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how long will it take to get over ptsd?

i was raped about two years ago  in my highschool. and i didnt tell anyone untill the following year because of fear and such. i recently just started seeing a phyciatrist and she told me what ptsd was and she explainied that as long as i talk about what happened ill be able to deal with the disorder, but its very annoying. i cant get close to people who have a certain skin color, who are wearing certain clothes and i cant take the smell of smoke. i have continous nightmares that dont go away and they always ruin my sleep. and everytime someone hits me... or if they raise their arms and i think their going to hit me, i get so scared. i'm litterally paralysed with fear. my heart rate increases and i get headaches and i cant move because i feel trapped. but then i remember where i am and i can recover rather quickly. depending on the situation i can feel that way for half a second or up to 5 minutes. but having to go through that in the first place is really annoying. and for what seems like no reason i'll spend my time crying.i just want to know how long it will take for everything to go back to normal... and if taking pills is something necessary. if anything i would like the oppourtunity to just forget but im consistently reminded of the event everyday... i kind feel kind of silly asking this question online because im scared the answer will be that it really doesnt get that much better. also im 16, and it would make life a little bit more bearable if i could stop being scared. if the ptsd doesnt go away does that mean that i'll stay as a scared individual forever too?
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Avatar universal
I welcome your comment. Your a brave person to come forward with being raped. I wish you good luck. To answer your question, which is a very good question the time line seems to be many people will get over the initial trauma event after 30 days. But 1 out of 5 or 6 have symptoms that are residual ie that last even after 6 months. The good news is this. I  was raped 12 years ago at knife point. I have good days about it, and bad days. On my good days life is preety good. I accomplish alot in my career. I get along with my family, I hang out with my family dog. I make good long term goals.

On bad days, I don't sleep. I don't eat much. I'm disinterested in activities that I enjoy. But I have a good family who believes in me.

So my guess is that you can literally tell your self that after a while. Say a year, or two. That I have options. I could go to group talk. Which is usually free, and can help. Or to see a counselor. That is expensive and can help.

And at the same time. You can say. I will not have PTSD forever, nor will I let my self.

In other words. You can decide to stop allowing it control your life.

I had to. I just told myself today. I will not let PTSD control my life.

I'm too awesome of person to loose to something so stupid.

I survived a dangerous earthquake on the East Coast, that had a 30 Tsunami headed towards me. If there wasnt a bridge I would have been killed. That same day flood Tsunmi ripped people away on the East Coast
2011.

I am also the survivor a 20 hour hostage kidnapping rape. I also was false imprisoned three times in my life.

Life is not so fair. But I'm counting on not losing to PTSD.

Good Luck.
Helpful - 0
5060435 tn?1363009917
it depends on the person ive been recovering from it for 5 years now and i am just now getting better i married recently the man that had always been there for me when my mother would tell me it was my fault or when i would tell my mom he would be on the phone with me to support me its important to surround yourself with people that support you and care for you and who understand and dont try to scare you instead when your scared they try to comfort you positivity is what you need in your life to help cope with it ive been there and it can take a really long time to repair the damage but as long as you help yourself you will get better
Helpful - 0
675718 tn?1530033033
im am sorry about your childhood i still have triggers too i hope you can find counseling there is help out there but i feel like not visiting my demons cuz i don't like talking about what happened to me
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I know that this is a couple years after you asked but I figured I would post anyways since I could. When I was six the man who I considered my father raped me everyday for two years, no joke everyday. My mom worked all the time and shopped on Sundays. Sometimes to mess with me he would cover use under the minnie mouse blanket I had. Sometimes it would be in my bedroom or he would take me to his apartment, they weren't living together for a while. I think the worst part of everything was is when I walked in on him raping my little brother who would have been three if it started when it started with me. And apparently he might have been molesting his own daughter and my little sister before she was even one. I still have PTSD because I never sought help. My mom made me go to places but I thought t was stupid. I hated myself and thought I dererved it, that god hated me for something I did wrong in a past life. I know how you feel the constant fear of it happening again. I shut myself off and I have no friends I don't even know how to make friends anymore. For the most part I get along with people fine but I never stay friends for long even if I want too I just stop talking to them. And men with dark hair and eyes even certain women with dark and eyes can rattle me. My advice is to talk about it because trying to forget will not work. You may try to forget but you will always remember in some way. The only way I've been able to cope recently is because I've been talking about it more and I forgave my rapist. It's not easy to do but only then can you forgive yourself. You will know if you've forgiven them when you wouldn't try to get even if you had the oppurtunity. And reach out to family I felt so alone but I always had them even if I didn't think so. Don't let this run your life like it did mine for several years, I am twenty now. I hope you are doing better, I send you all my love and I wish you every happiness. If you ever want to talk reply back to me on here <3
Helpful - 0
535822 tn?1443976780
As a follow up to this thread I had family over to my house the other day, the husband of my niece had returned from Iraq, I asked him had he suffered PTSD he said yes he believed he had, and he still wakes and jumps at loud noises, I asked him how he coped with it, incidently years ago in the other Wars it was called shell shock, he said' I determined I wasnt going to think about it, I threw myself into my job, in the Army. teaching other recruits, he was so tired at the end of the day and had so much to do ,he never had time to think back, he was thinking forward or in the presant.....So I guess you can get over PTSD quicker if you let it go and dont think too much, mind you I know some suffer differantly and do need help for years.so I am not meaning to demean those who have a hard time .
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Forgive them that raped you & forgive yourself unconditionally,this sounds weird at first....but this is the only solution to get rid of this haunting thoughts & anxieties.

“Where there is love, real love, there can be no fear.”

Good luck
Helpful - 0
535822 tn?1443976780
I echo what bulletgirl has posted, when she says that listening to the sound of the ocean or the Bible what she is doing is distracting her mind and her thoughts away from any negative feelings from past experiences, and it does work. I do believe that PTSD can be resolved I also think that in some people it takes a long time and in others not so long, it is a matter of how you cope with it. 2 years is not a long time, I see you did get some therapy and I garee that talking does help a lot especially with others who have been and are going through the same comparing notes and finding out what works for others is a good thing. I always pass this on because it is what worked for me,   It"s impossible to experience any negative feeling without first creating a negative corresponding thought.The Truth is our thinking will always create the reality we perceive.The actual source of our experience is always our thinking. Next time you start to feel scared say ...No I will not do this, I am okay, nothing is happening to me' each time you find a fear or anxious moment caused by your thought, take a deep breath say those words or similar, then distract yourself with soemthing , phone a friend come online, read, TV Music and like bulletgirl said listen to the Ocean ..Good luck let us know how you are doing .
Helpful - 0
529900 tn?1249967464
I am not sure how long PTSD lasts, and the fear will probably always be there, but what you learn is how to not let the fear control you. I find that sometime i am okay but then if stress levels increase then the fear responses increase. I think talking about it will probably help you. i find that listening to sounds of the ocean or listening to the Bible being read really helps cut down on the nightmares. I still dont sleep a whole lot, but the sleep i have isnt as annoying when I listen to one of them. I also train to be able to defend myself. Helps build confidence to where you know you can kick but if you need to. But, they are just things that have helped me. I will pray for you that you will have sweet dreams and not be afraid.
Helpful - 0
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