Immediate support
Immediate support

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.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

Start a discussion

Universling Not coping today
  • replies: 14

Been triggered all day today. Couldn't relax. Started panicking. Felt so abused and so powerless. This trigger happened and it continued to cause me stress all day. I'm still trying to relax. I got angry with the trigger, I had verbal outbursts, I go... View more

Been triggered all day today. Couldn't relax. Started panicking. Felt so abused and so powerless. This trigger happened and it continued to cause me stress all day. I'm still trying to relax. I got angry with the trigger, I had verbal outbursts, I got scared and I felt alone and powerless and defeated and it ruined my whole day. I feel like I've been thrown around all day. I have a mental health plan I got from my doctor but I never followed up with it because this other counsellor rang me but she is a womens health counsellor and I really need to see the psychologist on the plan who can help me with this. This is not something I can cope with. When I'm not triggered, I'm fine. But the trigger is something unavoidable at the moment so I'm having really bad reactions to it. I definitely want to see the psychologist now as its gotten to that stage. I will put on a nice movie to take my mind off this horrible day I have had all day. I just want to cry and I am not one to cry easily anymore, even when I need to. I was so stressed from this horrible trigger all day that I couldn't sit just distract myself with something else as it was impossible to concentrate on anything else. The trigger reaction was so huge. I am hanging in there to see this psychologist. And if I keep having this trigger reaction I probably need some medication to calm me down to feel safe again. I don't feel safe when I am triggered. I get really scared. Its awful.

noella99 Acknowledging trauma & trying to find community support (Trigger Warning: Emotional Abuse & Anxiety)
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, It feels like it's been ages since the last time I posted anything on the forum. I still find myself fall into a hole of constant fear, guilt, and anxiety. I've left a shared flat where I had a very hard time with an emotionally abusive ... View more

Hi everyone, It feels like it's been ages since the last time I posted anything on the forum. I still find myself fall into a hole of constant fear, guilt, and anxiety. I've left a shared flat where I had a very hard time with an emotionally abusive friend/housemate. I still find it hard to refer to them as an abusive person. I can't wrap my head around it. I even feel bad when referring to them as emotionally abusive whenever I talk to my doctor or my counselor about them, trying to rationalize what they did because I equally made mistakes back then too. It makes it hard for me to find peace in myself. I've recently had a really bad anxiety attack that led to days of me being on edge, physically in pain, and under high stress. It was triggered by something that I've watched that really reminded me of that person. I remembered crying to the point that I had a hard time breathing, my whole body numb, and I was unable to sleep because my muscle was all tense. I genuinely thought I've finally able to move on from that traumatic point of my life yet I still doubt myself. I still feel this way, hurt, and afraid. Most of all, guilty. I feel guilty thinking of all the mistakes I did. Maybe I could've done things better. I don't know. Even when I think about the things they've done to me (gaslighting me, putting me down, twisting my words), I still think back to moments of kindness that they've done to me. I feel conflicted and fear of facing other people too. I don't know where to find community support for this kind of stuff. I'd like to find healthier ways to cope through, find people to talk to who can relate to my situation. Thank you for reading my post this far. I'd love to hear any suggestions or any replies really. Grateful for any form of support.

chunny PTSD was triggered
  • replies: 5

Hi all, I am new here, and was diagnosed PTSD earlier this year, and when i thought everything is going well, it was triggered suddenly. And I've started being so upset and having lots of negative thoughts. The reason I triggered is I saw heaps of gu... View more

Hi all, I am new here, and was diagnosed PTSD earlier this year, and when i thought everything is going well, it was triggered suddenly. And I've started being so upset and having lots of negative thoughts. The reason I triggered is I saw heaps of guys seeing girls who have experienced raped or sexual harassment are trash or they are faking it. As my PTSD was caused by sexual harassment those post just make me feel more depressed and hopeless, also I lost all the confidences I gain back through out last few months. I don't know what i can do anymore.

