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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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Sophie_M If you need to talk about Bondi Beach - Our community is here
  • replies: 7

Hi everyone, After the heartbreaking events at Bondi Beach on Sunday night, we know many people in our community may be feeling shaken, distressed, or unsure how to make sense of what has happened. Religious and political violence has no place is Aus... View more

Hi everyone, After the heartbreaking events at Bondi Beach on Sunday night, we know many people in our community may be feeling shaken, distressed, or unsure how to make sense of what has happened. Religious and political violence has no place is Australia and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the individuals and families affected by this tragedy. We wanted to create a space where you can share whatever you’re feeling - whether that’s fear, shock, grief, or anything else that has come up for you. If you need support from others in the community, please feel welcome to post here. Violence and acts of terror can bring feelings of shock, grief, profound sadness, anger and fear. It’s normal to experience these emotions while trying to make sense of distressing events. It may take time for these feelings to ease, but it’s never too early to seek support if you are feeling distressed. Beyond Blue is here for you anytime, by phone on 1300 224 636 or via webchat: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/talk-to-a-counsellor You can also support those around you by being available to them and listening. Thank you for being such an important part of this community, and for the kindness, honesty, and wisdom you continue to share with each other. We remind the community that Beyond Blue is here for all people in Australia, no matter what you believe, how you live or who you worship. Kind regards Sophie M

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

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Flicka Daughter and PTSD
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, I am a mum trying to support my young adult daughter who had an unfortunate experience with a client threatening to kill her and a fellow co-worker. This chap was very violent in his words and coming down off Meth. My daughter has since ... View more

Hi everyone, I am a mum trying to support my young adult daughter who had an unfortunate experience with a client threatening to kill her and a fellow co-worker. This chap was very violent in his words and coming down off Meth. My daughter has since had to go on Workers Comp and formally been diagnosed as having PTSD by two (2) Psychologists and due to an non-supportive employer who after several previous incidences didn't implement any changes to the office environment which could've prevented further issues. The Insurance company is now trying to push my daughter back into the workforce despite her continuing to have night terrors, anxiety and a real fear for her life in a mid size town. She is now on anti-depressants and won't go anywhere without someone close by. She has fortnightly psychology sessions and visits her GP fortnightly. The insurance company are now requesting to be present at the next GP session to discuss going back to work which I believe is not appropriate. Her partner and I are trying our best to support her however as we aren't mental health workers it's hard to know what is right and what isn't. The employer has made no contact with her since the incident not even to see how she is travelling and there are currently 5 other staff members on workers comp for similar incidences. I would really appreciate any words of wisdom or advise as to how we can deal with the pushy insurance company and also does anyone happen to know of any forward thinking ideas that myself and her partner could use to support her more? We think it is way too soon for my daughter to consider going back to any form of employment atleast until she can actually leave the house by herself and venture out to the shops which currently is a major block. Cheers

toots74 how do i stop the fear
  • replies: 2

HI im new here just joined i get bad anxiety as i was severley bashed by a man and he said was going to kill me i was supposed to marry 9nov 2014.im on centrelink payments i also suffer from severe depression in which ive struggled since my early 30s... View more

HI im new here just joined i get bad anxiety as i was severley bashed by a man and he said was going to kill me i was supposed to marry 9nov 2014.im on centrelink payments i also suffer from severe depression in which ive struggled since my early 30s im now just over 40.. anyway ever since the dreaded trip i find it hard to be around too many people i get nervous if im in a line like the post office the other day when theres a man standing behind me and hes less than a few feet away get nervous and jittery but i make myself stay there by the time i reach the counter im shaking i find it hard to be in a car with a stranger for example my good car broke down so i was going to purchase a cheap one for time being so the man who was selling the cheap car came and picked me up in which i had no dramas until we were a few kms away from my home i started shaking was nervous i was telling him not to take offence to my nervousness and was explaining why i was like i was by the time we had gotten to where the little car was i felt that anxious i felt like i was going to vomit it took me a good ten mins to calm myself down when i was out of the car with him.I havent had any intentions and im petrified of being close to a man even in a sexual way does anyone have any idea on how to overcome this? ive pretty much had emotional trauma since childhood and ive coped with everything until this it really gets too me

ladygrey UPDATE: Opinions on whether this is emotional abuse
  • replies: 23

Hi there.First post, i'm looking for opinions/advice on whether my boyfriend's behavior is emotionally abusive.Full disclosure: I've been in a previous emotionally abusive relationship and quite recently I kissed a stranger at a bar, after a number o... View more

