My therapist thinks I have PTSD

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I'm going to keep this short.
I was married to a man with epilepsy for 26 years. He had grand mal seizures. Even with medication, he had them on a fairly regular basis. It was very difficult for me and our children. Even though we tried to keep him safe during a seizure, he was injured many times. He refused to stop driving and had three car accidents. He was often moody, belligerent, and refused to take care of himself to reduce the risk of seizures. I became hyper-vigilant recognizing his auras. They signal that a seizure is imminent. Sometimes we'd wait all day and even into the night before he'd have the seizure. One of the worst seizures was when he fell and hit the bookcase with his mouth and knocked his front teeth out. There was blood everywhere.
My question is this: Can the partner and even the children be at risk for PTSD living with someone who has epilepsy over a long period of time?

Thank you for reading my post.

Hi and welcome to PC. I hope you will find us a supportive and understanding community. None of us can offer a diagnosis , you describe long term and repetitive stress. Does your T's suggestion concern you in some way , that living with someone with epilepsy would not result in PTSD ?

Thank you for welcoming me to the community. I understand that I can't expect a diagnosis, I guess I just needed to know if "long term and repetitive stress" even qualifies as trauma? I don't know, maybe I'm asking the wrong question. Did this stress have a negative, lasting effect on us? Absolutely.

Living with fear of one's safety for a long period of time can lead to a person developing PTSD. You have also described how your husband is constantly a worry about what new trauma will result with a seizure and that you have to literally worry about that every day, and this has been for a prolonged period, you don't have a chance to just feel safe, you are always vigiliant, hyper vigilant. Yes, that can lead to the anxiety disorder called PTSD.

Oh my, I'm sure that what you went through was very, very nerve-wracking. And to be living with this for so long, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't end up with an anxiety disorder.

My understanding is that PTSD results when someone has felt their life was under threat, or they have experienced a sexual violation (such as rape).

But I've learned recently there is something called "vicarious traumatization" that happens when someone witnesses other people under threat or being the victims of violence. It's apparently common with people who work in trauma medicine, or do some kind of job in which they have to witness scenes of violence every day.

I'm not a T, but I would think that watching your husband struggle daily with such a debilitating condition, particularly when he won't take precautions and put his life continually at risk, might cause "vicarious traumatization" which might lead to PTSD. (Anxiety from past trauma isn't necessarily full-blown PTSD.)

Whatever your Dx, I'm glad you have a T that understands the effects of living for so long in a hyper vigilant state, even though you were not the one under threat. Not all of them are this insightful.

--Ceara1010

I have a clinical diagnosis of PTSD, major depression. I am estranged from family who are in active addiction. I try not to focus so much on it, but during hallmark holidays such as Fathers day I do my best. I am in recovery and doing so has changed my life so that I don't choose to attend functions where alcohol is abused. I'm constantly wondering about my situation and if it will ever get better or is this all that there is? It's hard to put a finger on what exactly im worried about! Other family members in recovery? I wouldn't know because I'm accused of keeping my child & myself out of the part atmosphere. I do wonder how they are doing.

Please note, I am not a T as well or have any mental health training. Just been living with this for most of my life.

If it causes you to have the symptoms of PTSD, then there is a good chance you or others have it or experiencing something similar. The trauma doesn't have to be anything specific, just anything traumatic that effects you after the incident has already past. If you are thinking about it when you don't want to, having increased anxiety, being always on guard or paranoid. If you are showing any of those symptoms plus a few others, then you could be experiencing PTSD.

From mayo clinic:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Doesn't need to be a single event or any kind of specific incident. It could be any event, as long as it was traumatizing to that person. Everyone finds different things traumatizing and reacts to them differently.