The Effects of Traumatic Experiences on Mental Health

[NeedBioInfo]

Hey I went through some traumatic experiences (High school + Family probelms etc) and I think that they caused some problems like...I have a much higher amount of ADD, OCD, Anxiety, Paranoia, that I ever had before high school..I also think I have some memory problems involving the period of time that was traumatic. Also, I think that I might have a hormonal inbalance because I get severe mood swings (I notice them more than other people I think) Also, I don't think I'm delusional in that like, I have hallucinations, but basically, what psychological effects can traumatic events/traumatic periods of time create?

I mean my friend has paranoid schizophrenia but I'm not like that, I'm not seeing things that aren't there

But I'm getting like, confusing flashbacks occaisionally from a 5 year period of time. Basically I think what happened- this is based on what happened in the last 5 years- is that I went into severe psychological shock in grade 9 and came out of it at the end of grade 12. Anyways I can't be the only one who spent a while in severe pyschological shock...

 

[NeedBioInfo]

I mean are these like normal biological reactions to stress?

Sorry I guess I felt like venting a little

What I really wanted to know is: Am I fine? I mean, will I be completely okay? (Despite the experiences I went through or whatever)

 

[honestrosewater]

Do you think anyone here knows enough about you and the relevant fields to give you a diagnosis?
Flashbacks of traumatic events is a symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. BUT that does NOT mean that you have PTSD. Have you ever talked to a professional (or counselor at school/church/whatever) about this?

 

[NeedBioInfo]

Well yah I mean I talked to a psychologist and basically she was like "oh well it's good you came out of it" and my ex boyfriend said I had PTSD. I wasn't looking for a diagnosis just info

 

[honestrosewater]

Okay, sure you could be completely okay. You may also have to deal with them for the rest of your life. My mom had a very traumatic experience, and it had several negative effects. She had lots of sleeping problems (including nightmares), periods of depression, got angry or sad very easily, was generally anxious, etc. Not all of these went away completely, but they did at least improve with time, support, and effort on her part. I've also had some traumatic experiences that took a while to get over, but none of them are problems anymore. It depends on you and your situation.

Have you found anything that makes you feel better? Do you have a good support system (family or friends)? Have you noticed anything that seems to trigger your negative feelings (for example, being around a certain person, place, or object, in a stressful situation)? Are there any patterns to your mood swings (for example, around your menses (if you have them), when you're tired))? This could help you figure out how to solve your problems.

 

[zoobyshoe]

What I really wanted to know is: Am I fine? I mean, will I be completely okay? (Despite the experiences I went through or whatever)

It sounds to me like the psychologist you saw wasn't very good. You need to find one who picks up on the fact you're still in distress about all this stuff and will agree to work with you a while on it.

 

[honestrosewater]

It sounds to me like the psychologist you saw wasn't very good. You need to find one who picks up on the fact you're still in distress about all this stuff and will agree to work with you a while on it.

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that. I agree with zoobyshoe. Try to find one who stays awake and in the room while you're talking.

 

[Blahness]

Yes, sounds like that psychologist is a flop.

You probably aren't okay(by what you say), but it can improve with help.

Just... don't take the sedatives they call anti-ADD medicine.

 

[NeedBioInfo]

Well there are a lot of things that make me feel good, (That's partly because I'm trying to feel as good as I can about a lot of things at least most of the time) I do have a good support system- my family's a pretty good support system. (Although they sort of were the cause- originally- of a lot of problems related to my nervous breakdown but now they are- and have been- really supportive. And it was just in high school that they were the cause of a lot of problems for me. Before I was in high school they were always really supportive.) For awhile pretty much anything would trigger really bad reactions, and then I got better and that stopped happening. As for the mood swings...well I think I'm going to try and eat healthier (like 3 good meals a day) and sleep 8 hours a night, I think that will help the mood swings. I think part of the reason I had them was that I was eating too much sugar/caffeine. I think I'm pretty much okay but then sometimes I wonder HOW the hell I can be okay after what I've gone through. Anyways even if I'm not okay I'm at least getting better

But- in what regards to the last person who posted- are you saying anti-add medicine is bad? Because I think my sister and my dad take it (Can you PM me if that's the case? Because I might forget to check this thread for awhile)

Anyways,
thanks

 

[honestrosewater]

Here's an idea: If your symptoms are caused by your own habits and behavior, you can try writing scripts. Scripts are basically just messages that you write down and read to yourself at certain times. They may help; they may not. You can use your own judgement and your support system to create them and determine how successful they are. And keep in mind that if your symptoms have a biological basis, these scripts may have little or no effect.

I would start with at least 2 scripts: one for you to read when you are feeling upset or catch yourself having mood swings and another for you to read on a regular schedule. Maybe call the first one your 'Surprise Script' and the other your 'Planned Script'.

For your Surprise Script, write down what you want to say to yourself when you're feeling upset or out of control. You can start by simply admitting, 'I'm upset right now, and I don't want to feel this way.' You may include something like 'I feel overwhelmed, as if I have no control over my reactions. But is that really true? By stopping and reading this script, I am already starting to change my behavior and take control of the situation.' You can go on to include things from your Planned Script.
For your Planned Script, include the negative effects that your problems are having and the reasons that you want to change them. How are your problems hurting you, what are they costing you - time, happiness, personal relationships? Write these down. Take an honest look at your thoughts and behaviors and point out the ones that are harmful or don't make sense. If you are overreacting, admit it. If you have legitimate concerns, confront them - let them out in the open. List the positive ways that your life would change if you learn to deal with your concerns or change your behavior. If there are other things that you could do to deal with your problems, remind yourself to do those as well.
You could try a 5 paragraph structure:

1) describe the problem
2) talk about the negative effects that it has on your life
3) list the things that you can do and are doing to resolve or learn to deal with the problem
4) remind yourself of the reasons that you are making this effort to resolve or deal with the problem and name some ways that your life will improve
5) Congratulate yourself for completing the exercise and acknowledge any ways that you have already improved (you would add these as you progress)​

It's very important that you not lie to yourself or try to make the situation seem better than it really is. Include positive and encouraging comments, like 'I'm reading this script because I want to get better' or 'If I can learn to deal with this problem, my life will be better because [list some ways that your life will be better]'. But comments that are not true or ignore or dismiss your problem, like 'There's nothing at all to worry about' or 'Everything will be okay' are not helpful.

When you're done writing your scripts, schedule time to read them - be sure it's a schedule that you can easily keep. You may want to start with 30 minutes a day for 1 week. Find a place free of interruptions, and spend all of the scheduled time reading your script and thinking about what it says. You can make changes to the script during this time too. At the end of the week (or whatever), decide if you want to continue for another week, maybe with a new script.
If you miss a day or let yourself slip, you don't need to beat yourself up - just admit it and get back on schedule. And congratulate yourself for your successes, even ones that seem small.

It's hard to give more specific details about what your scripts could say - it depends on your specific situation. They will say things that you probably already say to yourself or can figure out on your own. The scripts help by adding planning, structure, and focus to your effort, and they make you examine your problem in a more thorough and detailed way. But if you don't feel comfortable doing it, then just don't. And if you do see another psychologist, you can ask them whether they think these kinds of scripts could help you. If they think so, they can help you write them.

Congratulations on your improvement.