I wanted to make a comment out of curiosity more than anything. For those of you who voted yes to this poll, what was your official diagnosis? Not to be rude, but I have a feeling people who vote yes are either in denial about the serious and permanent nature of PTSD, or have perhaps not been diagnosed on the severest end of the scale. Maybe you are able to work, maybe your symptoms were only severe for a short period of time, and so on. That's my opinion anyhow. Feel free to disagree.

I believe in healing. I believe in recovery. I have experienced much of it in my years dealing with ptsd. It is alot of work, takes alot of courage but it can be done. YES!!!

I've pondered this poll several times. Guess I hoped that, as I learned more and tested the waters more, I could vote "yes." But I think I'm finally accepting that, no, the symptoms won't end. They can get better for spells, but, unless there's some miracle cure, I see now that I am going to have to deal with them for the rest of my life.

I believe in healing too... to an extent. I have worked extremely hard on myself. Some of the things I have accomplished have been incredible. I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd be able to do some things that I am now doing. But... the fact remains, everytime I think I'm doing great and let down my guard so to speak, I fall flat on my face. There are certain things I absolutely must avoid and I don't see that ever changing, neither do my doctors. In fact, they suggest I permanently avoid certain situations. It's like the PTSD is just waiting in the shadows to pounce on me when I'm not vigilant. It has an altered my brain. I don't know about anyone here, but my PTSD shows up in my brain, my right hippocampus has lost volume since the trauma, and my frontal lobe is enlarged. While I am positive I am can manage my symptoms well with lots of hard work, I honestly do not believe I will ever be symptom free or PTSD free, unless there is some cure in the future of course.

HI, Evie,

I don't think I will ever be free from it either. We have rather similar diagnosis and I have also recently had the brain scan done that shows brain damage from the trauma. I am also told that there are some things I will never ever be able to do. I am working right now on accepting that and not fighting against something I have no control over but I am not there yet. The sadness and grief is overwhelming most days. I would hazard a guess that you understand that.

Grace

Yup I totally understand that! It's hard. But it is very comforting to know that there are others in my situation, who have this severely and realize it's never going to be completely "cured". I get really sick of people saying they are symptom-free or that there is a cure. Sometimes I wonder if those people have the same illness as me??? It just gets old after a while, and it makes me feel bad, I feel judged to be honest. Like I'm somehow being negative. But I am NOT being negative... just realistic!! I am confident I will have a good life and be able to do lots of things. But I will never be completely symptom free. In my case, that's a fantasy.

I think I share your viewpoint here, Evie. Life pre-PTSD is gone. I believe, having struggled with PTSD since at least 13/14, that really I will never ever be 'cured' or 'PTSD free'. In a funny kind of way, I have to accept it as a part of me, who I am now. Though I don't know if I really believe it is a part of me, or something stuck to me... But I think to be 'PTSD free', I'd have to have total retrograde amnesia. As long as I remember my past, I will remember my traumas and my traumas give me PTSD. I do think I can get to a point where it is manageable to a point where I could be, for the most part, normally functioning. But I don't know to what extent I can achieve that.

Really, I just accept that for the rest of my life, there will be times where PTSD symptoms fluctuate, get worse, get better and the task now is to deal with the trauma and then to keep effects of PTSD at bay as much as possible.

Thinking I'm over it just keeps me in denial longer, so I fight with myself until I'm exhausted with months of screaming "What is wrong with me?!" at myself. What a waste of time. Better just to cut to the chase, and not spend all that time struggling with the wrong things.

No im afraid I have to say that I will always be me but I live in hope that things may get better one day. Others have told me that it can and I just have to cling onto that. Here's hoping

Both y pychiatirst and therapist are of complete belief that you can get over PTSD, that it is indeed curable. And I believe them, I know there is a light at the end of this tunnel, I just can't see it yet.