I have suffered from C-PTSD for at least 7 years now, probably more. My attacks are frequent - more than one per day - and pretty severe.

During this time, my heart disease grew worse and 2.5 months ago I required a quintuple bypass surgery. My cholesterol and triglyceride numbers were not terrible. I believe it was the stress on my heart from the frequent C-PTSD attacks that led to escalation of my heart disease. Now, after the surgery, I am still having heart problems. The only cause can be my C-PTSD. I am going to contact my cardiologist tomorrow.

Anyone else with C-PTSD have heart disease problems? Care to share stories or tips? Today, I had to self-medicate with a glass of red wine. I really don't want to do this but I was in such physical pain that I had to. Any advice would the welcomed. Thanks.

[CANDC]

Hi unguy. sorry you are suffering CPTSD and heart disease.

Here is info about your question on Psych Central.
Psych Central - Search results for C-PTSD and heart disease problems

Originally Posted by CANDC

Hi unguy. sorry you are suffering CPTSD and heart disease.

Here is info about your question on Psych Central.
Psych Central - Search results for C-PTSD and heart disease problems

Thanks for your effort but your search results reveal nothing. My goal is to hear from others with similar problems.

No one else with C-PTSD has developed heart disease, had a heart attack or had heart bypass surgery? Does anyone else experience burning down their arms when experiencing a C-PTSD attack / thoughts?

I haven't yet, unguy, but it's my understanding that people with C-PTSD like us have a greater chance to develop that as well as a whole other bunch of physical medical issues due to the fact that our adrenals are on high alert all the time. It just finally takes a toll on our system as a whole & I'm sorry to hear that it has impacted you in this manner!

[unaluna]

I get shortness of breath and chest pains, like an anxiety attack / heart attack, if i have any contact with the family, like a phone call or mail or them coming by. It showed up on a Holter monitor years ago. I did aerobics, lifted weights, there were stairs in my apartment, i had sex - not a blip on the monitor. Dinner at granny's - danger, Will Robinson! It was still happening in recent years. Thats the main reason i cut contact - it was becoming clear that it was me or them.

[Trace14]

I have chest pain frequently but have not been diagnosed with any heart problems. Though with me not working and sitting more than usual I wouldn't doubt if something like that doesn't show at some point. I've also gained weight, not good.

Thanks for your comments! They are much appreciated.

I too became sedentary from the combination of C-PTSD, depression, unemployment and arthritis. I am currently working hard to eat less and lose weight. It is so difficult. I continue to spend too much time on the computer but also have been working hard to turn it off and do other things. Sadly, I currently cannot exercise (other than walking) as I am recovering from heart bypass surgery. Since the surgery, I have been working on changing my diet. Less bread and potatoes (still working on less pasta) and more nuts (especially for dessert and snacks). I have changed the brand of margarine that I buy and added more leafy green veggies to my diet. I'm trying to eat more protein, especially chicken.

I continue to have C-PTSD thoughts / attacks numerous times daily. I now have a one-third glass of red wine to stop them otherwise they take over and keep repeating for hours. During these attacks, my chest / heart muscles tighten, my breathing gets shallow and I get burning sensations down my arms. They are very unsafe. Further, when it starts it just snowballs and the thoughts get stronger. For some reason, a little red wine calms me (white wine just makes me intoxicated) so I've been turning to that. I don't imbibe enough to get drunk and I don't drive. So far, therapy has not been able to help control these thoughts.

My entire life has been one of encountering abuse of some sort. I know that my parents did a poor job of preparing me for the world - they did not want me to develop so that I would grow up and take care of them when I was an adult. Their lack of nurturing was irreversibly damaging. On my own, I was not able to raise myself because I did not have good interpersonal skills. Years of therapy really did not help as many Ts did not recognize the real issues nor the development of C-PTSD. In fact, some contributed to the development of C-PTSD. So far, the advice from my current T has not been very helpful in resolving issues. At best, they may help deal with them but I have so many issues that it's not possible to deal well with all of them; I just continue to get emotionally overwhelmed on nearly a daily basis. I've resigned myself to being alone for all my life.

