PTSD after BM

[Pcris]

My BF had BM in January this year. Doctors are now saying that he might have PTSD.

Can anyone relate to this?

[Lorna26]

Hello there. Yes, I can. Firstly -- sorry to hear about your boyfriends suffering. But v pleased to hear he's pulled through. I had BM 4 years ago when I was 34. It was very rough. I do now have the most fantastic neurologist who looks after me.

I was in hospital for 2 months and continuing to recover really for longer, with mini set backs along the way. One of them was the PTSD diagnosis, as I said I felt like I was having some flashbacks etc.

I'll try to explain this the way he did to me as it was comforting.

He said, people normally think of PTSD being associated with war victims or people that have been in Car crash. But it's common for people who have had a major illness and essentially a brush with death too, such as with bacterial meningitis. He said basically, one day your at work, leading your normal life as I had been. Thought you might have been getting the flu / migraine. Again, all fairly so so. And the next, your in hospital fighting for your life. Hence the PTSD.

You can go from normal to so serious in quite a short space of time that the body can take much longer to really make sense of it and that's what's happening.

As I didn't have much of a support network around me, he recommended I see a psychologist for a little CBT and counselling. If I had family close by, maybe i wouldn't have needed that so much. It helped, and I knew when I was feeling ready to stop seeing them and had moved on from that stage. I realise my life is different now having had such a serious illness, but I can accept that now. I couldn't really back then.

The good news is that your bf will too and with you being so supportive as you sound, that's a huge help for him already. Take care and sending all of my best wishes and love xx

[Pcris in reply to Lorna26]

Thanks. it's been a really hard year. meningites changed our lives forever , it changed him and it changed me. but everyday I am still thankfully that he is still alive.

All the best for you.

[Pcris in reply to Lorna26]

Thank you . happy that you are now feeling better..I guess it takes time to accept that some stupid disease can change you so much... doctors were saying that the fact he was 2 weeks in an induced coma may have contributed for PTSD . it was just 11 months ago.. so.I think he still needs to get use to the idea that he is not the same he was before.. and let's just say that patient is not one of his best assets .

All the best for you. x

[Veezee15 in reply to Lorna26]

Great information. Needed to hear that!!! I had meningitis 10 years ago and it has taken me this long for someone to realize that was what happened to me. And I had to end up in a psychiatric hospital to have that recognized. I cannot tell you how much understanding that helped me to know I wasn't nuts imagining I had issues. It helps you to go forward better when you begin to understand what's truly happened. I will never be the same person so I decided to create a new me. The only problem with that is in the process I've become more destitute than I've been in my life. That takes money that I don't have. I was a practicing nurse when it happened. My whole life was caring for my patients, husband,children and grandchildren. I can hardly care for myself now.And if you don't give the appearance of a sickly person then others think you are obsessing over things needlessly. Sorry didn't mean to waffle on.

[abracad]

I agree with Laura's description. The striking of Meningits is very traumatic and as you see on here can be very hard to recover from. There is support available but you do have to have the courage to say you(your boyfriend) need it. My GP said the recovery is like having Post Viral Fatigue but for me I would argue its more like ME. If you think about it, with these & PTSD there is the common link of a brain trying to put things back in order. Try not to be too alarmed by the label but take whatever help is offered to help him through this. Best of luck to him.

[Hidden]

See After Meningitis.

meningitisnow.org/meningiti...

Mood swings, flashbacks, memory loss, and poor concentration, anxiety /depression.

Seriously, one minute I was happy as a clam.. Next minute I was throwing glasses across the room at my family, or crying unexplainably...

I had counselling (arranged via Meningitis Now)

My meningitis was in 2005.. I still suffer from anxiety, mood swings and depression.. But seem to have good weeks, and not so good weeks.

You have been through a major trauma.. Hence the label post traumatic stress is applicable

I've lived by 'getting out of the house every day' and 'doing something fun, once a week' its an achievable target in the humdrum of daily life.

Best.

J

[ingridm]

Hi Pcris.. We nearly lost our 11 month old daughter to Bacterial Meningitis its coming on 2 years 17 December this time two years ago she was sick and I had been to the Dr a few times for help but no one would give me basic antibiotics as it turned out she got bacterial meningitis and while everyone was shopping and getting ready for Christmas I was sitting in Hospital willing my daughter to pull through and not die... I have PTSD even though I didn't get sick what I went through with her is something I can't discribe and its taken me almost two years to be able to talk about it when people ask without falling in a heap and crying.. I would seek some kind of counselling for BOTH of you ... Remember his body has been through some of the worst and it will take a long time to recover emotionally and physically but then I believe you probably have suffered trauma as well being there. Be kind to yourself and take care of both of you ... LOL

[Pcris in reply to ingridm]

Thank you. I can relate to that. I spent new years eve looking for my partner as he went missing due to hallucinations . he was found on the evening of 1 st of January , and those were the worst times ever. I hope that you and your baby are ok. Meningites it's life changing for everyone . I could never ever tought it could happen to us... I guess sometimes it just makes us appreciate what we got. I hope this will be a good Xmas for you both. thanks for you kind words and I really wish you the best.x

[Veezee15]

Yes. It's been 10 years since meningitis and I just now received the diagnosis.