Hi guys

Thanks for your responses, you seem like just the great bunch of people I need :)

carpediem, you're right there is a difference between low self esteem and PTSD. One thing is that I'm nervous around people, especially strangers and another is that when someone confronts me even in a seemingly innocuous way my heart starts racing, I shake uncontrollably and turn a pale shade of white. I suppose it's an exaggerated fight-or-flight reaction and it takes me right back to when I was a kid being surrounded by a group of bullies. It's sometimes hard to see that my overreaction is caused by the result of previous traumatic experiences rather than from a present experience.

Thanks for helpline info, I'll try to give them a call. I'm on the waiting list to have therapy (possibly CBT, I'm not sure) with my local NHS
pschological services department. I went for an assessment at their psychiatric unit and they discharged me from psychiatic care. I'm not sure if that's right or wrong, I'm not really sure what the difference is between pschological and psychiatic help. I guess pychiatric help deals with mental illness but PTSD is injury rather than illness? I've had counselling before and I'm looking at having more of it in the future.

[edit]
I just called Assist and they have a complex PTSD support group starting in 4 weeks or so. It's about 90 minutes drive from here but I think I'm going to make the effort to attend :)
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Rob