[unaluna]

youre not on beta blockers? The bad news is they make it a little harder to lose weight, the good news is they do keep your heart rate down. .

[Trace14]

Sounds like you are working on a good plan. Our stories are a little similar with poor parenting and having to raise myself. It would have been nice to have a child hood but I didn't. The up side of that is that I have become a very independent woman and pretty self sufficient. My parent s were not perfect, my life was not perfect but it is my life and I have to make the best of it now. "I" am an adult and I can take better care of me than they did. Maybe in my next life it will be different, but for now this is what I have and I am thankful.

Originally Posted by hankster

youre not on beta blockers? The bad news is they make it a little harder to lose weight, the good news is they do keep your heart rate down. .

Hi, Hankster. I am on a beta blocker, a statin and one other heart medication. I also take Vitamin D. I've been on beta blockers for nearly a decade. Yes, I've put on weight in that time and am finding it very hard to take it off. Thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by Trace14

Sounds like you are working on a good plan. Our stories are a little similar with poor parenting and having to raise myself. It would have been nice to have a child hood but I didn't. The up side of that is that I have become a very independent woman and pretty self sufficient. My parent s were not perfect, my life was not perfect but it is my life and I have to make the best of it now. "I" am an adult and I can take better care of me than they did. Maybe in my next life it will be different, but for now this is what I have and I am thankful.

Sadly, the damage done led to me developing a severe case of C-PTSD. I've had many years of therapy but it didn't get better - it got worse. In addition to neglect, there was also a lot of verbal abuse and bad advice from mom until the day she died. For some reason, she was just unable to love me. A lot of her rejection had to do with my looks - she thought I was ugly. From the way others treat me, I guess that I am.

[Trace14]

That is sad when a parent is just wrong in doing what they do. A person is only ugly when it comes from deep inside. I have seen very attractive people but as soon as their mouth opens and you get to know them you know they truly are UGLY. She's gone now, you are in control of who you are and how you want to present yourself. Sorry the counseling didn't help, maybe you were not hooked up with the right people. You sound like a very nice person. don't let the past take your future away.

Originally Posted by Trace14

That is sad when a parent is just wrong in doing what they do. A person is only ugly when it comes from deep inside. I have seen very attractive people but as soon as their mouth opens and you get to know them you know they truly are UGLY. She's gone now, you are in control of who you are and how you want to present yourself. Sorry the counseling didn't help, maybe you were not hooked up with the right people. You sound like a very nice person. don't let the past take your future away.

I am not optimistic. I have no friends. My social skills are lacking. My health is not great. I've even given up on religion due to bad experiences. I have very little hope, if any.

[Trace14]

That's a little hard to believe since you are so likable here. Well I think we all agree we need to take control of our health. The more we sit at this computer the larger our arse gets and so many other things suffer. We know this right? It will only get worse if we continue. Maybe a good counselor could help with the social skills aspect. Religion needs to be a personal journey, it's not a one size fits all. Some parts I agree with, some I don't, what's important is what you believe in.

Originally Posted by Trace14

That's a little hard to believe since you are so likable here.

No. It's true. I have no friends. Socially I am a total dud. Currently, I'm living on SSDI and have no funds to socialize. I have epilepsy and don't go to bars because I can't have alcohol or be around flashing lights. An arm injury and arthritic feet forced me to give up playing tennis.

My mother did not believe in childhood and raised me to be an adult from the start. I had no toys and no playmates and never learned to play. My parents did not even teach me to toss a ball, hit a pitch or buy me a baseball glove. Most of the advice I received was antisocial - to put family first because friends were not necessary. My parents missed the registration date for kindergarten and put me in first grade instead - I never fit in as I was younger and smaller and less mature than everyone else for all my years in school. I was given an odd first name that led to a lot of teasing. Sexually, I am gay and that has led to a lot of discrimination even in my family as well as social rejection. I could never adjust to the gay lifestyle and did not find the acceptance I sought there. For some reason, I was more asexual than gay. I just never enjoyed intimacy. My mother's parenting style was to be hyper-critical, and to yell and scream. She never hugged her kids as she did not believe hugs were necessary. I was raised being told that hugs were not necessary and believed it. I don't smile much. Never did. Still don't. People avoid me like the plague. For the last few years, I have just totally given up. I am totally despondent. C-PTSD has taken over my life. Currently, I am recovering from heart bypass surgery and am having a hard time of it.

