I think you have very good points Mowtown. I have been struggling with this in ways myself too.

I didn't do anything wrong when I developed PTSD, I developed it because of the wrongs that others did that hurt me. I was misdiagnosed like you were, again, not my fault but
because I trusted the wrong people, people who ignored all the clear red flags I was expressing, again not my fault.

I wanted to use it in my case too. I have been told how it would not be a good idea because it would put me and everything about my on trial, make private things "public" too. I was willing to do that to prove again I did nothing wrong, but the one thing that has held me back is how "others" would be hurt, others who do not deserve to be hurt IMHO. Unfortunately, the opposing side just wont care about that either and to me, that is where "justice is blind".

I wish I did have a chance to present that because now, I could prove what happened to me is "wrong" and that there are other things that happened to me that were also wrong, I was treated badly it is was not my fault either.

It isn't so much a "stigma" Mowtown as it is a lack of education in our society. People often think of PTSD as "Oh, isn't that the thing vets get?" and that is all they know about it.

In my session this week I was really struggling and my therapist stopped me and said,"OE do you see what you are doing right now"? I was not sure what he was going to say next. He said, "What you are doing right now is how people with PTSD struggle", he said, sadly it is often misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, when it is not and I wanted you to stop and notice it. He also discussed what happened to me in the psych ward too. He told me that my symptoms were misunderstood, not my fault, I said all the right things, but I was in crisis and my desperation and anger was misunderstood which lead to a misdiagnosis, and, unfortunately there needs to be efforts to teach the staff and professionals in these places what they are missing when a trauma patient in crisis is presented to them.

He explained how the "system" is broken and there is a lack in may places to offer patients "quality" care, and that means people are suffering and not being "helped".

However, it "is" important to realize that in just the past 10 years alone we have gained a better understanding of different mental health challenges, yet, we still have much to learn too.

When I think about what I went through, my family should have been informed and even treated themselves. My husband broke too and at that time we simply could not afford to reach out for help because the way we earned money to pay for our health insurance was destroyed.

Well, just wanted to say, "I hear you" and the stigmatizing of those who struggle with MI should not take place, we need to educate society.

OE