[Keltielin02]

Hello my name is keltie I'm new to this forum , I am in need of advice a few years ago I took a hard fall and it was traumatic was in the hospital and I keep having flashbacks and I can picture the fall and my head starts to hurt and I get this scary feeling . I also have had many car accidents due to attention issues and the same things happen I get fearful when in vehicles and am afraid to drive myself . Along with that this is hard to tell people but I was taken advantage of when I was about 13 so I have issues regarding that that , are starting to resurface and I think all these things are what caused me to be a very anxious person . Does anybody else have similar troubles am I suffering from PTSD or is this just normal any advice would be greatly appreciated , thanks for reading and any feedback would be great .

[PandorasAquarium]

Keltie, can you go see a therapist? That would be your best bet. Unfortunately, none of us here are qualified (or even if some are able) to say yes or no to you having PTSD.

That sad, some of the symptoms you describe seem to fit with PTSD. There's lots of information online and even on this site that can help you.

On a more personal note, I have had it fairly severely for probably 7 years now and the scary part is that I just realized it. As did my psychologist of a year, though I think he's suspected it for some time. I even have had abuse in my childhood as well.

In my layman's experience, PTSD is very unique to each person. Basically, if you experience a trauma that you can not seem to disengage from in your daily life, after the initial threat is gone, and it goes on for a long enough period of time to truly disrupt your quality of life, then that definitely suggests that you have deep internal wounds. And as with any deep wound that will not heal on its own, medical treatment is always best.

I know that can be frustrating, expensive, and difficult, but if you can get to a qualified therapist to discuss these experiences, it might help immensely. I was initially very resistant to therapy, though I went willingly. Now after quite some time in it, I'm realizing just how much it is helping me and just how much I need it.

One other thing, go easy on yourself if you can. If you catch yourself comparing your trauma to others and saying yours wasn't as bad so you shouldn't feel the way you feel...well, I have found that just makes it worse. It's easy to victimize ourselves more in our own minds (I hope that makes sense the way I mean it - I just don't have the words. Sorry). What I'm trying to say is that you are a survivor, not a victim.

Best wishes to you.

[Keltielin02]

Thanks so much for that helpful advice I currently see a therapist \ psychiatrist and I have touched on these events but not how there giving me nightmares and stuff , so I think I will mention how it's starting to effect me . On another note when I was a kid I was attacked by a German Shepard and since then I'm afraid of large dogs I hate it my family and my boyfriends family both have dogs and the friendly calm dogs I'm okay with but the big , loud barking type I get such high anxiety would that be a problem I discuss with my therapist as well ?!