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Thanks folks...its a maze and sometimes it's hard not to get lost in what is physical and what is a physical symptom caused by psycholgical stress. I definitely think I need to look at everything in the whole. I have noticed (As I am also on several health forums) that there are some people with pots/dysautonomia in particular who briefly mention PTSD but focus exclusively on their physical symptoms of illness. I guess it's safer but I think for the best hope of progressing in all areas I need to stay open to both.
It really started to make sense that as dysautonomia  (which pots is a form of) is a failure of the nervous system caused by problems in the sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous response years spent constantly stuck in fight/flight would take it's toll.

Thanks...that doesn't cover it really. Thank you from my whole being, for replying, for reading, for setting up this site and being here. That's the first time I've ever told anyone what happened, the first time I've ever shared this. And being able to do so really really mattered.
Thank you

Ok I came to the realisation that I had cptsd via my physical illnesses. I have pots, dysautonomia, eds type3.
My pots results from adrenaline surges and an inability for my central nervous system to function correctly. Finally I realised it made sense that as I had been in highly stressful situations for basically my whole life it followed that my system had got completely confused and messed up and no longer functioned properly.
This was exacerbated by the eds as an underlying genetic disorder (both my daughter's also have eds symptoms and have never suffered trauma). Pots and dysautonomia are common co morbidities of eds. So I might have developed them anyways.
I wondered if anyone on here has any experience of these...honestly if the answer is no then I think some folks might be putting physical disorders down to just trauma effects as pots and eds 3 are not as rare as all that (though getting a diagnosis is very difficult) and we are a sizeable group.
I'm gonna list some of my symptoms and see if it rings any bells.
Fainting/pre syncope/lightheadedness
Migraines
Adrenaline surges that are purely physical, no emotion attached
Sweats/shivers
Nausea
Joint pain
Fatigue
Sleep disorders
IBS due to gut motility problems, food does not pass through the gut properly leads to nausea and acid reflux
There are others....specific to eds 3 these include occasional joint dislocation/subluxation  (a subluxation is when a joint comes partially out but goes back, many people would not realise this is what happened and just experience pain in the joint) and soft velvety skin or hyperextensible skin.

Sounds an awful lot like a list of symptoms related to cptsd doesn't It! So my problem is sorting out which symptoms are related to trauma and which to an underlying physical disorder. Also I am too afraid to report any trauma symptoms to my gp as I know everything will then be labelled as "she's crazy" ignore her. Gp's tend to gaslight these physical disorders at the best of times and even without any diagnosable pyschological issues (which in itself really doesn't help in dealing with trauma issues).

Anyone any experience in negotiating this minefield?

Hi, like others have said if I don't say hello now I probably never will.
So I've realised in the past month that I have PTSD (Yeah CPTSD). I knew I had had a terrible time psychologically as a teen
TRIGGER WARNING SELF HARM, ABUSE



I was deeply depressed, anorexic and attempted to end my life three times before I was 16. I also knew I had flashbacks which started at 15 of previous early sexual abuse (though I chose to ignore them and just deny them away). However I slowly healed and regarded myself as pretty well adjusted now all things considered.
Oops.
In fact the trauma didn't stop there, my mother was and continues to be a narcissist (i have distanced myself), I experienced rape, domestic violence and a damaging relationship with a narcissistic psychopath, in fact I always chose emotionally unavailable partners. My life has been intensely stressful since the age of about 5. I have had a few years less stress recently as I cut out relationships altogether...i figured I really didn't need to be hurt any more. Still I felt I had dealt pretty well with these things...spoiler I didn't I just put my head down and kept going.
I'm 41 now and apparently life has decided I'm strong enough to finally deal with the last of my s*. Oh boy. So suddenly in six months countless reasons popped up to call me back to/remind me of the town I grew up in and then I now realise ran as far from as I could. Back came the flashbacks...just terror pure terror. I am also getting emotional, normally I just don't do emotions. Stopped eating, and tuned out of life for a good 6 weeks. I mean I do the basics, feed kids walk the dog. But I just woke up 48 hours ago and realised the last 6 weeks had passed me by. I also realise i need to not do this, there are things i want to achieve and i cant afford to keep tuning out.
So thank you for this site, I think this is the first time in my life I have not felt alone. I am actually in a good place even if it doesn't sound like it. Im ready, im strong enough. Though i distance myself from others, i dont self criticise, which is nice. Slowly facing the emotional flashbacks and allowing myself to feel is though painful a positive step. Had a breakthrough the other day...i was in full terror mode and allowed myself to go back and connect with that child. Then I realised, yeah that little girl was terrified however she was also really strong, really stubborn she didn't give up...she survived. That's who I am and I will survive this too, actually I will fight, I will fight to find the life I want.