Is it possible to have P.T.S.D. over just one incident?

[Chase888]

I am asking because mine stems from my childhood plus bullying at both schools plus bullying in the workplace plus my dad's emotional abuse plus my mum telling me lies and laughing at me plus being held in a flat and tortured for 2 days plus people who made me very ill because of my nasty ex.

My notes say sensitive to abuse and I do have a submissive nature.

But other people have told me they have it over one incident.

I believe if you have a loving family you can deal with anything and I don't have a loving family, never did.

I'm just confused when a person tells me it was over just the one incident in their life.

After the flat business it took 5 years to get over being scared of strange men and I couldn't believe what some people said "you'll meet someone else"

"Not all men are violent".

"Well, you have to get over it because you don't want to be on your own forever".

A woman sneered at me in the post office and asked if I had made it up with my boyfriend.

I blew my top and shouted

"No man would want to keep you in a flat because you're ugly, boring and have nothing a man would want".

People looked and I said "it's good here isn't it?"

But she left me alone afterwards. She had previously said it to me 5 times.

But question is how can a person have permanent P.T.S.D over just one incident?

[Marnie22 Volunteer]

Yes, one incident or many. Both are possible.

[Chase888 in reply to Marnie22]

I get one incident but maybe the flashbacks last 3 years.But my trauma is because of numerous incidents.

[Marnie22 Volunteer in reply to Chase888]

I was diagnosed with PTSD from one incident, (suffering a brain injury,) then found through the treatment, (EMDR,) that I have Complex PTSD from multiple things in my early years. I would recommend that you read up and research this subject, (there are some good resources on YouTube as well,) and then consider getting support and/or treatment.

The right therapy can be life changing.

Best wishes.

[Nathalie99 Partner]

Hi Chase,

A person can have PTSD over just one traumatic incident. It depends on how the nervous system is impacted.

Multiple traumas over a lifetime are often referred to as complex PTSD.

Whether it is from one event or multiple events, it is still PTSD but people are unique in their experiences and coping so each person's symptoms would be different.

I'm really sorry you have had so much abuse and being told negative things that weren't true. This kind of emotional abuse can leave a very deep impact on how we perceive ourselves.

I've had things told that weren't true and they left an impact, changed the way I responded to things and it takes a long time to heal from different sources of trauma and various ways it impacted my life. Some of the things I was able to overcome, other ones not so much.

[Chase888 in reply to Nathalie99]

Spot on. I have complex P.T.S.D.

I meant if a person has a loving family it's easier to deal with.

When I was 17 a group of football fans pinned me against the wall. But they left leaving one who tried to rape me. I fought and then said I didn't want to do it outside. I wanted to do it at my place.

He let go and I ran.

My mother said "it's when boys don't want to pin you against a wall you have to worry about getting old".

[Nathalie99 Partner in reply to Chase888]

That's terrible treatment from your mother...very sad.

Things are tougher to recover from when there is multiple trauma.

It must have been scary and it is terrible you didn't get support from your mother.

I agree, having support from family makes a huge difference. I wouldn't have developed PTSD if I had support.

But I have been determined to make it regardless.

I'm very sorry for what you went through...

[hypercat54 in reply to Chase888]

That's awful and your mother should have known better.

[190266 in reply to Chase888]

You’re mother was not very supportive or understanding.

It was a very scary traumatic experience you faced and has had a lasting affect.

Hope you are getting support and therapy.

[Nathalie99 Partner]

Here is a link to a post on complex PTSD:

healthunlocked.com/healmypt...

[Dolphin14 Moderator]

Yes..... one incident that is difficult to process can result in PTSD.

Special trauma therapy is required.

🐬

[nkotbjoeymc]

Same With Me Accept My Father Wasn’t Abusive.

In High School Till Now. I Get Bullyied, Made Fun Of, And ETC.

[hypercat54]

You have CPTSD like many of us including myself do. The C stands for complex ie multiple incidents taking place over quite a long period.

Yes it is very possible to have PTSD after just one incident if it's serious enough. Many people do. Earlier I was watching about 5 of the survivors of 9/11 and it's very clear they all had that and possibly still do.

[Chase888 in reply to hypercat54]

Yes. I agree. Thanks for your reply.

[Midori]

It is possible. For me, it was the result of a fifteen year violent marriage, with abuse in every aspect.

To a great extent, it depends on the individual, and how emotionally strong they are.

