[Twitch99]

Today I saw a Dr (for the first time in years) and was diagnosed with PTSD. Not sure if I believe that. When I think of PTSD I think of people who have been through/seen some really terrible stuff. A war vet, a rape victim, people like that. Me I grew up with a verbally and mentally abusive older brother (2 years older). Yeah he was an A whole to me and made life miserable, but that was nothing compared to what a rape victim suffers with. I have never stared down the barrel of a gun and killed someone like a Soldier does. So am I just that weak that I couldn't handle his abuse?

[Open Eyes]

An abusive sibling that abused over a long period CAN actually cause someone to struggle with ptsd. It can happen if someone is bullied at work or in school.

[Kathleen83]

PTSD has nothing to do with weakness. It has everything to do with how our brains deal with things. As it was explained to me - when trauma becomes overwhelming, our brains "flip a switch". While that flipped switch may help us survive the trauma, it also blocks our emotions from being processed properly, leaving us stuck at the point where the trauma happened. The type and amount of trauma experienced, that causes that switch to flip, is almost irrelevant, in a way. Your situation isn't comparable to what anyone else has gone through. Yours isn't "less than" or "more than" because of the details. What does matter is, are you stuck, because of your experiences, and can treatment for PTSD help you?