Grant_Dad Help with partner, PRSD and depression cycles
  • replies: 1

Hi there, First time poster, long time reader. My partner suffers from PTSD, depression and anxiety. It comes in a cycles mildly monthly, but heavily 3 months and 6 months. Complete shut down, sadness and wanting to be alone. At first I was defensive... View more

Hi there, First time poster, long time reader. My partner suffers from PTSD, depression and anxiety. It comes in a cycles mildly monthly, but heavily 3 months and 6 months. Complete shut down, sadness and wanting to be alone. At first I was defensive and tried to keep her etc, but I have learned that patience is key and that little contact during these times snaps her out of it. The problem is she then has another bout of anxiety thinking I will leave her or not put up with it etc. She was seeing a psych, but only about other issues not this. We feel the monthly one is PMSD related as she no longer has periods due to an operation after having kids, we feel she still has the symptoms of period. The cycle is predictable but never welcoming, I too suffer from anxiety and occasional depression so I try and be strong during this time. We now live together and it's been great until 'the cycle' comes. Withdrawn, sad, pushes everyone away especially me, loss of direction, shuts down as a parent. Its heartbreaking to witness. We agreed some space will help, so she has gone for a few days and we have kept contact minimal. Its what worked last time. Its almost a bipolar personality, she completely changes. Facial expression, libido, everything. My question to the forum is do any of you have this cycle happen? How can we address it?

Universling Narcissistic family
  • replies: 7

My mother has a destructive personality disorder. I had to spend my whole life protecting myself (estranging myself) from her controlling, manipulative, abuse. I have 2 children. My mother turned my oldest daughter when she was only 14 against me and... View more

My mother has a destructive personality disorder. I had to spend my whole life protecting myself (estranging myself) from her controlling, manipulative, abuse. I have 2 children. My mother turned my oldest daughter when she was only 14 against me and I never saw her again. She is now 26 years old. My mother used a mental health diagnosis I got when I was a teenager, which happened to be a misdiagnosis but she held onto it so she could use it against me my whole life. She abused it to get authorities to take me away, to take my daughter away when she was only 8 years old. I have never lost custody of my children. Why is there no legal protection for victims of narcissistic abuse, I lost my daughter to a narcissistic mother and all my brother and sisters are narcissists too. My father married another narcissist who lied to him so he rejected me (he too is narcissistic). I only found out my family had narcissistic personality disorder through community health social work few years ago. I don't understand how my family can abuse me like this, turn my daughter against me so I never saw her ever again and just get away with this? Surely there is something somebody can do.

Your_friend Some help/suggestions would be nice.
  • replies: 1

Dear all, I have PTSD and resultant nightmares. Over the past few weeks, the frequency and intensity of these nightmares has increased dramatically. I am at the point where I am waking up numerous times every night. Does anyone have a strategy to hel... View more

Dear all, I have PTSD and resultant nightmares. Over the past few weeks, the frequency and intensity of these nightmares has increased dramatically. I am at the point where I am waking up numerous times every night. Does anyone have a strategy to help reduce them? Best wishes, Your friend

squishy_mochi My story
  • replies: 1

I’ve been feeling so depressed, stressed and so done with everything in school, life and everything seems to make me irritated so easily. This is my story; I have got kicked out of my mums home and right after I left, her friends came and assaulted m... View more

I’ve been feeling so depressed, stressed and so done with everything in school, life and everything seems to make me irritated so easily. This is my story; I have got kicked out of my mums home and right after I left, her friends came and assaulted my boyfriend. He was picking me up to go home. It was so traumatic. It was also at night time so we couldn’t see clearly who it was. I felt like I was going to die that night. Luckily a car came and they ran off. The person stopped and just asked if we were okay then drove off. Me and my boyfriend were trying to find a place to hide to give time for the police or ambulance to come but they took so long. We had to Uber to the police and ambulance. I have moved 4 times ever since I left my mums house. She was verbally abusive to me. Saying things like “I wished I didn’t give birth to you” “you’re the worst daughter I’ve ever had”. She was also physically abusive. My mums boyfriends friend tried to kiss me and my mum found out but I got in trouble for it. She was violent and yelled at me. Then she let him come over again after a month only. her boyfriend used to call me abusive names all the time and she wouldn’t say anything to help me. my mum tried to force me to quit my own job and would often threaten me if I don’t “behave” she would stop letting me go to school and work completely. I’m in year 11 doing VCE. My grandparents, uncles or aunties wouldn’t help me stay with them. I ended up staying with my boyfriend’s family friend. my uncle recently called me a brat and said “what is wrong with you?” When all I did was send food as a gift to my mums house. I hate feeling that I was the cause of everything and that I still miss home. I want it to stop. I feel so unheard. I told a friend about my life story and she kept on saying “don’t be like that” “don’t be sad” “I want the happy (name) back” “tbh I think you need to suck it up” “you don’t need a psychologist, you have your friends. They’re a waste of money” “stop being like that”. She said that to me when I had the courage to speak with my voice through a call without crying for the first time. Eventually I did cry afterwards. Everytime I think about my mum or talk about her I would shake. I try explaining and talk to my boyfriend but when I do, he oversees it and just says “what do you mean” or “tell me what’s wrong”. I did tell him but he asks

