My name is Raffaella and I'm from New York. I'm very glad that I found this forum. I hope to meet new people and get some more info on how people are handling their PTSD. I picked the chicken avatar because I thought it represented how I feel (couldn't help but laugh when I first saw it). I've been diagnosed with multiple things. For years it was it GAD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, then GAD with depression, then ADD, then finally PTSD. I definitely feel I have PTSD, and ADD and I definitely have the anxiety and depression. Whatever diagnosis the doctors choose is irrelevant to me now because the symptoms are what they are.

This is some of what I've been dealing with:

Hypersentivity
Constant state of underlying anxiety
Depression
Attention Problems
Crying at inappropriate moments
Irritability
Outbursts of anger
Sleep distrubances and nightmares (even while napping) I basically wake up as if I haven't slept all night.
My body is tense while sleeping
I wake up to slightest sound and movements
I wake up in a state of fear
When I attempt to meditate I start to cry and hyperventilate even though I am not in an unsafe setting
I tend to an underlying or subconscious "alert mode" I'm tense and prepared for something to happen.

I honestly believe that I have not relaxed or slept well since I was about 9 years old. I'm now 36 and tired of feeling this way. I'm seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist but my therapist says that conventional therapy can only help so much when it comes to PTSD. I'm not sure if that's true or not but I am eager to find how others are coping. I have hope.
have trouble sleeping at night, have horrible stress nightmares, I sle

.

Welcome to the forum Frecconia.. I have most of the same symptoms that you have.. nice to know we're not alone.. but still sucks, huh? You can at least take comfort in knowing that you found this forum, its full of great people that have alot in common and offer alot of help and support. Glad you've found us !!:biggrin:

Frecconia I dont now whether you take medication for your sleep disturbance but I was put on a drug called Seroquel it is actually a mood stabiliser and a sedative.It is probably not good if you are working but guarantee it works in both ways.I was very reluctant to take medication at first but got so desperate I even asked my doctor for electric shock treatment.I am just very sorry that I wasnt diagnosed a lot earlier and put on medication as I am sure it would have saved my marriage.Regards Porky Rees.

Welcome to the forum Raffaella, and yes, your therapist is pretty much correct, in that the only person who can really help you, is you. I say that because to heal trauma you must be willing to face it all, surface trauma and deal with it openly and honestly, without denial, a known trait of PTSD. You have to be willing to push yourself when depressed, to learn techniques and strategies that do work, and are proven, but only work if the sufferer wants them too. Basically, you can sit in self sympathy and not try much and all, then complain nothing works, or you can face your trauma and fears, pull them apart, you will get very ill for a few months doing so, but you will come out the other side a much better you. Once you reach that point, you then begin learning strategies to cope, learn how to push yourself and self appraise, self reassure, self analyse, as that is what will help you live a fairly normal life once again with PTSD in check.

Welcome to the forum, and Hi Frecconia, glad you found us. Hope to be seeing you around here and hearing from you. Feel free to :kickass: , PTSD's butt, while you're here, that is. .........And not let it continue to kick yours. God Bless, and Welcome Aboard!

Hope

Welcome to the forum.

this seems to hel p most of us with PTSD ,, hope it will help you start the hea ling prosess Beatle

Hey!, welcome to the forum
cathy

Welcome! I'm glad you've found us. I've found tremendous healing here on this site and a great plus is all the friends made!

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome. I forgot to subscribe to this thread so I was unaware anyone had posted. Thanks again.