Do I have PTSD or not?

I know I have all the bipolar symptoms except suicide thoughts. I have some schizophrenic symptoms. I know part of this can either be caused by PTSD or cause PTSD.
years ago I always thought PTSD was reserved for military people who had witnessed traumatic things during war time. I've never been to war so that ruled me out, so I thought.
then I read some books and talked to a few people and learned that PTSD can be caused by simple things like moving around a lot as a kid, or losing friends.
Other things were if you witnessed the death of a family member or pet.
Being bullied a lot was also on the list.
Divorce of parents.

All this happened in my life before age 10.

But there is more. My Mom watched the news about the Vietnam war every single night, and made sure I watched it. I was interested in it because they usually showed planes and I liked planes as a kid, as well as dinosaurs and hot wheels cars. that part is normal. So I watched the news in the 60s of planes at war in Vietnam.
I asked my Mom lots of questions about the war because she told me if I was 18 I could be drafted and sent there. No one knew when it would end so there was a real possibility the war might still be going when I turned 18. Remote, but real.
I started hearing about the soldiers on the ground. It was one thing to watch planes flying, but when I heard what was happening on the ground I got really scared. I was only ages 6 - 12 when this was happening on top of all the other stuff happening. I heard about pungi sticks and bamboo cages and horrible nightmarish stuff. Occasionally there were brief news clips of guys in the jungle patrolling and my Mom said the 'enemy' could jump out on them any time. In fact I thought if I got drafted I would run to canada. I was really scared. And people were dodging the draft and running to canada.
But I was only a kid. What was i to think?

As an adult I have had nightmares about war and seen it close up. I think these are triggered because I heard so much as a child. I believe in defending the country and support the troops and all that, but I think what i went through as a kid was a bit extreme.

Also, my very first memories of any kind were the Cuban missile crisis and when kennedy got shot. I very clearly remember my parents freaking out, especially during the Cuban thing. they acted like it was the end of the world. It's like there is a very clear picture allowing me to see a movie of the events, my Mom rushing around, my dad telling her what was going on and what we needed to do, and a lot of "oh my God's being said by Mom. I got bundled into a tiny room and Mom paced back and forth to the phone, warning neighbors, and then raced back to me to make sure i was 'safe."

then as a young adult I lived in a couple inner cities and had to deal with the very real threat of gangs or being robbed, and i was robbed once by gang members. I became super paranoid of people who were strangers, and hated being in crowded places, or living in cities.

For a long time people said i couldn't have PTSD because I was never in a war. From what I've read I have had many experiences that can cause PTSD. The fact I was diagnosed ADHD as a child and now am considered bipolar means I was sensitive, and these life events affected me. But I have never had a counselor say i had PTSD directly.

You certainly seem to have had traumatic experiences and I am sorry for that. And you are right that you dont have to go to war in order to get PTSD although that is a cause of it. I think it would be worth you speaking to your care team about this as if you do have PTSD then there are things that can be done to treat it and improve your quality of life.

Cracked

Hi Kings and princesses
I have been diagnosed with PTSD and I don't understand how I could have developed it.
My life has been turbulent to say the least, but I have never been sexually abused, raped, seen a murder or gone to war. Therefore I feel like I shouldn't have PTSD. I don't think my life has been that traumatic. Saying that, my early life does sound a bit like yours.
However my care team are convinced this is the right diagnosis (among others) and after 3rd and 4th opinions, I think I should just deal with the fact that this diagnosis may be correct after all.
I'm going to start working through the causes of my PTSD with my therapist.
Hopefully your care team can help you through the causes of your PTSD.
Good luck and please take care of yourself
Feel free to PM me anytime
-Poppyfields

Just to let you know, I do not have a "care team." I do not even have a counselor at this point but I do have an appointment a few weeks from now. I was seen by someone last month but got passed off to another provider.
The PTSD is one of a long line of issues. It may have contributed to bipolar, or it may be the result of bipolar. I read a chapter in a book about self fulfilling prophecies, that is where the cycle of episodes leads to further episodes.
For instance, in my case my being "different" could have led to some of the abuse. This in turn affected my sensitivity so it would worsen the symptoms, causing me to be more different or even act out. This would lead to more abuse, whether it was being over punished at home,or picked on in school. In other words a vicious circle without end, at least for children. By the time you're an adult you have endured years of this cycle, and often to turn the tide you might use your OCD to become strong so everyone feared you, or at least respected you. Sometimes physical strength was enough, but other times madness was the defense mechanism. Bizarre words and actions were often enough to scare away would be abusers without a physical conflict. But when such things are witnessed by others, then they think you are insane, which also continues the cycle.