In others, a single, traumatic incident such as many soldiers suffer, can affect them both mentally and physically for life.

Some folk live in it for years, and some self-diagnose.

It can be tough to tell, but I applaud you for snapping back at this person, who seems to have a grudge against you for some reason.

[Chase888 in reply to Midori]

You are right. She kept approaching me like running if she saw me to catch up saying "How's Xxx" and I at first said I didn't want to hear about him and she said she liked him.

Then the incident in the post office.

Sorry you went through that but I have known many women who were naive and got married to a spiteful swine.

So glad I never loved any of the boyfriend's I had.

How are you now.

[Midori in reply to Chase888]

I'm good now, My kids were the saving of me, as I had to keep going for them; my family was too far away.

I still avoid getting involved with men; I can handle them at a social level, but no closer.

I still get triggered by sudden noises, or people creeping up behind me, but, after 30 years, I'm now doing OK.

Cheers, Midori

[Chase888 in reply to Midori]

Hello MidoriTBH, I am not wary of men but when I met men I would just see how they spoke.

Glad you are in a better space now.

I remember a girl begging me to say to that pond life she was with that the gas man was ugly because otherwise he would get jealous.

But fast forward 15years and she said that now she feels like 'why did I let him behave like that and not speak out'.

[190266]

PTSD is one traumatic event and CPTSD is multiple or prolonged traumatic event

[Hidden]

Sure. What if a person is dumped by a horse esp early in life

Kids don’t have fully developed brains or coping mechanism. So some things especially rejection leaves a heart mark not a mental mark

Find ways to heal the heart

Focus on what I like and find clubs or what U enjoy

List positives

As a coach I really get tired of people doing a good job but are trained to shred themselves. I m sick of it

So I tr my riders tell me all the good things then what I want to yo work on

Rejection and critical f DC mikes can be very hurtful as it’s loaded. We want approval from family. That’s only normal

Peple try to give people hope that’s reslybwhat they are saying they do feel ur pain but like me I don’t say it right

Hey try being the counselor and put urself in the other chair. Now what dies she need to hear or do

Or

Write a letter from ur family allogixing for hurting u

Or find cards fir others and ones fir yourself

Make a friend like the muppets Can be a lot fun

I hear that stuff all the time. No man will want a woman that

That’s because they read that garbage in cosmo

There are guys who like other foods or other music so to speak

Ahhh finding the connections isn’t easy

Hear u big time on that one

Why do I think I work with horses ??

Never laugh

They don’t hurt the heart like people

Lots of lonely people pen pals church

Loneliness and not feeling wanted can bd very hard

Who ever hurt u

His problem

[Chase888 in reply to Hidden]

What did you mean about no man would want woman like that?

I was with my man for 8years and I found him dead. He loved and respected me.

Wish I could do more but anxiety gets me down.

I have problems to sort out and eventually I'm going to volunteer for something. I have the details of the volunteer office

[Nathalie99 Partner in reply to Chase888]

I'm so sorry you found your partner dead, Chase888. That is very traumatic...I am so very sorry for your loss.

Take your time as you grieve. Anxiety is understandable and it can be really hard after a loss in traumatic circumstances. It is so much harder.

Have you tried looking for a trauma therapist?

[Chase888 in reply to Nathalie99]

Thank you Nathalie.I knew it would happen one day because he had heart disease and the last 2years he was getting slower.

I'm just glad that I found him and he wasn't laying in his place for days, weeks or months in some people's cases.

Plus it was the best way to go meaning not any long drawn out illness.

[Nathalie99 Partner in reply to Chase888]

I hear you...

***TRIGGER WARNING***

From my experience losing an ex partner of 8 years due to chronic illness, it still didn't take the intensity of the grief even though it was expected although there was hope, he died fairly young.

I understand what you mean as my trauma was in part due to the circumstances as I was abroad and felt something wasn't right due to my ex partner (but still a friend) not replying to my emails so I reached emergency from another country. It took a while.

I had support of my husband as well as my friends with me so that made a huge difference.

I'm very sorry you went through this and I am sending lots of support and empathy...

P.S. You have an option to make your post private to the community only if you click on "edit" and tick the box "only members of this community" for privacy reasons.

[Lindyloo53 Volunteer]

Yes it’s possible to have ptsd over one event. There is no gradient in ptsd. Every persons story is important and unique to them.