I’m not an expert, but I didn’t know you could get PTSD in one day and I thought a doctor had to do an evaluation. I’d rather have too much empathy and compassion than not enough. I have a relative who acts like a narcissist and doesn’t seem to care about anyone but himself. And guess what. He’a a liberal. I’m anxious to find out if Fuller’s story is still the same in a few days.
You can, theoretically get it in one day but it would have to be something absolutely *horrendous* such as being in the midst of a mass death event like 9/11, being gang-raped or nearly murdered.
Usually it results from repeated, cumulative “insults” to the mind such as war, sexual abuse, repeated beatings/torture and the like.
That was a terrible, terrible day but unless he has virtually no mental resiliency at all, I just can’t see it.
Everyone there was traumatized to one extent or another but his ‘story’ just doesn’t “sound right”, to me.
I can’t go into specifics but some vets got it from accidentally killing an innocent such as a woman or child while in battle.
Some guys could rationalize “collateral damage” and maintain their mental balance while others simply just couldn’t.
You can never have too much empathy or compassion.
You could live your whole life, never knowing what seemingly insignificant small act of kindness or much needed gentle words kept somebody from going over the edge...or how many *times* you may have done that.
PTSD can cause many symptoms. These symptoms can be grouped into three categories:
1. Re-experiencing symptoms:
* Flashbacks—reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweating
* Bad dreams
* Frightening thoughts.
Re-experiencing symptoms may cause problems in a person’s everyday routine. They can start from the person’s own thoughts and feelings. Words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event can also trigger re-experiencing.
2. Avoidance symptoms:
* Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience
* Feeling emotionally numb
* Feeling strong guilt, depression, or worry
* Losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past
* Having trouble remembering the dangerous event.
Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a bad car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a car.
3. Hyperarousal symptoms:
* Being easily startled
* Feeling tense or “on edge”
* Having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts.
Hyperarousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind one of the traumatic event. They can make the person feel stressed and angry. These symptoms may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.
It’s natural to have some of these symptoms after a dangerous event. Sometimes people have very serious symptoms that go away after a few weeks. This is called acute stress disorder, or ASD. When the symptoms last more than a few weeks and become an ongoing problem, they might be PTSD. Some people with PTSD don’t show any symptoms for weeks or months.
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This is the clincher, IMO:
“Sometimes people have very serious symptoms that go away after a few weeks. _This is called acute stress disorder, or ASD._ When the symptoms _last more than a few weeks and become an ongoing problem, they might be PTSD._ Some people with PTSD don’t show any symptoms for weeks or months.”
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It’s only been a week.
I vote “no”.
[And dear God, I hated reading that...I try and “deal with it” as best I can but seeing it in print just...bugs me. Forgive me but I think I’ve had my fill for the evening. I don’t want to push myself and have a really bad night. I think I’ll watch some mindless TV or read a dog training book for a while. Good night and God bless]