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Does my friend suffer from PTSD

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Does my friend suffer from PTSD

Postby never42 » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:33 am

Hi All,

I need help trying to figure out if my friend has PTSD. I'll start at the beginning.

About 7 years ago, she started having mild involantary muscle movements. It started in her neck. It went on for a few days. Then she went into full convulsions. The involantary movements became progressively worse over time. It caused muscle spasms and affected her breathing.

She was bounced from neurologists to neurologists, and was on such powerfull muscle relaxers, she can't remember the first six months after the first attack. She was given diagnosis after diagnosis. Multiple Sclerosis, Huntingtons, Chorea... She also became hooked on energy drinks at some stage, followed by slimming pills. She did have suicidal tendancies. One night I showed up at her place with beer and chocolate. Though I didn't realise it immediately, she was high on the slimmers and tried to commit suicide.

Now after years of progressively getting worse she is cutting herself, and now getting panic attacks and hallucinating.

So the other night when I came out to her about me having Bipolar Disorder, she said she thinks she has PTSD. So I said there should've been some trauma for her to have PTSD. She said there was trauma when she was 15 (she's 26 now). After trying for some time, she couldn't get herself to say it out loud. The only thing she could get out, was that she remember his eyes, and that he was strong. And that she only recently remembered it, it was suppressed all this time. Out of respect to her I don't want to say it out loud either.

But what hit me was that she said her first symptomes started showing when she saw him again 7 years ago. Could all her symptomes be from PTSD, rather than some neurological disease? She cannot afford to see a psychiatrist.

I wish I could help her. We've walked a very long road together and I want her to be better. She deserves to be better!
"We're all f***ed in our own little unique ways"

"The point is that when you're depressed, you're in a constant battle with your dumb brain for control of your life." - Mark Hill

Dx: Bipolar I Disorder
Rx: Epilim (2000mg), Seroquel XR (50mg), Dopaquel (100mg)

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Re: Does my friend suffer from PTSD

Postby CrackedGirl » Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:24 am

Unfortunately no one here can say for sure whether she has PTSD as she needs to be assessed by someone professional. Does she still see a neurologist? If so she should mention it as the diagnoses she has been given are a big deal. It sounds like she had a trauma that could precipitate PTSD but like I said it is difficult to say on a forum such as this. If she is seeinng a neurologist the other option could be to use the money she is spending on them to see a psych instead as it sounds like she has psych issues that need to be addressed. She can always post here as well.

You sound like a good friend.

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Re: Does my friend suffer from PTSD

Postby never42 » Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:29 am

Well, she sees the neurologist now and then. It was her that suggested the psych.

Thanks Cracked, I'll suggest that to her. Even if she can only get ove her psychological issues, things would be so much better.
"We're all f***ed in our own little unique ways"

"The point is that when you're depressed, you're in a constant battle with your dumb brain for control of your life." - Mark Hill

Dx: Bipolar I Disorder
Rx: Epilim (2000mg), Seroquel XR (50mg), Dopaquel (100mg)

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Re: Does my friend suffer from PTSD

Postby CrackedGirl » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:15 pm

Absolutely yeah, good luck to her and to you :D

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Re: Does my friend suffer from PTSD

Postby greg659 » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:06 pm

I'm wondering how your friend is doing.

I went through something horrible and have been jerking (left leg, arm and neck) for about 15 months now. The first six weeks or so were the worst. I believe that the jerking was caused by the stress/anxiety/fear/sadness, etc. from what I went through. Over time, I figured out that movies with a lot of excitement or emotion would get me jerking. Aggravation/stress could do it. Spicy foods and exposure to hot or cold weather could get me jerking. Eggs even got me shaking on numerous occasions.

Eventually I got to where I could go a day or two without shaking. Now I've gone a week or more without shaking and I've done it all without any prescription meds. My downfall after a week or more is usually a movie that evokes emotion at one point or another. The jerking doesn't last long and goes away quickly when the emotion that is evoked dissipates.

There's hope and it doesn't have to be found in a pill. I exercise almost every day, both weights and the elliptical. I've also eliminated eggs from my diet almost entirely and have cut down a lot on carbs and starchy foods. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and have lowered my caffeine consumption. I've even lost twenty pounds from my highest weight. Removing as much stress as possible from my life has also helped a lot.

I hope this can help your friend or someone else.

--G
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