24yearoldgirl Is my mum a narcissist?
  • replies: 21

I have been caring for my mum since 2010, when she had a head injury.. the past few years we have been living in a tent.. she drove up and down and all around the country like a physcopath. It damaged me big time. But I never left. It was the night b... View more

I have been caring for my mum since 2010, when she had a head injury.. the past few years we have been living in a tent.. she drove up and down and all around the country like a physcopath. It damaged me big time. But I never left. It was the night before my birthday, and she grabbed my wrist and said she felt like hitting me because I wouldn’t shut up. She thinks it’s not abusive. I am now going to court to defend her from her dvo. she complains that her life is ruined, but I’m 24 and have not had a single friend or dad or any family at all apart from her.. I’ve been completely isolated.. she grew up in a Dysfunctional family and has no social life.

Joeii2020 Anxiety/ptsd like symptoms with dissociation after trauma
  • replies: 2

Hi all new here unsure if im supposed to be writing here although ill give it a shot. Recently involved in a car accident and have been dissociating since . I have had plenty of years with anxiety dissorder and been diagnosed with anxiety somatic sym... View more

Hi all new here unsure if im supposed to be writing here although ill give it a shot. Recently involved in a car accident and have been dissociating since . I have had plenty of years with anxiety dissorder and been diagnosed with anxiety somatic symptoms ptsd like symptoms and drdp disorder . I have not yet found my triggers nor found this is the correct diagnosis. I am currently seeing numerous phycoligists and now started seeing a truma phycoligist . The symptoms im facing makes me worried , as I have never came across anyone that has had such symptoms and I feel alone . And feel as if it'll never go away and be in the present . Im constantly dissociating. Have somtic symptoms aswell. Heavy breathing, palpitations, headaches fatigue tunnel vision muffled ears feeling thrte blocked as such . Don't like being in different areas . Please tell me if anyone else has experienced this or knows someone that has . And help me get through this hard time . My mind tells me that I'm stuck in this visious cycle and that it's something medically wrong . That hasn't been found yet and doctors cannot detect . As this no matter what I do is always with me side by side . Thanks for reading and if u can gove me inaote would be great .

Themolequeen Recent unresolved trauma from childhood content warning - servere bullying in primary school
  • replies: 1

Hi, I'm new to this so I'm not sure how much to say I have dealt with more life than I can begin to process in 28 years, ranging from childhood trauma, medical trauma, and just life trauma in general. I have dealt with some of these traumas depending... View more

Hi, I'm new to this so I'm not sure how much to say I have dealt with more life than I can begin to process in 28 years, ranging from childhood trauma, medical trauma, and just life trauma in general. I have dealt with some of these traumas depending on my current situation and what I have needed to get through life. Lately, I've been going down a path of self-development and feeling like I am ready to embrace this journey and feeling like it's the right time. I had forgotten about the trauma for quite a long time (many years) until only recently. I can remember transferring to a new school at the end-of-year one, and in year 2 I was friends with everyone. I can remember a McDonald's birthday party and even the popular girls were there, but in year 3 I developed bites or something on my body all up my legs and arms. I don't know how they happened, I just remember hearing in the background that I would get them at my Father's place on visits because the house wasn't very clean, maybe bed bug bites or something? I can remember they use to be so itchy and as a child, I didn't have the self-control to not scratch. I would have calamine lotion on them and I guess this was not a good look with orange blotchy dots, and it made me a target. I went from being popular and well like to the 'queen of germs'. I didn't have a single friend until high school. I would avoid all the kids to avoid being bullied. I used to sit by myself every recess and lunchtime, and because of this, I don't think I actually know how to have proper conversations. I think it's a combination of not knowing what to say and the fear of being rejected. I'm seeing the uni counsellor on Tues (we have had a few sessions previously but nothing this full-on) and I want to work through this but I'm not sure how to bring it up thanks so much for your help