C
Charliesdad
Member
Hi all,
I'm new to this site and thought this section of the forum seemed like the best place for me to start.
I have recently been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after 4 1/2 years of suffering mental health problems. My problems began when I was still serving in the army. I had a career spanning 8 years over which time I served all over the world regularly being exposed to stress which at the time had no significant effect on me.
It was not until I was sent to Sierra Leone until I was involved in an incident in which I genuinely thought I was going to die, when I began to develop symptoms of PTSD. I don’t really want to be more specific right now since the memories of the event are still very upsetting.
Once I had returned from Africa I began to think about the event which occurred and while those around me told me that I should put it behind me and feel lucky to be back home safe, I began to relive the event over and over in my mind, the experience is what I referred to at the time as a dream/nightmare during the day. The process of reliving the event caused me to experience all of the fear/anxiety symptoms which I felt when I originally had the experience.
This quickly began to affect my life and my ability to operate normally. At the time I was still in the forces and offered psychological counselling which amounted to a doctor telling me "these things happen, the best thing you can do I soldier on".
Along with reliving the experience over and over I began to suffer with depression which I put down to dealing with all these unwanted emotions and psychological reactions.
I began to notice that the dreams during the day (which i now know are flashbacks) I was having would be triggered by stimulus which at the time I was unaware of but which I soon began to realise. Once I had identified the triggers for my flashbacks I began to avoid situations where I thought that I may have a flashback triggered.
This began to affect my ability to operate socially and lead to an extended period of not going and avoiding social situations, which I realise now only, add to the problems I was having.
I left the army of my own accord and returned home to live with my parents. It was now that I began to notice increased symptoms of depression and anxiety along with a very short temper and anger, I found my ability to deal with normally stress free things was diminished and I would easily snap and loose my temper about the smallest thing. This had a bad effect on my relationship with my family.
This behaviour continued for about 4 years until I went to my doctor and was referred to a psychiatrist, I was prescribed Lofepramine and diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. I found that Lofepramine caused me to feel drowsy but did after a bedding in period, help with my depression and anxiety symptoms. I have also taken diazepam from time to time when I was particularly anxious. I am currently waiting for a course of CBT to begin.
Last December I went to a place in Scotland called combat stress, which I believe is only for ex forces, where I received some counselling sessions and met others with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Overall I found the week I spent there totally brilliant and would recommend it to any other ex forces who are having mental health problems.
I have basically come on this site since recently I have been feeling isolated and wish to communicate with others who understand my situation and hopefully find ways of coping better with PTSD.
Thanks
Matt
I'm new to this site and thought this section of the forum seemed like the best place for me to start.
I have recently been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after 4 1/2 years of suffering mental health problems. My problems began when I was still serving in the army. I had a career spanning 8 years over which time I served all over the world regularly being exposed to stress which at the time had no significant effect on me.
It was not until I was sent to Sierra Leone until I was involved in an incident in which I genuinely thought I was going to die, when I began to develop symptoms of PTSD. I don’t really want to be more specific right now since the memories of the event are still very upsetting.
Once I had returned from Africa I began to think about the event which occurred and while those around me told me that I should put it behind me and feel lucky to be back home safe, I began to relive the event over and over in my mind, the experience is what I referred to at the time as a dream/nightmare during the day. The process of reliving the event caused me to experience all of the fear/anxiety symptoms which I felt when I originally had the experience.
This quickly began to affect my life and my ability to operate normally. At the time I was still in the forces and offered psychological counselling which amounted to a doctor telling me "these things happen, the best thing you can do I soldier on".
Along with reliving the experience over and over I began to suffer with depression which I put down to dealing with all these unwanted emotions and psychological reactions.
I began to notice that the dreams during the day (which i now know are flashbacks) I was having would be triggered by stimulus which at the time I was unaware of but which I soon began to realise. Once I had identified the triggers for my flashbacks I began to avoid situations where I thought that I may have a flashback triggered.
This began to affect my ability to operate socially and lead to an extended period of not going and avoiding social situations, which I realise now only, add to the problems I was having.
I left the army of my own accord and returned home to live with my parents. It was now that I began to notice increased symptoms of depression and anxiety along with a very short temper and anger, I found my ability to deal with normally stress free things was diminished and I would easily snap and loose my temper about the smallest thing. This had a bad effect on my relationship with my family.
This behaviour continued for about 4 years until I went to my doctor and was referred to a psychiatrist, I was prescribed Lofepramine and diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. I found that Lofepramine caused me to feel drowsy but did after a bedding in period, help with my depression and anxiety symptoms. I have also taken diazepam from time to time when I was particularly anxious. I am currently waiting for a course of CBT to begin.
Last December I went to a place in Scotland called combat stress, which I believe is only for ex forces, where I received some counselling sessions and met others with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Overall I found the week I spent there totally brilliant and would recommend it to any other ex forces who are having mental health problems.
I have basically come on this site since recently I have been feeling isolated and wish to communicate with others who understand my situation and hopefully find ways of coping better with PTSD.
Thanks
Matt