Is this actually PTSD?

[fluxx345]

Hi medhelp, I just want to ask something about what's bothering me recently.

I'm 20 yrs old, male.

For a background check, I actually have anxiety, but it's manageable. I tend to worry about my health (physical and mental) and my relationships. I usually worry that I might have X condition just because of X symptom, etc. It's kind of like being hypochondriac.

Now here is my question about PTSD. 12 years ago, when I was 8 years old, I had high fever which caused me to have really bad nightmares and hallucinations at night. The experience in itself was scary during the time that it occurred. I was in a really gloomy mood afterwards, especially since video games were taken away from me since we thought that it might have contributed to what happened. However, I was still able to function normally. I continued being an honor student, etc. It's just that it felt "different" with the gloomy mood.

I eventually got over that, after a few months. Things got really better a year after too. I wasn't scared to talk about what happened. Even now.

I eventually discovered that I have anxiety, since I tend to worry excessively about things, usually my health or relationships. This would lead to feelings of fear, which I can manage fortunately. I was able to trace understand my condition better when I started seeing our college counselor. She helped me a lot, and I feel that I'm better equipped now to manage this condition.

Since I have anxiety, I usually worry irrationally about random things. My present worry is what happened to me 12 years ago. For some reason, during my most recent anxiety episode, the mood I had 12 years ago somehow went back. It's like I was there again, and I was worried that I might have to go through all that time again just to get better. However, when I was able to stop overthinking and manage my anxiety, that mood quickly went away as well. It's like I was feeling it because I was trying to remember it. I'm not sure which really.

Now my worry is.. would that qualify under PTSD? Or is it just my anxiety kicking in again?

Thanks medhelp!

[AFoeller]

I'm not an expert but I would say that you don't have it.  I do. I was raped and I live in constant fear and I have flashbacks.  Its hell

[cystlght]

Hi fluxx, I too suffer from PTSD and severe anxiety. Sorry to read you had those hallucinations as a child. I'm sure it was very traumatic for you. Over time you learned to cope and live with this although it was just in the back of your mind because you had no other way to deal with it. Now you do! Take this time to talk it out until you realize these dreams and hallucinations were just what they are, just dreams, not real life! I, personally, believe that PTSD is something that you experience in REAL life. When this gets triggered, you are back there and its so hard to function with the NOW because of fear and high anxiety and not knowing what is real and what is not. There is no doubt that you were traumatized by this, but if you still think you have PTSD and can't function in the real world because of triggers than seek professional help! I hope this helps!!

[drifter0213]

having PTSD is like living with intense fear and high anxiety issues