Am i traumatized or have PTSD?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Here it goes. My family is composed of 6 members. My parents, me, and my 3 siblings. I'm the youngest. Ever since, according from my eldest sister, my father has always been so agressive, have anger management issues, hurt my mom physically and verbally. All of us experienced that but to my older sibs, my relatives would be always here for them like they pick them up when my parents are fighting. But on my experience no one was there because ofc, time passed by and they have their own life as well to fix. My eldest sister worked aboroad, my eldest brother studied and my other sister studied at a university far away from our home and lived near their univ so i am completely alone with my parents who were still continuously fighting. Basically, my father has been showing aggressive behaviour since I can remember myself (for all I know, it could have been happening even before I was born). I was even awaken by the yelling in the mornings. They have rarely had happy moments that I can recall. Every few years my dad would get extremely angry (compared to moderately angry everyday behaviour that he had) and take it on my mother by physically abusing her. I could feel the tension building up and I just knew that it was about to happen. I feared him most of the time, not because he would hurt me (he never physically abused me but he verbally did), but because of what he would do to my mom. I have been present at the abuse. When I was a teenager, there was a time he asked me to leave the room, I was absolutely horrified to leave my mom because I knew what would happen. I would cry and hear all the yelling and my mom’s sobbing in the other room. My dad continued to verbally abuse me and my mom over the next few days. As usual, he would calm down within the next week and everything would be back to normal. It's just like a cycle.

As time passes by, i usually feel my body is shaking when my father is shouting even tho not directly at me. As soon as i heard his voice rising up, my mind shuts down, i cant think straight, theres this uncomfortable feeling i cant explain properly, my hands are shaking and i am crying. I start to think what i must do bcos my mind is thinking he will probably be go after me. I think of escaping (my room is on the 2nd floor), i think what ways i can do to prevent things from happening yet i cant even move and im just crying and flashbacks from before starting to appear again. Ill try my best to get up to lock the door of my room so he cant enter whenever he wants. I sit at the corner and will cry while shaking. As soon as i am more relaxed, ill try my best to avoid him. Right now im studying at a university already and staying at a dormitory. One time i was outside i heard someones shouting and saw two ppl fighting. I immediately run to my room and hide as memories from before appears on my mind.

Are these things means i have ptsd? Bcos sometimes i cant go on with my routines bcos there are moments im triggered when i heard someone is shouting aggresively even tho not at me. Thank u

2 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Posted

    Well PTSD is usually the side effect of past trauma that was not dealt with. It may not be that you have either or but that you are experiencing the symptoms of PTSD due to your past trauma. 
  • Posted

    Hi Coleen, I too have PTSD, which is what you're describing on here. You definitely could with some support for you to help you to cope more easily. I think it's tough to cope with no support but it could be something as simple as seeing a counsellor. Talk to your doctor first and explain things as honestly and simply as you have on here, see what their advice is. Good luck you've been really brave on here firstly.

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