Wolf has earned that privilege.

I have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by my psychologist and can tell you that if you do truly have it (rather than faking), it interferes with your daily life on a pretty grand scale. Now, understand, I've had this diagnosis for six years, and there are parts of it that I've been able to overcome. However, I still have flashbacks on a regular basis; sudden movement out of the corner of my eye or sudden noises will send me into complete panic. I cannot handle crowds of any size. If I'm in a restaurant or similar facility, I have to sit with my back and side to a wall, in a corner, and someone has to be between me and the waiter/waitress at all times. I wake up screaming in the middle of the night from the nightmares. I've been told I'll sit up screaming and still be sound asleep. Yes, I've learned to cope with and adjust to all these issues, and I have a full time job and am a contributing member of society... just like depression, PTSD can be handled medically and worked around. It CAN be debilitating in more serious cases, but then so can depression. Those cases tend to be a bit on the less common side though. Does all this answer y'all's questions?

lol! Brian, calling you dumb on this one is more of a right. I can not even fathom, why you would try and piss all over a possibly deadly and dangerous disorder. And act as if it's a disorder of hypochondriacs.

Let's just say hi to the army wives right now. How do you feel about your ex-husband's PTSD? Or how about the time he tried to kill you? Brian R has an idea.
*edited* srsly.

Treasenuak, may I ask what your trauma was?

Brian, my trauma was living for two years with a man who physically, emotionally, mentally, and sexually abused me every single day I was with him. Not only do I have PTSD from it, I have a dissociative identity disorder as well (aka, I developed a split personality)

I declare you are all insensitive poopy-heads. my PTSD evaporated on 9/11 *sniff*

awwwww -comforts monster-

I can sympothisa Brian , A dude I know is gett a comp check every month for sinus porblems, retired navy

I declare all future declarations to be invalid for unknown reasons or motivations. Even despite all contrary facts and sound judgement, future declarations are hereby invalid, and there is reason to believe that all future facts, as well as educated opinions, are rapidly becoming invalid as well. Good day to you, Sirs.

It's not nice to make fun of agoraphobics, you know.

May I ask why you remained with the jerk or didn't kill him in his sleep? Animals like that (I refuse to call them 'men') should be put down. Women are NOT helpless. No, I am not calling you culpable. But I personally would either walk on or kill an abusive partner, regardless of my feelings for them. There are resources for battered women including anonymous shelters, legal help with property or children etc. Why? Why put up with abuse of any kind? What are you doing about your situation now?

Please don't tell me medication. I have a personal revulsion against anyone with a 'psy' in his/her title, but will concede that they can help some people who need to air their problems. I rarely agree with medication as a means of treatment long term. All it does is mask problems and cover up feelings.

People can handle stress. Some need help learning to cope but all can do it. I've been stressed more than many, tried to deal with well-meaning "professionals" who caused more harm than good and ultimately discovered that they cannot fix anything they can't medicate away and drugs are nearly always their first reaction.

"When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Drugs are all counselors, psychiatrists and social workers have that does anything concrete from the patient's view. Nearly everyone I know that takes some form of drug to "cope" has been on that drug long term and will remain so because they see it as an easy fix to a complicated problem that they have to work out, ultimately, on their own and that scares them. So they retreat to the safety of a pill.

My own problems were actually identified by a friend who had the same problem and recognised the symptoms. Once I knew the identity of my enemy, I worked out a plan to get back to normal and executed it. Yes, I talked to her and used some of her own strategies but not all worked for me, they were hers alone. I even talked to the right "professionals" and they confirmed my diagnosis.

Guess what the first thing they offered to me was? Yep, pills. I declined and now I'm fine without their help.

Would you like to talk to me sometime and I'll offer help if you want it. I promise, no slapping.

Brian

Funny. You don't sound "fine." You sound hostile.

Speaking as yet another person diagnosed with PTSD, I think I'd rather have my heart cut out with a spoon than talk to you about it.

And, no.... you may not ask me about the circumstances regarding my illness.

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That kicks ass. Kthxbai.:D

I hereby to declare Cicero's declaration to be entirely true, sound and valid.


Think about it, peeps.