Hi there.First post, i'm looking for opinions/advice on whether my boyfriend's behavior is emotionally abusive.Full disclosure: I've been in a previous emotionally abusive relationship and quite recently I kissed a stranger at a bar, after a number of unpleasant events with my boyfriend - immediately fessed up, hasn't happened before or since.Prior to the infidelity, he:- walked out midway through a dinner after I refused to move in (approx 6 months in) and wouldn't talk to me for a week.- is extremely critical of how I do things around the house (cleaning, cooking etc) and regularly brings this up as a joke in front of my and his friends- often does things that physically hurt me as a joke- has significant road rage, chasing down cars that have cut him off, screaming EXTREME profanities. If I say this frightens me he will refuse to talk to me and/or frequently glare at me.- blames me for minor things that occur. On a holiday we had to walk from a ferry to our hire car and we ran into a wall that blocked us off. Threw the bag and swore at me-often suggests I look chubby or I smell as a joke- gets extremely angry if I dress "too nicely" because of how it makes him "look stupid" and questions why i've done it.After the inifidelity now, he:- gets angry when I drink or go out with platonic male friends. Says he is never going to tell me "what to do" but then tells me that i'll only embarrass myself or hurt him so I may as well not do it/he doesn't like it.- tells me I am "too fragile" to handle basic life tasks without "having a breakdown"- constantly brings up the infidelity - usually in the middle of the night, he wakes me up - and tells me he's anxious and angry, but when I suggest solutions (counsellors etc), he tells me there's no point because i'm the cause of his problems anyway.These are all examples, though there is more. These normally happen once every three or four days, and afterwards he's extremely loving, caring, and tells me how good he is for 'looking after me'.Also as a side note, I have anxiety, depression and ocd.Just wanted some opinions. Thanks for your help

Luna_Jayne Where do i start first? Worried partner. (trigger warning: family violence)
  • replies: 2

I've been with my partner for 9 years now and we have two small children. I noticed after about a year that he had a hard time dealing with us going out together, the night would always end up with him in a punch up with random people that he would e... View more

I've been with my partner for 9 years now and we have two small children. I noticed after about a year that he had a hard time dealing with us going out together, the night would always end up with him in a punch up with random people that he would encounter throughout the night. Him handling jealously sober was easy, he'd laugh or just give a evil eye and move on. I know it worried him, he's very possessive of me and our children but he could control himself. Fast forward a few years now and we have one child, almost 2 and I'm pregnant with another. We go to one of our good friends Daughters Birthday parties, yet again he spends most of the day drinking beer. It's getting late, I'm tired and I'm loaded up with a pram, nappy bag etc etc and I stumble and yell out to him to help me. It was like I just asked him to sacrifice himself on a cross. He exploded, he was screaming at me all these horrible things, not making any sense. Our friends got in between us and tried to calm him down, so he turned on them. Threating to kill them, he got into some horrible details about how he would kill both them and me. I jumped in the car with my child, he approached the car, so I locked the doors he punched the windscreen and once he moved I took off. Now that was about 3 years into our relationship, and he probably has incidents very similar to this about 5 times a year. Sometimes involving me, other times I don't even have to be around for him to start. I believe he has suffered with anxiety most of his life, but as time is going on I believe depression has snuck in there and a good friend who is in the medical field believes he shows signs of Bipolar 2. I could write a book with the amount of crazy stories I have involving chainsaws and all sorts of other things. When he gets manic, his eyes glaze over and it's like he is dead inside, like he can't even see me or whoever is at the end of his pointing finger. When he drinks, which he uses it to self medicate, he scares me. Sober, I've never been afraid of him. Long story short, I need to know what's next? I wrote him a 3 page letter to him last night, he responded this morning & finally admitted that he has a problem.. But what is the first step he should take. Local GP? and should I help him, or let him do it himself?. Most of my friends don't think he's is capable of change. But I'm not ready to give up on him, he is the father to my Children. My Best friend. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Daz06 Losing my mind (trigger warning: child sexual abuse)
  • replies: 2

Im losing my mind, my anxiety has gone to a whole new level, cant think straight, forgetting things names times places, just sad withdrawn cant see the way forward or dont want to go forward, can't see a way forward. 4 year's ago we witness our then ... View more

Im losing my mind, my anxiety has gone to a whole new level, cant think straight, forgetting things names times places, just sad withdrawn cant see the way forward or dont want to go forward, can't see a way forward. 4 year's ago we witness our then 4 year old boy being sexually assulted, I went into severe depression, i made a monumental mistake at work which led to a criminal conviction, we lost our house and savings because I was not strong enough to cope, now we have to go to Brisbane for mediation to resolve my sons pending court case, this has reignited severe depression &severe anxiety im just not coping i can feel myself withdrawing more each day, knowing that I have to face all the details of this horrible situation.

