Most of the members in this forum are working with professionals and are in therapy.

For example myself, I work with a therapist whom works with trauma patients and has explained to me that I experienced Post Traumatic Stress after experiencing a trauma as well as suffering a lot of loss. He has read through my records with all the notes where I did express the clear red flags that I was in fact a "trauma patient" that was overlooked in my treatment. He also explained to me that this has been a problem and efforts are being made to train the staff in psych wards to better identify trauma patients so they don't further traumatize these patients.

If I come here for support, I do not need someone who doesn't know me, nor has treated me in a therapy situation seeing me in person to tell me I do not have "real PTSD" when I have been diagnosed as such. I do not have a history of mania where I drank excessively or was careless, in fact I did not care for drugs as is more the case with someone who is hyper vigilant and has experienced different "traumas". No therapist has ever considered Borderline Personality Disorder with me, even though I did experience trauma in my past, not everyone who experienced childhood trauma develops Borderline Personality Disorder or some other personality disorder either.

I have learned a great deal from my therapist and do my best to share the things I have learned.

Struggling with "any" mental illness is such a challenge, so much to learn, so much to try to understand too. And, if there is a history of trauma, much to work through too.

OE