Poll
Question:
How long have you had CPTSD?
Option 1: 1 year or less
votes: 0
Option 2: 2-5 years
votes: 1
Option 3: 6-10 years
votes: 1
Option 4: 11-30 years
votes: 1
Option 5: 31-50 years
votes: 5
I created this poll too help myself and others see that even though we may have been struggling with CPTSD for a long time, we are not alone in that.
There are quite a few over-50s here whose primary abusegivers set us on the road to *!
Yes, candid. I am in the over 50 age group and believe my trauma began before I was born, due to my mother's family history and damage to her. She would never admit it, but I really think I am right. Is there something particular about our parents generation that had led to so much pain?
Katie- I am new to the concept of c-ptsd but am not sure when the damage first manifested. Perhaps I will be able to pin point it as I learn more. An interesting question, though.
Libby.
Libby, I'm rather like you. My C-PTSD stems from problems in my family from before I was even thought of, but I only became aware of the condition earlier on this year. I got through 8 other diagnoses before they figured out what was wrong!
I believe for me, if this helps clarify things, that my symptoms first started manifesting when I was around 12-13. I'm 26 now so it's been a significant issue for about half my life and it's gotten worse over the years. Though, as I said, the damage started long before that.
It may be my whole life due to NM having severe pnd first 2 yrs of my life. With already her own cptsd and narcissism, a traumatic birth..woahhh...I just realised something. She has always blamed the hospital and midwife for that but likely it was to a large extent brought on by her self pitying tendency and need for attention?? Oh gosh. I always felt sorry for her as the victim in it. Now v confused. Her inability to bond with me ... has she been transferring the blame yet again?
Anyway...my cptsd showed up for sure aged 8 when I was bullied at school....so thats a grand total of 42 years with this goop.
Good idea (the poll) Katie, I've been thinking of adding some myself. (Note: I should mention that there is no way I, the Mods or anyone else can check who answered what in these polls so your anonymity is assured.)
I am turning 61 in a couple of weeks and have had CPTSD since about age 5 I'd guess. Took a lot of us a very long time to get diagnosed/self-diagnose, so I'm relieved to see new members figuring things out/being diagnosed much earlier on.
Multi-generational trauma in the family here too. I've been in therapy and healing for a couple of, um, decades. In between therapies continuing on with healing on my own. Never seems to end. More and more comes up. But it has been getting better.
I felt definitely abnormal by the time I was 7 (I can remember wondering to myself what was 'wrong' with me and why my parents didn't seem to want me), was self-harming by about 8 or 9 and was dissociating by the time I was 11. I'm approaching 50. I've known about CPTSD and my having it for quite a few years now but had trouble finding adequate treatment and even docs who believed me and didn't diagnose it as something else.
2 1/4 years now with a really good outpatient T and am making a lot of progress.