I Was Diagnosed With Post Tramatic Stress Disorder And Can't Figure Out Why !?

Question

Most of the time im happy.I have a positive outlook on life I have a respect for myself .I am not down on myself .I like myself.I don't avoid or withdraw from others or socially .I have lost weight but that is because I taught myself to eat less and now don't find the need to eat more.I don't have long term goals because in my mind I have done pretty much everything I want to .I dont have any gudges and and don't hate anyone or really hate anything.I have many interest,I exercise,I sleep when I want to sleep and eat when I want to eat and pretty much do what I want to .I feel ok with the past event.I can talk about and look at photos and discuss it.I don't really have a want to be a millionare or buy an Island or do anything outlandish.I have pretty much what I need and want.I stay in a good tempermant and don't have moods.I am laid back and easy going and things just kind of go by.I keep busy and do things like normal people so why have I been diagnosed with this?

The event was Katrina and i was just having a yearly physical and chatting with the doctor.She ask me where I was from and I said New Orleans and she automatically said I had ptsd.Its funny .I looked it up and started thinking I don't have any of these symptoms and im ok with everything about New Orleans .We left ahead of time .We had some damage but nothing that was mind blowing and nobody we knew was killed or nothing.I watch all the documentaries on it with no issues and can talk about it to anyone.I don't really have any issues about anything and yes I think that my life is quite satisfactory and I didn't show any symptoms of anything .Everything checked out find but she gave me a prescription of zoloft and I was dumbfounded.I have a wondeful life almost story book.I took early retirement ,I live on the side of a mountain in Colorado and have a beatiful view and pretty much have what I need.Im happy and have a very positive outlook on a long life .So go Figure?

Answer 1

it seems to me, take note i am not a professional in this field, that you are trying to convince yourself that you have the perfect life and have no troubles. this question is like reading the bio of "Rebbecca of sunnybrook farms"! stay with the person that diagnosed you, you may have to dig deep within. there is a reason for that diagnosis, you must come across the opposite of what you wrote about yourself. good luck, keep in touch.

Answer 2

Will, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape. Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little time. However, some people will have stress reactions that do not go away on their own, or may even get worse over time. These individuals may develope PTSD. People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person's daily life.

PTSD is marked by clear biological changes as well as psychological symptoms. PTSD is complicated by the fact that it frequently occurs in conjunction with related disorders such as depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other problems of physical and mental health. The disorder is also associated with impairment of the person's ability to function in social or family life, including occupational instability, marital problems and divorces, family discord, and difficulties in parenting.

Have you experienced anything traumatic?

Here's a website to help you learn more about PTSD: http://www.ptsd.factsforhealth.org/

Update: Sounds like your physician made some assumptions and prescribed the antidepressant rather than recommend you to see a psychiatrist to confirm if you have PTSD. Doesn't sound like you suffer from this, but then there are many questions which need to be asked to learn more details. If you could get a second opinion by a psych professional this would be the best and they could decide if you need to be on the Zoloft as well since they are MD's too.

Answer 3

When I was a kid they diagnosed with me bipolar. I didn't have a very supportive father and I had a wicked step mother. My life really sucked. As a young adult I went back into counseling and they undiagnosed me and diagnosed me with PTSD. I was okay with that since I didn't feel I have bipolar. Recently my daughter was diagnosed with bipolar. When I left the office I was thrilled to have learned what I did. I now believe I really do have bipolar and with the right INFORMED doctor you can get some great insight and detail. A major even happens in your life usually when these things come out into the open. Sexual Abuse, Rejection, ect... I really believe that I had bipolar which also caused PTSD due to doctors not being education. People with Bipolar are very very determined people, have a very creative and artistic side, have racing thoughts and the manic can come out as anger (this is my issue). Adults, and maybe kids, still learning about this, have a daily struggle with life because they know there is an issue and want to get past it. For me I can pull off a normal day but feel overwhelmed and tired every day. They also think that the manic may be caused by a seizure of types. They are prescribing, very successfully, the drugs used to treat seizures in low doses. Do you get migraines?? This is another problem with the condition. I get migraines every other year in March. My son was diagnoses with ADHD, another result of a bipolar patient who passes something on to their children (not always bipolar). Also bipolar causes people to be very deep within themselves - so when something negative happens in their life, such as a minor rejection, they take it very personally. I am trying to start a group called blessed with bipolar in yahoo groups. Feel free to join. I just did it a few hours ago.

Answer 4

Maybe you have "stuffed" the emotions so far down you don't realize they are there. It's strange that you don't mention anything about being referred to a psychotherapist which is usually done,as far as I know, with PTSD. Maybe you should see a different doctor for a second opinion. Maybe you have the symptom not the disorder.

Answer 5

Sounds like they assumed that since you were from New Orleans, you had to be devastated.
If you don't dwell on it and have nightmares about it, I wouldn't worry about it.
I would recommend that you get a second opinion. But it sounds to me like you are just fine.
Any major change in your life can be upsetting, even moving CAN be hard.
You should follow your instincts as long as you don't think you're in denial.
Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Wow.

Okay, the criteria basically involve a past incident that would be stressful or traumatic, so perhaps it was something you are doing or something you said that made the counselor conclude a past incident has got you a bit anxious or thinking a little differently than you would if your past response to past incident had been different.

Answer 7

You must have had some kind of traumatic event- and now you have amnesia!! or you have anxiety attacks or depression and are socially withdrawn and have to sit facing the door- I give up- were they reading the correct patient chart??? D

Answer 8

PTSD can be confused with anxiety but something must be adrift, try an independent second opinion and get the doctor to tell you why.

Answer 9

This is a very good blog, a beginner’s guide to abnormal psychology.
Short, clear and simple; and you can even post your question and contact the author regarding particular subject you are interested in

http://sensitive-psychoworld.blogspot.com/

Answer 10

You should tell the person who "diagnosed" you with this that maybe it doesn't apply to you anymore, now that you say you feel ok with the event.

Psychologists are there to help you, not confuse you more. Have a frank discussion with them about this.