How do you know it is PTSD?

[Rebelwoman87]

So I been through alot of hell my 23 years alive (Well 23 in oct)
From close death calls from other people, to horses, to abuse with a man I loved dearly, to mother slittin her wrist (She's healthy and better now)

How do you know it's PTSD? could it be Anxiety, or OCD?

how do you get over the attacks?

[markus2k]

I noticed with all of your symptoms you included poor diet or lack of ambition to eat? I was diagnosed with PTSD upon my return from Afghanistan. I now only eat every 2 or 3 days, and not large portions. When I do eat it makes me feel like garbage. my stomache cramps and then gets noxious. How did you correct your eating problems? any advise would be appreciated.

[Jan5319]

Thanks for the feedback.
How are you doing now if I may ask?
What worked for you?
I just stared antidepressants/antianxiety meds this week and been in therapy for 1 year.
Any advice is welcome.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

i have anxiety/stress for many years,  could deal with it better than ptsd, i got that after i went throught cancer surgery with my mom. it just took me out, i could not deal with anything that would happen big or small, i would cry at everything and just didnt know how to handle evryday living.  i lost lots weight /didnt eat/ felt weak/tired. scared didnt want to be byself. i went to a phy she told me it was ptsd, i went on a med and got back on my feet came off med been fine since. i did have pac for 10 weeks straight with it to. life was not fun. but i had a great support hubby hes awesome always there for me. thank you LORD for him.

[drifter0213]

the person i was is also gone but not broken i just wanted to let you know that i felt the same way about that one :)

[Jan5319]

Good question.....
I have suffered from stress/anxiety most of my life and had the usual symptoms (arrhythmia, panic attacks. inability to cope, lump in throat, headaches, neck pain, tight muscles, sleeplessness, shaky, inability to catch my breath, fear, constanly clearing my throat...the list goes on and on).
But it was after some very frightening, unbelievable events that occured in my abusive marriage that tipped the scales and caused the doctors to diagnose me with PTSD. (I filed for divorce). The shock was too much for me to handle.
The difference for me was the events destroyed my life. They didn't cause just symptoms of stress. I felt like the person I was had died and no longer existed. I will never be the person I used to be. She is gone.  Stress/anxiety caused symptoms, but PTSD destroyed who I was......and I am trying to learn who I am all over again. It is unbelievably frightening, especially when I can't stop reliving the events over and over.

[bree777]

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is, but that is what psychologists are for to help with that. I was convinced that I had ocd, I bought books, I had most of the symptoms including taking extreme measures to avoid certain things, repeating tasks over and over, being horrified of germs and diseases to point where I couldn't leave the house, dwelling on things, worrying, panic attacks, repetitive worries and fears of the "what ifs"  so I thought for sure I had ocd, but I talked to someone and realized that none of these symptoms came into play until after I faced something horrible, the worst thing I could ever imagine happening, and thats when I realized its not simple ocd but ptsd following a horrible event. So, to answer your question, nothing is ever black and white, anxiety often goes along with ocd or ptsd so it could be a bit of each, but a professional could be of much help like they were to me to find a more specific answer. I am also learning how to cope so I wish you the best, and I do believe talking to a professional can help because it helped me a lot!

[drifter0213]

medication and group therapy