New here... And I have Severe PTSD...

Due to my traumatic life, from what my therapist said anyways, I have severe PTSD, once it actually caused me to fully collapse in the middle of my kitchen as my family and I were getting ready for bed... it really sucked! As I was falling, my head hit the kitchen sink counter, and I had become unconscious for a brief moment in time. I had gone to a cardiologist and everything, and nothing was found that was wrong, so I went to my therapist and she had indeed concluded that it was PTSD that had caused my collapsing! Anyone ever gone through something like this before??

Hi Beautiful Chaos, welcome to PC and the PTSD forum.

I have never passed out myself, but, I have experienced being so dizzy if I pushed it I might have passed out.

Not quite, I mostly got extreme nausea and puked my guts out.

Sorry you have the gift that never stops giving, PTSD, but you came to a great place for information, understanding, and support.

Welcome. Don't let a therapist diagnose PTSD. They don't know what It is and can't diagnose anyone anyway. What they mean is you have had a traumatic life and It gets to you. That's not PTSD. PTSD is something else. In a lot of ways PTSD is less traumatic than other disorders.

Ouch! I'm sorry that happened to you.

I used to randomly pass out. It'd happen at weird times when I wasn't thinking about anything bad. One time, I was walking in the woods and passed out off the path. When I came to, my dogs were laying there with me... waiting for me to get up. I had every kind of test possible to figure out what was going on. They couldn't find anything. I wasn't diagnosed with anything at the time.

I've realized now that it was a very strange version of a panic attack. Instead of the fight, my body did the flight thing. That's the best, unscientific, unverified by a doctor answer I have.

Since it's only happened once, do you remember what you were thinking about before you fell? What was happening in the room? What happened that day? I started to ask myself all that when it kept happening to me, and I realized I was internalizing too much.

I don't know that I'd tie it to PTSD though. Just my opinion. I had those episodes before my major trauma (there were little ones prior). PTSD made me hyper aware of everything for awhile and passing out actually wasn't an option my body felt like doing.

I hope it doesn't happen to you again. It is very scary and unsettling.

How would PTSD be less traumatic than other disorders when one of the main cases is trauma? wouldn't that imply since trauma is required for a diagnoses it is more traumatic than others disorders if anything rather than less so?

PTSD is less traumatic than personality disorders like borderline personality or narcissistic personality disorder which are traumatic injuries to very young children who had weak attachments to caregivers and then failed to develop normally because of trauma.

I think schizophrenia with frightening hallucinations would be worse trauma than PTSD. When I trigger I startle and remember feel hurt and anguish...normal adult responses to terrible things. Bad as It is its probably better than someone who sees demons licking their chops and coming to drag him to eternal bell to be eaten alive forever.

As for the diagnostic criteria of PDs, there is no pre-requisite of having experienced trauma...trauma can play a role as well as growing up in an unhealthy environment but those are not requirements for the diagnoses whereas with PTSD there 'has' to be a trauma.

Childhood trauma can certainly cause PTSD...I do not think the fact they develop say PTSD instead of a PD would be an indication their trauma is 'less'. Children who get PTSD don't develop normally either which maybe could result in co-morbid PD as well as the PTSD.

Also good for you, I think when flashback stuff of the traumatic thing that caused my crap have me on the ground shaking uncontrollably because my mind is convinced impending doom is near its pretty frightning. I mean if your PTSD only causes you normal adult reactions to situations not sure what your diagnoses is for...because mine causes me some pretty nasty symptoms even helps me not be able to sleep, you don't need schizophrenia to hear or see weird things...or feel like you're on the verge of complete insanity.

I don't know to me PTSD is up there with the conditions people see as more 'severe' based on what it's caused me...but then I get more than getting startled, feeling hurt and anguish and then that's it. But don't think it is a competition mental illness and mental conditions really can suck a lot...PTSD is not fluffy compared to PDs or other conditions.

In the USA you need a psychiatrist to diagnose PTSD as it is a medical diagnosis. The DSM is much more than just a check list, and therapists aren't trained in diagnosing patients. I am not saying that you don't have PTSD, rather it is a good idea for you to see a psychiatrist who can properly diagnose you. I'm a little wary about linking PTSD to passing out, as that's not a part of the disorder. Perhaps it would be linked to a more severe dissociative disorder, but of course that is speculation.

I'm sorry you are struggling with that. It sounds freightening. I have not passed out from my symptoms, but have had really nasty reactions to innocuous things... and the flashbacks really, really suck. (gntle hugs) if you want them...

fyi, you can have ptsd diagnosed by a clinician in the US, but they have to have diagnostic training. It doesn't have to be an MD... generally, diagnoses are really only useful for insurance purposes, and communicating a set of noted symptoms... *most* therapists and counselors are not qualified to make an official diagnosis, but licensed psychologists are, as are most PhD or PsyD level professionals...

I have PTSD and neurocardiogenic syncope. The latter was diagnosed via a cardiologist with a tilt table test. Basically there is a miscommunication between my brain and my heart that causes my blood pressure and heartrate to plummet, resulting in me losing consciousness. It is exacerbated by anxiety-producing situations, such as PTSD triggers. Interestingly, the same drugs that have been used to lessen PTSD symptoms are also used to treat neurocardiogenic syncope (beta blockers).

P.S. I think some people are confusing the term trauma with the symptom of interference of normal life activities (school, work, relationships, hygiene, etc.)