#cptsd and ptsd post | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

starfishinthedistance · 1 year

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I talk to many people who say things like "oh I have trauma but I don't have PTSD", but then when I talk to them a little more I realize that they most likely do, they just can't recognize it as such due to how lacking PTSD awareness is, even beyond the whole "it's not just a veteran's disorder" thing.

The main reason they think they don't have PTSD usually has to do with flashbacks and nightmares, either they have one but not the other or have neither. But here's the thing, those are only two symptoms out of the 23-odd recognized symptoms. Flashbacks and nightmares are two of the five symptoms under Criterion B (Intrusion), which you only need one of for a diagnosis. The other three symptoms are unwanted upsetting memories, emotional distress after being reminded of trauma and physical reactivity after being reminded of trauma (i.e. shaking, sweating, heart racing, feeling sick, nauseous or faint, etc). Therefore you can have both flashbacks and nightmares, one but not the other, or neither and still have PTSD.

In fact, a lot of the reasons people give me for why they don't think they have PTSD are literally a part of the diagnostic criteria.

"Oh, I can barely remember most parts of my trauma anyway." Criterion D (Negative Alterations in Cognition and Mood) includes inability to recall key features of the trauma.

"Oh but I don't get upset about my trauma that often because I avoid thinking of it or being around things that remind me of it most of the time." Criterion C (Avoidance) includes avoiding trauma-related thoughts or feelings and avoiding trauma-related external reminders, and you literally cannot get diagnosed if you don't have at least one of those two symptoms.

"Oh I just have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, but I don't have nightmares." Criterion E (Alterations in Arousal and Reactivity) includes difficulting sleeping outside of nightmares.

"But I didn't have many/any trauma symptoms until a long time after the trauma happened." There's literally an entire specification for that.

Really it just shows how despite being one of the most well-known mental illnesses, people really don't know much about PTSD. If you have trauma, I ask you to at least look at the criteria before you decide you don't have PTSD. Hell, even if you don't have trauma, look at the criteria anyway because there are so many symptoms in there that just are not talked about.

PTSD awareness is not just about flashbacks and nightmares.

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recoverr · 5 months

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you're not a monster. you're you. you're flawed, yes, but you're also incredibly alive. just human. real. capable of great things, capable of change and growth, too. don't define yourself by the inner critic lashing out at you. you're not your worst moments.

#mental health #recovery #self care #self love #positivity #reminders #healing #be kind to yourself #trauma recovery #cptsd recovery #post traumatic stress disorder #complex ptsd #childhood trauma #trauma #mine.

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biggest-gaudiest-patronuses · 7 months

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anyone else have multiple traumatic memories associated specifically with holidays/family vacations? because that is a topic I never see discussed in all the So You Had A Shitty Childhood, Now What? self-help books i've been reading. but for me, it was a significant thing. and the more i think about it the more it seems like this would be an (unfortunately) common experience. would be grateful to hear if this matches other peoples' experiences...

#not a shitpost #serious post #ask to tag #tw trauma #cptsd #c-ptsd #and if so we should TALK about it #because it means there are a whole group of survivors out there whose mental health regularly worsens during holidays #like i know i am most certainly not the only person who feels an undefined Dread hanging over christmas/my birthday/july 4 etc #bc too many shitty things happened during those times and now my brain is hypervigilant bc traditionally these are the Danger Times #and this seems like it would be particularly common for survivors of abusive/dysfunctional households (aka most people with c-ptsd)#because holidays/vacations typically mean 1) the whole family is together/being forced to interact #2) and undergoing external stressors e.g. travel/relatives aka 'outsiders' visiting/routines & coping mechanisms being interrupted etc #3) there is social pressure for this to be a Fun Family Bonding Experience which only highlights the cracks in the foundation #and exposes the common Everything Is Fine/We Are A Happy Family lie #4) the cognitive dissonance of feeling tired/anxious/stressed/afraid during a time when you are 'supposed' to be Making Good Memories #and then everyone is angry/tired/anxious/triggered and things boil over and something or someone goes Very Wrong #weird that i'm posting this in october when halloween is...sort of the ONLY holiday i have only good and happy feelings towards #i got lucky there #also i have positive feelings towards Labor Day but that's for socialist reasons

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unstablemotions · 1 month

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Hey, you! You who suspect you might have PTSD, DID or another trauma disorder, but you think you didn't experience trauma "bad enough" to have developed a mental disorder from it? Let me suggest looking at it differently:

"If there's smoke, there's fire"

Do you experience symptoms of PTSD, such as hypervigilance, trouble sleeping, flashbacks, memory problems, dissociation, ect? Then yes, it was "bad enough". Maybe you don't remember anything "really bad" happening or you don't "feel like" it affects you, but listen to your body. The body remembers and the body doesn't care if you think it is "stupid" or "weak" to have a panic attack when someone touches you or that you still have nightmares about that thing you saw when you were 4 years old

