[Monarch Butterfly]

I have ptsd from childhood abuse and a past abusive relationship. I've been diagnosed by a psychologist. I'm still learning about my ptsd so please bear with me.

Could a person develop ptsd from one single tragic incident ( car accident, animal attack,robbery)?

If a person is bullied, talked down to, mentally abused by a person they see once a year, maybe every two years over a period of several years could that cause ptsd? The person visits 10- 14 days at a time. I have a family member who does this to me. Every time I hear they plan on visiting I feel anxious, upset, angry.

[cinnamonstick]

From my understanding a single event absolutely can cause PTSD, what I've read traumatic events like accidents, death, natural disasters etc. whether it is witnessing something or living through those things( natural disaster etc). can cause it. Have you talked with your psychologist about the anxiety and anger? The Dr. should have told you more about it in my opinion in order to help you.

are you talking about PTSD itself or the trigger(s) of PTSD?

[Monarch Butterfly]

He has discussed the past abuse with regards to PTSD. We haven't discussed much with regards to my anxiety, anger and this particular family member.

I had a incident three years ago where a friend and I were both injured. Traumatic event. I have triggers, certain things, that are reminders of what happened.

[Yzen]

Originally Posted by Monarch Butterfly

Every time I hear they plan on visiting I feel anxious, upset, angry.

I am still learning about PTSD too. It seems mysterious to me.

I think feeling anxious about a person or persons may be more of a sensation of returning to a less powerful self than a PTSD trigger - or, maybe that is the same thing. It's like walking in the room and there is something toxic in the air taking away the self we work hard to strengthen and it only returns when we leave and get back to our own life. It is disturbing. We lose our power and feel they have the power. That is my take on it. Family obligations make it hard to avoid. A therapist can probably help in learning how to manage those encounters.

[Ceara1010]

Originally Posted by Monarch Butterfly

I have ptsd from childhood abuse and a past abusive relationship. I've been diagnosed by a psychologist. I'm still learning about my ptsd so please bear with me.

Could a person develop ptsd from one single tragic incident ( car accident, animal attack,robbery)?

Yes, if someone experiences a single event during which the victim felt their life was in danger, absolutely this can cause PTSD.

Originally Posted by Monarch Butterfly

If a person is bullied, talked down to, mentally abused by a person they see once a year, maybe every two years over a period of several years could that cause ptsd? The person visits 10- 14 days at a time. I have a family member who does this to me. Every time I hear they plan on visiting I feel anxious, upset, angry.

If you already have PTSD from being abused as a child, I would imagine it would make being bullied by someone else very triggering. Experiencing things that remind us of the things that gave us PTSD can cause us to react more intensely than people without PTSD.

For example, being talked down to would make a lot of people just roll their eyes. But someone abused as a child might be reminded of that abuse when someone (not their perp) talks down to them. It could trigger the emotions from the old wounds, and make us feel that something more extreme is happening.

--Ceara1010

[Crypts_Of_The_Mind]

Depending on the severity of the trauma the event caused a person can certainly develop PTSD from a single event

[LittleLeah]

I have ptsd from childhood abuse and a past abusive relationship.

We are very similar in this. I too have PTSD from childhood trauma and an abusive ex. What my old T told me when she diagnosed me was that there are two types of PTSD: one that is formed from chronic abuse and another that is formed through a singular traumatic event. She also said that those with PTSD are at higher risk for being traumatized again.

[Monarch Butterfly]

Thank you everyone for you're input.I believe the main cause of my PTSD is from childhood and an abusive relationship. This family member certainly causes triggers. He's been mentally abusive and a bully for at least 25 years. Plus I've experienced a few single traumatic events on top of all this.

[Ceara1010]

Originally Posted by Monarch Butterfly

Thank you everyone for you're input.I believe the main cause of my PTSD is from childhood and an abusive relationship. This family member certainly causes triggers. He's been mentally abusive and a bully for at least 25 years. Plus I've experienced a few single traumatic events on top of all this.

Having experienced earlier traumas can also make someone more susceptible to getting PTSD. For example, two people can experience the same very traumatic event(s) but both might not get PTSD.
For many people, the more trauma we've had earlier in life, the more difficult it is to cope when faced with new abuses and threats.

--Ceara1010