was ... View more

This is my post time posting and I’m kind of anxious about it. I’m wondering as anyone else struggled accepting they have complex PTSD. I got diagnosed a while ago now but I still can’t believe I have it. It doesn’t feel like what happened to me was all that bad. It just seemed normal family stuff but the psychologist has said it wasn’t normal. I feel like a fake and I’ve been hiding all my mental from my family no one but my husband knows. Which adds to my thoughts of this can’t be real if I’ve managed to hide it. I also get dissociation and I keep trying to find other reasons for it but the psych says it’s from trauma. I don’t know how to get past all this uncertainty. How can I accept that I have complex trauma?

Hahahahahaha My parents are abusing me
  • replies: 3

Hi my parents are very abusive and they are always physically hurting me. When I ask them why they are doing this they say it’s because you need to learn. my dad always hits me and it has left permenant marks. My mom does the same too. I get really a... View more

Hi my parents are very abusive and they are always physically hurting me. When I ask them why they are doing this they say it’s because you need to learn. my dad always hits me and it has left permenant marks. My mom does the same too. I get really annoyed when they do it and I really really want to put an end to it. I just don’t what to do, or who to talk to..

Skitz Found out my partner of three years lived a double life
  • replies: 3

I met my partner at my last work. We got together just a little under a year after leaving the company and on October 1st 2018 we celebrated our 3rd year anniversary, he started to move things into my place and apart from family issues in Melbourne, ... View more

I met my partner at my last work. We got together just a little under a year after leaving the company and on October 1st 2018 we celebrated our 3rd year anniversary, he started to move things into my place and apart from family issues in Melbourne, things were on track. I kept being told that I was loved, we had a future together and that 2019 will be 'our year'. It was all lies. During the entire 3 years of our relationship, he was with another woman. I found out about her in January 2018, due to suspicious messages and was told she was a 'psycho stalker friend that was in love with him and he didn't have the same feelings. Like a good person i believed him, he constantly told me how much he loved me. The rest of the year was spent, begging to see him, he constantly changing dates and times that we could see each other and changing every move in date we had. People i know live all far away, so when he canceled seeing me i couldnt make other plans, so I spent 2018 very isolated and depressed. He saw me for a half day 20th december and moved in some items, telling me our future will be wonderful. He told me he had to fly back to Melbourne for christmas (family issues) and would move in completely the 27th december. In a state of loneliness a day or so after christmas, i looked the other woman up again. To my complete disbelief, I found out that he married her the date I came back from the US, which was over a month ago, the 25th November 2018 from facebook photos she had posted. Heartbroken and in a state of shock, I contacted him to hear that he is indeed married and with the same woman I had fears of in January 2018. The last 3 years of my life have been a complete lie and has caused me significant emotional and financial pain. She made him call me in the afternoon on speaker to apologise, as she listened in. Even though she heard what I said she seemed almost indifferent and agitated that i'd be upset for this disgraceful act. At one point even laughing at the money spent on his birthday and christmas presents which included a new iphone, fitbit, etc... Isn't that theft by deception! The police didnt think so. I feel used, betrayed, worthless, alone and lied to soo very pathologically, that neither he nor his wife understands the gravity or situation in which I was extremely unfairly placed. I feel like an idiot and can't understand how anyone could be so manipulating. Me met everyone in my family and friends. Came to two family christmas's....

Spl spl What is a good step to helping an angry family?
  • replies: 4

Hey all, So yesterday my dad hurt me. I was of course, a little concerned after. According to several different sites, it is a sign of increasing violence. By the way, this is the first time this has happened. I have a great relationship with my dad,... View more

Hey all, So yesterday my dad hurt me. I was of course, a little concerned after. According to several different sites, it is a sign of increasing violence. By the way, this is the first time this has happened. I have a great relationship with my dad, I would say that I am closer to him than my mum. And we were literally joking and laughing in the car on the way home that day. But when he gets angry its like he goes back to his instincts. Also the last time he even hurt me was 2 years ago, and afterwards he promised he would never use violence on me again. And he didn't until yesterday. So yeah you can see my confusion here, because he's pretty chill 9 times out of 10, he just has this anger problem that pops up every few months over this or that, and then my family is worried, and then forgets it happened. And then the cycle continues. I want to get him some help and see a counsellor or anger management person or something. I'd say my family also has these anger issues. I'm painting this bad picture here but my family is really friendly a lot of the time. It's only once every few months, where someone has a small argument over something dumb, that it escalates, and escalates, and escalates. None of us deal with anger well at all. My dad is the worst by far though and he's really not leading a good example. What would you say is a good step to helping an angry family? Do you know any good programs for dealing with anger management? Also, should I see a doctor ? Even if you don't answer these questions I would really appreciate a second opinion. Thanks for reading.

Mrs_Malone Death of my abuser
  • replies: 5

Hello, I'm new to this forum and hope i can get some help and help others. The man i was married to when i was 17 and had a child with has just died. I am estranged from this daughter and have been for over 3 years. I was the victim of physical and m... View more

Hello, I'm new to this forum and hope i can get some help and help others. The man i was married to when i was 17 and had a child with has just died. I am estranged from this daughter and have been for over 3 years. I was the victim of physical and mental violence during our short marriage. I remarried 30 + years ago and am happy in this marriage. I am feeling quite sick, guilty and horribly triggered. i hope to get some help from tou all.

16sundayz Dissociation
  • replies: 4

I'm not sure this is going to be in the right section but here goes. Can I please get some advice? My psychologist told me in November that I have mild dissociation and I was just wondering how to tell my family? For those who dissociate too, do your... View more

I'm not sure this is going to be in the right section but here goes. Can I please get some advice? My psychologist told me in November that I have mild dissociation and I was just wondering how to tell my family? For those who dissociate too, do your family know and how did you tell them?

witchy_poo I am a little lost
  • replies: 3

For 30 years I was with the man I thought I would grow old with. Sometimes it was easy and sometimes it was hard. I didn't mind so much that he kind of cut me off from friends and family - after all it was my decision I thought. I chose him to spend ... View more

For 30 years I was with the man I thought I would grow old with. Sometimes it was easy and sometimes it was hard. I didn't mind so much that he kind of cut me off from friends and family - after all it was my decision I thought. I chose him to spend my lie with warts and all and that was consequence. When you are 20 it doesn't really seem much of a price to pay. I gave my all to this man. A few years ago he was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and things got steadily worse. I won't go into detail but the last few years were extremely psychologically and mentally abusive which ended in a traumatic incident, "breaking" me and throwing several things in the car to literally run way from home. It's a year on and I feel like I should be over it. but I am not. I don't react to things the way I used too. My concentration and memory is shot. I have trouble sleeping at the best of times and night sweats and bad dreams on some nights. Things AI used to take in my stride floor me and the thing that worries me the most is that I barely remember my life with him. That sounds good I guess, I'm not dwelling on what happened to me, but it is like my life with him - 30 years of it - is like a distant dream of a movie I once saw but didn't participate in. It scares me. I am not the person I was before and I am not really sure of who I am now. I feel like sometimes I am waiting for life to start again, and sometimes I think it has but then something happens and I find myself on my arse again wondering what the hell I am doing. I am struggling at work, take a few days off when I can't cope. People say "you just have to get on with it". But how? My work has counselling available but they have said I may need to find a specialist that deals with trauma and has the right programs to help deal with these things. Has anyone had any experience with trauma counselling and know what is different from normal counselling?