Trauma isn't what happened. Trauma is the reaction to what happened. So what I'm trying to say is that if the reason you think you can't have PTSD/DID/OSDD/ect is because you didn't go through anything horrific enough for that, then maybe forget about what happened to you for a moment and just look at the evidence your body and mind are showing. And then, most importantly, be compassionate with yourself. You're going through a lot and it's gonna be okay in the end. Take it easy, okay? <3

#posting now instead of forgetting it in a draft per usual #actually traumatized #actually ptsd #actually did #actually cptsd #actually cdd #actually osdd #actually dissociative #actuallytraumatized #actuallyabused #actuallydissociative #actuallydid #actuallycdd #actuallyptsd #actuallycptsd #actuallyosdd #personal #my posts

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nyancrimew · 1 year

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complex ptsd? i find it quite shrimple really

#i cant remember if i've posted this one yet #bad pun #ptsd #cptsd #i do NOT actually find it shrimple im scruggling

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borderlineangel222 · 1 year

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i never felt loved by my family which is why i always searched for it in the worst places because when you’re about to die of thirst, even a drop of poison tastes like heaven.

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oliverinaestheticplaces · 9 months

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Stinky Bear motivation. Extra rolls for Initiative

#positivity #positive affirmations #dnd #rpg #tabletop rpg #mental health #trauma #cptsd #ptsd #depression #anxiety #adhd #rsd #rejection #relationships #boundaries #reminders #soft post

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interruptedsblog · 2 months

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I feel empty, I feel a hole in my chest while sadness and anguish are invading me. I don't have enough strength to get up, move, concentrate and eat.

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traumasurvivors · 4 days

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I know you’re tired. I know sometimes it feels like you’re going backwards. I know it’s exhausting.

It’s okay if you need to rest. It’s okay if you need to take a break from your healing journey. It’s okay to just stop for a bit.

Just please don’t give up. You’re going to get through this.

#my post #recovery #healing #trauma #ptsd #cptsd

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neuroticboyfriend · 1 year

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time with complex trauma is like. i need to do everything all at once and if i don't i'm a failure, even if there's nothing to do. three months ago feels like yesterday but i can hardly remember yesterday anyway. i'm running out of time. for what? i don't know. i need everything to slow down but my life is so stagnant. i can't go to sleep because the day can't end, but i need the day to end or i'll go insane. i'm constantly worrying about the future but it feels like i have no future. i'm running out of time. for what? i don't know. time has no meaning but every second is the end of the world.

or is this just me?

#someone tell me they relate #i never see anyone talk about this kinda thing #softspoonie #cptsd #trauma #ptsd #complex ptsd #complex trauma #traumatized #actually traumatized #c-ptsd #post traumatic stress disorder #trauma victim #trauma survivor #vent

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childhoodsickness · 2 years

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#someone posted this on the cptsd reddit #feeling it..#no matter how the replies tried to phrase it #i still dont want to fucking do it lol #traumacore #actuallytraumatized #bpd #ptsd #cptsd

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spacefaringamoeba · 6 months

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I hate that I'm considered "high functioning". I barely qualify for any "level" of disability in my country and I will never get a disability income. Yes. I'm able to go to work. But I will not be able to hold it for more than a few months before getting burned out and having daily meltdowns. No, having 10 minutes extra work break won't help me. Neither will wearing headphones or carrying fidgets. I'm literally not able to work 40h a week without severe negative consequences... How do i fucking exist in this society!

#Post brought to you by me quitting another job #autistic #autistic adult #meltdown #autism #actually autistic #disabilties #disabled #high functioning autism #low support needs #anxeity #cptsd problems #ptsd #complex ptsd #burnout #send help #mental health

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samvents · 1 year

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[ID text — I met evil when I was only a child.]

#sam posts #childhood trauma #childhood ptsd #traumacore #ventcore #actuallyptsd #actuallytraumatized #vent post #trauma vent #trauma #actually ptsd #tw cptsd

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unstablemotions · 6 months

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Every book about PTSD will repeatedly mention how your personality will change after the traumatic event. How this is an indicator that you have the disorder. How this is a universal experience for everyone who suffers from post traumatic stress.

But I never got to have a life before trauma. That person was killed before they were alive. All that remains is a broken shell from where a child was ripped out with violent teeth.

I didn't change from my trauma, because I never existed before it began.

#actuallyptsd #actuallycptsd #actuallytraumatized #actuallydid #actuallycdd #actually ptsd #actually cptsd #actually traumatized #actually did #actually cdd #child abuse #actuallyabused #actually abused #childhood trauma #trauma vent #tw vent #tw child abuse #my post #personal

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shrimpleastha · 9 months

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Fantasizing about extremely traumatic scenarios bc it doesn't feel like my trauma is enough

#complex ptsd #mental illness #actually cptsd #actually ptsd #mental health #actually mentally ill #ptsd #actually ocd #cptsd problems #just cptsd things #trauma #childhood #actually maladaptive #maladaptive daydreaming #maladaptive coping #obsessive daydreaming #immersive daydreaming #my post

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slivincptsd · 11 months

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