How do I explain that I think my trauma is PTSD?

[DarkMelody]

I've recently started therapy again for the problems I have. It's not great at the moment, but I have hope that it will get better.

Anyway, I was just wondering how I explain that I think my trauma problems are actually PTSD? I understand the difference between anxiety etc and PTSD but it's getting pretty extreme for me to deal with by myself.

I don't want to bring it up and sound like I'm trying to diagnose myself, but I don't think I can get better if I don't see if this is the diagnosis.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi DarkMelody,

Thank you for your post.

Personally, I think asking the question directly can be just fine - you certainly wouldn't be the only one to suggest a diagnosis that they feel fits their experiences. Any professional worth their salt will consider what you've said and whether they believe things add up for you. There's also a difference between "I know I have PTSD because I read it online" vs "I feel like what I'm experiencing might be PTSD".

I'm also curious to know why you feel like you can't get better if you don't see that as a diagnosis. I would hate to think that someone wouldn't agree with you about the diagnosis and for you to feel worse. Even if you don't get the label, I want to remind you that everything you are feeling is still valid and real. It's common for people to have post traumatic stress without necessarily meeting the diagnosis.

Hope this helps.

RT

[Bear1922]

Nice response RT.

I concur that it's perfectly fine to suggest a diagnosis that seems to fit your experience. I think it's just proactive. Just present it as a suggestion & ask them their opinion.

I think the op just wants to see if their suspicions are correct. Or, it could be that having a label is somewhat reassuring in making sense of one's complexities.

I see it as self-help & positive.

Warm Regards,

🐻

[DarkMelody]

The diagnosis is important to me in the sense that I can then say, “I have PTSD”. Not in an attention seeking way, but in a ‘I need space’ or ‘This is what’s going on with me at the moment’.

I was speaking with my current psychologist and we had discussed how I had potentially been re-traumatised by being forced to discuss the trauma, so having a diagnosis could potentially leave me a bit of room for different treatment options.

I’m having trouble getting my thoughts into words at the moment, so please forgive me for anything that doesn’t make sense, or if I come back later to reword something.

[CKS]

Dear DarkMelody

I think its vitally important that you ask the person you are seeing for a diagnosis, and explain that you feel your condition fits the symptoms of PTSD. But before you do this I think you should look up CPTSD. Some people have been misdiagnosed as having PTSD when really they have CPTSD. Did you suffer trauma as a child, I hope you don't mind me asking. And did you suffer trauma for a long period of time?

Warm regards

CKS

[Bear1922]

Dear CKS,

I'm not sure that being diagnosed with PTSD instead of CPTSD can be considered a misdiagnosis. There isn't a uniform acceptance of CPTSD as a diagnosis. PTSD and it's levels of severity are regarded by the DSM-5 as being sufficient for now.

When the DSM-6 comes out C-PTSD may become uniformly accepted.

Regards,

🐻

[Alana_H]

Hi DarkMelody,

Thanks for posting this question up here. It can be really hard trying to get a diagnosis, and I think there are some people that will really relate to this post.

I think that trauma can result in many manifestations and that it is important to know if you are experiencing PTSD as the treatment for this disorder can be quite different to that of anxiety. If you don't mind me asking, what has been happening lately to make you feel you might have PTSD?

It sounds like you have a good relationship with your psychologist, have you discussed the specific PTSD diagnosis with them?

Alana_H