Hmmm, that's a good question. When I first got the diagnosis I thought that all PTSD meant was "extreme grief" because I had lost so many horses and ponies all of a sudden from my neighbor's dog. The psychiatrist didn't explain it to me very well at all. He actually scared me because he wanted to put me on different medications and this was after I had gotten out of a psychward where the other patients were on 4 to 5 different medications and told me they were worse off and messed up. I have to say the psych ward left me even more frightened then when I went in "exhausted and very depleted and completely overwhelmed."

No one explained "anything" to my family, they were all very "dismissive" and even "mean" to me, which made me worse and I became very depressed and isolated more and more. Funny, I went through all the "warning signs that are supposed to be told to families" and I developed "full blown PTSD" and began to experience "flashbacks".
I never even imagined the brain could do what I experienced. I was "not" crazy, but I "was" scared.

For a while I just could not afford therapy because I had way to much piling debt because of all the vet bills created by so many injured horses and ponies. It was my business to, so I suddenly could not even do the business I had done to keep up with the debt that was building up.

I don't feel "crazy" however, I do definitely struggle with "severe" anxiety and for a while it was really hard on me.

Now that I have taken time out to read about it and finally found a "good therapist who specializes in PTSD and complex PTSD, I got a foothold on the PTSD. It has been quite a journey for me though.

OE