Mirror My ex cheated tried to kill me and now im lost
  • replies: 3

It all started 10 years ago he tried to kill me got off on charges i took him back than he had a affair i took him back than he dissappeared now i have found he is with another woman am i an idiot? I cant sleep am anxious and its a nightmare help im ... View more

It all started 10 years ago he tried to kill me got off on charges i took him back than he had a affair i took him back than he dissappeared now i have found he is with another woman am i an idiot? I cant sleep am anxious and its a nightmare help im 54

bell_shell Grounding yourself with flashbacks
  • replies: 6

Hey I'm not normally one to post online, especially not about this. I have been seeing a psychologist for about 6months on and off and i don't feel like I'm getting anywhere. Every session we talk about how to ground myself when having anxiety or a f... View more

Hey I'm not normally one to post online, especially not about this. I have been seeing a psychologist for about 6months on and off and i don't feel like I'm getting anywhere. Every session we talk about how to ground myself when having anxiety or a flashback sort of thing, but i don't feel like I can explain to her how bad it's getting. I don't know if I'm overreacting or if I should actually say something, I've gone from completely blocking out the event to having a nightmare almost every night about it and feeling nauseas/numb mostly everyday constantly. I feel depressed and am trying to hide it with smiles all day and it is so exhausting, even when i go to see her i feel like i need to act happier than I am. I think I'm just not sure what to do or if this is how it's supposed to go. Sorry for babbling on!

Darkdayswithsunnyskies35 Post traumatic stress disorder
  • replies: 3

I saw a new psycharatrist today. He was amazing! Got so much out of the first session. After years of being suicidal and put on different meds it was so nice to have someone understand me. It's like he had been there watching my story my whole life. ... View more

I saw a new psycharatrist today. He was amazing! Got so much out of the first session. After years of being suicidal and put on different meds it was so nice to have someone understand me. It's like he had been there watching my story my whole life. I feel so relieved and hopeful that with more sessions I'll finally be free from childhood trauma.

Elizabeth CP Feeling extremely anxious due to PTSD trigger need advice to calm down
  • replies: 17

I was doing OK for the last few days and on track with goals set by my therapist. I probably pushed myself too hard today so I am exhausted hence no resilience. There is a smell of smoke in the air and reports of bushfires. They are nowhere near me a... View more

I was doing OK for the last few days and on track with goals set by my therapist. I probably pushed myself too hard today so I am exhausted hence no resilience. There is a smell of smoke in the air and reports of bushfires. They are nowhere near me and I have checked the website to confirm I am not in physical danger. Unfortunately telling myself I am safe doesn't change the reaction I am having. I need to calm down and stop worrying but I can't.

Gruffudd Going back to the place
  • replies: 4

I try to avoid it but most of the depression and anxiety are related to a traumatic thing that happened as a teenager. The place it happened is in a park near some train lines. The trouble with that spot is that it can't be avoided. Particularly as I... View more

I try to avoid it but most of the depression and anxiety are related to a traumatic thing that happened as a teenager. The place it happened is in a park near some train lines. The trouble with that spot is that it can't be avoided. Particularly as I haven't told most people close to me that it happened, so to say anything is to let out something I don't want them to know. Moving interstate didn't get me far enough away as mother has moved to a house where when I stay there is a view from the bedroom window in the direction of that place. I can hear the trains passing which can make for bad dreams. Last time I was there I went past on the way to the station and saw there were some diggers making a hole for the NBN. I thought, at last it is being destroyed. But it hasn't. This week back here interstate the diggers are working on the NBN, it is triggering the memories, I am right there again seeing what I saw, feeling it, the smell, everything. I am beginning to think that I don't much want super fast broadband. I certainly don't want a trigger to follow me all the way back here. One psychologist told me to make it just another part of the landscape and not to let it have that power. I think I have done fairly well at that over the last 20 years, but then I seem to be developing quite a strong reaction to diggers and NBN equipment.