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Hello Bella.  I started taking Lamictal back in 2015 when I was diagnosed as bipolar and ended up being on it for about four years, so maybe my experience will be helpful for you.

To kind of add to what CactusFlower said, my doctor said at the time the drug was prescribed that it was used to treat depression in people with bipolar disorder.  Knowing what I know now, I think the doctor made a mistake diagnosing me as bipolar, and in reality my issues are caused by CPTSD.  But I didn't know anything about CPTSD at the time, or that it even existed, and unfortunately my doctor never stopped to consider whether what I was experiencing could be trauma-related.

That being said, did the drug help?  Honestly, I'm not sure.  During the time I was on it, I did have periods where I felt better, and also periods where my depression was still pretty bad.  If anything, the effect was subtle... the drug certainly didn't create a "night and day" difference where I could clearly tell it was having a positive effect, and when I eventually stopped taking it, I didn't feel noticeably worse.

However if your doctor believes that the drug may help you, then I don't think there is any downside to giving it a try.  It may help alleviate some of your symptoms, and if so then there is certainly value in that.  Unfortunately my experience with psychiatrists is that they often just look at patients as a set of symptoms, and quickly turn to medicine as a first and best solution without considering the underlying causes of why we feel the way we feel.  Hopefully your doctor is aware of your trauma history and is focused on treating you as a whole person... if so, and this medicine is being incorporated as part of a larger overall treatment plan, then I think it could be a good thing.

I hope this helps.  Best of luck to you in finding the relief you need.

Thank you all for the kind words. 

It's hard to distill one's story down into a few paragraphs, as I'm sure you can all relate.  I will try my best though.

I was a happy, healthy child until my parents got divorced when I was 11 years old.  My mother took me and moved several hours away, leaving my father and older brother behind.  I didn't adjust well and experienced a traumatic breakdown that I still vividly remember.  Although I eventually reached a new, fractured equilibrium, I don't think I've ever been well since.

I stayed with my mother for two years, but she eventually let me return home.  My father had cast himself in the role of my savior, but unfortunately I soon came to realize that was a lie.  He was a hateful, controlling, abusive person, and spent the remaining years of my childhood grinding my spirit into dust. 

I did my best to put it all behind me and move on, but in my adult life I have continued to suffer.  When I finally sought treatment several years back, I was diagnosed as bipolar, but none of the medicines or talk therapy seemed to help.  There are times when despair falls near and I wonder if I will ever be able to live a good, meaningful life.

Finding this place has given me new hope, though, and renewed my desire to explore treatment.  Learning about cPTS / RTR makes me feel like I am finally starting to understand what happened to me and why my life is the way it is.  I am reading "The Body Keeps the Score" now and after I have had a chance to finish and contemplate it, I want to find a doctor or therapist who understands the nature of what we contend with, and knows how to help me heal.

Thank you for reading.  I wish you all the best and I hope I can make a positive contribution to this community.