I had a series of jobs where I was heavily overworked. I worked a lot of overtime but still could not keep up. Further, I had several successive jobs with mean employers who intentionally and repeatedly harassed. I could not afford to quit. Three I would describe as sociopaths. Now, I am practically unemployable. No one will hire me after decades of hard work. Two employers give me negative references (to hide their abuse of employees) and are proud of their harassing behavior which continues. I could not find an attorney to take my case. I guess that I'm just a loser.

[unaluna]

My story is about the same only the girl version. Biggest girl in the class, also not allowed to do kid things, family most important, harassing employers, ssdi, health issues. I see people now are afraid to get stuck talking to me - but i have the awareness and self control now, and no longer the need; i do a lot of my talking here on pc. And with my t. Becoming a better writer was one of my goals for hanging out here so much. But the camaraderie has been amazing. Are friends in cyberspace really friends? Idk. We do find it easier to go deeper faster. Thats what is important to me.

[Trace14]

Wow unguy that's a lot of stuff to go through. But I still think your life is salvageable. If you feel asexual what makes you think you are gay? Intimacy is hard for a lot of us, but the key is to find a partner in life that understands that. In my experience gay males would not understand that. In fact sex is mostly what it's all about. So I could see where that would be a barrier in that circle. Life is hard for gay men, it really is.
Ever thought of moving to a new area and starting over as the person you want to be? That may be an option. The physical issues could be addressed with medication and PT.
So what you never learned how to throw a ball, go out and throw that ball NOW Things that they didn't allow us to do as kids is unfair, but we are adults now and we can throw a ball, play board games or whatever we want to. Try them you might enjoy it.

[Trace14]

Hankster, I thought you were a guy, by the nickname Sorry. But anyway I too do most of my communication through the computer. Just easier. Cyberspace friends? Yes, I think there can be a cyber friendship but it will be different than the real world relationship. But at least there are people to talk to who understand and have no idea who or what you are other than what you tell them. So it's pretty cool I think.

Originally Posted by Trace14

So what you never learned how to throw a ball, go out and throw that ball NOW Things that they didn't allow us to do as kids is unfair, but we are adults now and we can throw a ball, play board games or whatever we want to. Try them you might enjoy it.

I know that your comments are well-intentioned but they miss the point entirely.

The ball toss with my dad was not about sports. It was a way of asking him if he wanted to get to know me, if he cared about me, if he accepted me, if he would spend time with me and teach me things. He did not. We never bonded. Ever. That's the real loss here. The lack of bonding with both my parents is the core root of my C-PTSD. I still don't bond with people. Trying to bond is a source of great pain that is buried down deep. No relationship with anyone else will cure it. It will always be there. No therapist has successfully treated it. Frankly, I'm so uncomfortable thinking about it that I don't even want to go there. It hurts that much. The scars will always be there. They affect my involuntary actions in social situations. It's so hard to fight them and I'm rarely successful.

Tossing a ball now would not meet that goal or heal the hurt. Due to a chronic elbow injury from playing tennis, I now cannot toss a ball anyway but that's beside the point.

[Trace14]

Unguy, I'm sorry I misunderstood you. I didn't mean to upset you or cause you painful memories. I'm truly sorry.

[knit roses]

I have had transient ischemic episodes. Have to get cardio check due to upcoming outpatient. My old heart is not happy pumping through all this high anxiety.

Originally Posted by knit roses

I have had transient ischemic episodes. Have to get cardio check due to upcoming outpatient. My old heart is not happy pumping through all this high anxiety.

I am sorry to hear that you are also suffering physically. Please have a cardio check done as soon as you can. I hope you feel better.