Posted by garnet71 on May 29, 2009, at 20:12:53
In reply to Re: Does this symptom fall into any category? » garnet71, posted by Girlnterrupted78 on May 29, 2009, at 14:15:08
It's pretty easy to not feel comfortable around others when you grew up with dysfunction at the level you described. I used to have moderate social anxiety until I was about 20. Felt disconnected from people-mainly strangers/acquaintences/coworkers, and even friends, as a result of growing up with abuse and dysfunction, very similar to what you described but to a lesser degree. I moved out away my parents when I was 16, and got better on my own, it progressed from there until I had no psychological issues for a few years and became very confident, outgoing, poised; felt "normal" and comfortable around people. I had never talked to a therapist or been to a PDoc until I was 29.
I had a situation when I was about 29, PTSD was a result. I became a basket case, and it also triggered childhood trauma I never dealt with emotionally, though I spent plenty of effort dealing with it intellectually and rationally throughout my childhood and teen years. It was at this time I felt much like you described.
PTSD can be protracted, building up slowly, though it might be only a theory, not sure. If you think of it on a scale from mild to extreme, it makes sense to think you don't have to be a victim of war or extreme violence to have the symtpoms. Also, people can present symtpoms more intense than others, that's pretty obvious. People's experiences can be more or less traumatic than others; or people can be more traumatized than others in response to the same thing.
I'll leave this link for you, a conversation with another member here regarding PTSD.
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090421/msgs/894593.html
symptoms of PTSD can go away. I was never treated appropriately for it because my therapist, the one who easily recognized the symptoms, passed away. He was an angel, truly a compassionate human being who dedicated his life to his profession. He was also the first one to explain why I felt the way you described. I remember the visuals during that conversation like it was yesterday--no one had ever recognized or explained that to me. It was a relief that someone understood exactly how I felt-well, enough to explain it to me articulately.
I wish I had known then that treatment should be different for PTSD than depression/anxiety. I think I would have healed sooner. I'm much, much better now, and the feeling you described hasn't appeared in a few years now, though I do get relapses of social anxiety once in a blue moon.
Yes, you can present PTSD symptoms from neglect and abuse. I remember crying many nights too. Being in that environment for many years can really harm your mental health. If I were you, I wouldn't minimize that abuse, even though you didn't provide details, it sounds like you had a pretty traumatic childhood. You don't have to have physical abuse to be traumatized; i've found emotional abuse and other abuse to be much worse than physical abuse. I suppose everyone's different though.
Regarding your med quesiton, Effexor with Wellbutrin worked for me when I was at my worst. I don't have depression symptoms anymore, but have had chronic anxiety for a number of years. Still trying to find an appropriate remedy now that I know there are other things out there for anxiety besides xxRIs.
Having a good therapist makes a lot of difference. What type of research study are you thinking of participating in?
poster:garnet71
thread:897878
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090524/msgs/898342.html