h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello,

I have read your article about ptsd on the mental health page and would like to add that although it is a well writen article, the author has missed out a very important point.

The article starts by saying that ptsd starts within 6 months of a traumatic event. Fine. But that is not all. A very important point has been missed out.

Ptsd is often triggered within 6 months of a traumatic event. But it can also be delayed for many years before being triggered, then can have catastrophic life changing consequences.

I was in a very violent relationship twenty years ago. I eventually managed to escape from it. there wasn't any such thing as counselling or domestic violence units then, and the police didn't treat victims seriously, so I just detached myself from what had happened and tried to move on with my life.

I became a professional career woman with a very good job, and didn't experience any problems related to my past, but then 3 years ago, out of the blue, I was asked to work on a domestic violence project. I agreed, not thinking anything was amiss, but when I opened the first research book to start reading, I suddenly felt as though I had been hit over the head with a hammer. Within 10 seconds my whole world changed.

I suddenly found myself living 24 hours a day in my old nightmare past, although physically I had escaped from it years ago. I spent all day every day in tears,had nightmares, horrible flashbacks, panic attacks, and developed severe anxiety and depression which culminated in a massive psychological breakdown. I was then diagnosed with severe delayed onset ptsd.

The upshot of the condition (called mental injury, not mental illness) is that I lost my career, lost all my friends who couldn't cope with what I had become, am registered mentally disabled,am practically estranged from my family, and have agoraphobia. I went from working in a busy city centre,with a busy and active life, to now not even being able to enter a crowded shop for fear of panic attacks. My life has been wrecked. And the actual cause of it happened 20 years ago.

The sad thing is that psychological services in this country are so inadequate that although my psychiatrist has recommended that I see a psychologist, I will be at least a year on the waiting list before I can be seen. So what do I do in the meantime? I just keep taking the anti depresants and sleeping pills. And have to just suffer the rest of it in silence.

Anyway, what I am trying to say is - don't think that ptsd ONLY develops within 6 months of a traumatic event. It can and often is delayed many years before a sudden and unexpected (even apparently little) thing can trigger full blown ptsd.

This message should really be added to your page about ptsd, just in case anyone is confused and distressed by not understanding what has happened to them.

I have found the following website to be helpful, informative and supportive. It has been compiled by a ptsd sufferer - www.ptsduk.co.uk

Julibird.

Thanks for sharing your story, Julibird

I'm sorry to hear about the shortage of psychologists. As I understand from my research when writing this Entry, cognitive therapy can be of great help to sufferers of PTSD.

I've asked that a slight change be made to the wording of the Entry to reflect your feedback.

Many thanks,
Alex

Hello Alex,

Thanks for your reply. I hope you took my email in the way it was intended, ie constructive criticism from a ptsd sufferer.

I think what you have written is very informed and helpful. I am all for educating people any way that can be done, as there is a lot of stigma and lack of understanding surrounding the condition.(Note I still don't call it illness, no matter what anyone else might call it!).

I hadn't even heard of ptsd until it happened to me, but since my diagnosis am becoming quite an expert. If I can offer any input to assist you at any time in the future, please feel free to contact me. I would be only too pleased to help.

Could I also mention the mental health charity - MIND, who also have some very helpful information and booklets on their website -
www.mind.org.uk

Regards,

Julibird.

Hi julibird, I have just found this thread while browsing and found your posts really interesting. In my case it was 30 or so years before PTSD struck me!

It was during a dispute with our neighbour, who was paying the local junkies £20 a time to put a brick through our window, 8 times in all!

Anyway, all the bad things that I saw 30 odd years ago while in the forces, came rushing back, along with more recent events from my time in the ambulance service.

Like you said, it floored me completely, and I went from being a bubbly outgoing 50+ granddad, to a nervous wreck, too scared to enter a busy store, or be amongst a crowd of people in a room.

The therapy, that I had waited for over a year for, might be stopped soon, because I am not responding correctly to it??

Amway, I hope you are feeling better now, as your post was a long time ago, good luck

Smudger.