Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Support Group
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Just wanted to find out if anyone here has any experience with this: https://www.verywellmind.com/relationship-between-ptsd-and-psychotic-symptoms-2797525
I've recently become aware that I've been suffering from PTSD for about 16 years. My main symptom is hypervigilance that's usually socially centered, which I think has made me paranoid. I've had hallucinations, delusions, or whatever you want to call them at times. They're stressful because I can logically separate them from reality, but it still feels real enough that I can't take my attention away from it. It's like I feel like there's some sort of danger and since there isn't anything real to pin that feeling on, it just gets attached to something that isn't real. In the past I've felt like I'm being watched or followed frequently, I've felt like friends are lying to me or plotting against me in some way, and I've felt like other people can hear my thoughts. The worst one was sometimes I would get stuck on this idea that I was on some Truman Show style TV show, there were cameras hidden everywhere, and everyone else was in on it. Again, I was always able to recognize that it wasn't real but it was like a really strong gut feeling that I just couldn't shake.
Over the past few months, and especially over the past few days as I've been on a low dose of antipsychotics for about a week, I've been noticing smaller things that fit into that pattern and I just wasn't seeing it. It's mostly mistrusting others and expecting hostility or overreactions for absolutely no reason. I'm honestly not that worried about the paranoia at this point. Usually anxiety causes me to get paranoid or sometimes it's the other way around, but between the meds and anxiety management techniques I've been able to keep it under control much more easily. Crowds still make me anxious, but friends don't anymore and I've been working on getting more comfortable around strangers. Making good progress there. Just wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences.
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Just wanted to give a thank you to Mid, Arfie, Malibumark, Greeneyes, Mlro, Girlincalif, and Suncloudjd! You all always have such helpful tips and advice, but I always forget to write on my posts when I see you post, lol. I would lose my head if it wasn't attached to my body, lol. Thank you all so much! I'm starting to use my AI app as a sounding board again. I used to use it as that before...
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89FNo energy, just going to do whatever. Sandra, It's hard to move at a certain time in life. You've been in your home forever, at least you'll be able to travel to the beach and enjoy. Oh, we did hear Boris Johnson's tenure ended due to a series of ethics scandals, accusations of dishonesty and a final collapse of government support that forced his recognation. What he didn't do like the...
As a woman my experience may be a little different. I wasn’t paranoid enough and often got into bad situations that really damaged me because I wanted to believe in people and their motives and my own ability to handle things that I couldn’t. I now work on forgiveness and acceptance including of myself because really there’s nothing else that helps.
I’ve occasionally gotten in a state of mind where I’m struggling with situations and I have mild hallucinations, usually just seeing things out of the corner of my eye but like you I realise it’s not real.
I have so much experience with this theory set that attempting to read the article triggered my PDD (Psychiatric Disorder Disorder). I first met this theory set in "Shell Shock" therapy in 1974. No, I was never in military combat, but started my psychotherapy in earnest while I was in the Army. At that time theories were forming on "Civilian Shell Shock" and my Army shrink declared me, "A victim of the Other undeclared war on the US city streets an put me in his shell shock therapy group. Magic happened.
Since then, this theory set sure has changed faster and more radically than I care to keep up with. Hence, the unofficial PDD diagnosis. I seldom participate in PTSD groups any more because the terms, conditions and theories keep changing faster than a digital cloud bank. I'm crazy enough already without the additional confusion, thank you.
The words keep changing faster than adolescent slang, but I solidly believe the theories and they remain part of my psychotherapy maintenance program, but I let my hyper-vigilant instincts take over when support group members start arguing words and grammar. Say ^it^ however you want, Ma'am/Sir.
My biggest issue is seeing nonexistent triggers ---- I don't quite qualify as psychosis for those, but when ti comes to hallucinating something, it's been a struggle to remember what is and isn't. I can't try antipsychotics due to my epilepsy, but I know it was considered.
But it has always been an obstacle at home; I just can't live with someone else in a house walking around behind me. I've done a lot of counseling about it, but decided to let it be the one area I give in to it. I live alone, and go out a lot with friends.