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My wife has noted that although I paint and craft in intricate detail, and that I am very hyper vigilant around people, anything else exists in a fluffy cloud. She says its almost as if I save all my awareness around people and leave none for my general surroundings. But brain fog...oh can I relate to that one. I try and read, communicate but dietary factors are new to me and I will be looking into this. Thank you so much for the heads up in this direction!

Thank you both very much for the love and the info. Fibro and cptsd is a double whammy but I have learned that a great part of strength resides in the decision to be strong Bless you both!

Hello. I was wondering if anyone else out there has, or knows of, others with both CPTSD / PTSD and neuropathic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia or CPD and similar? I ask as I have fibromyalgia and have heard that there can be a link between emotional trauma and development of these diseases. As far as knowing others goes, please, no names!!!! Confidentiality is vital! Thank you!

Hi KudzuGirl

I had a diagnosis of BPD a few years ago from a general practitioner. My clued up friends found this hilarious as I so obviously didn't fit critical criteria...Outside I have always been really eccentric and I have used that as a mask. I think they thought he thought me being so eccentric must equal BPD. The whole experience was completely weird as I went to see him about a physical complaint...but then I was wearing a skirt and blouse so perhaps he saw my transvestitism as some disorder or other.

But back to the point...I was diagnosed with PTSD about 1.5 years ago, but even though that ticked all the boxes I couldn't really relate to the PTSD experiences of veterans, or of those involved in single issue traumatic episodes. Only when I came across CPTSD could I finally feel that I was barking up the right tree, that my compass was pointing in the right direction.

It is, I feel, easy to mistake some symptoms of BPD for PTSD / CPTSD but only on a superficial level. You are by far the best person to know and evaluate your experiences. Wishing you every happiness :-)

Hi Morph.

Like you I was never starved, beaten or sexually abused etc.

But the mental and emotional torture coupled with no escape is quite enough to traumatise anyone. Including us, and we are as deserving of healing and health and happiness as anyone else :-)

As a fellow newbie I hope that we both get a lot out of (and be able to give a little bit back) to this forum. Blessings to Morphfroot!

Hi Shella!

"I learned that other things I've done for as long as I can remember are also symptoms of c-ptsd; that was a little odd... to realize things I thought just made me me are actually not normal/healthy. "

Oh boy can I relate to that. My diagnosis had me reeling even though I wasn't surprised by it at all. Well done on catching it so early in your life! That is brilliant work / self-awareness and obviously I wish you every happiness and success on your journey towards health.

Welcome from a fellow Newbie, RisingSun

Thank you both very much for your warm and kind welcome. I must admit I did a fair bit of sniffing around the forum (hyper vigilant, me?) before taking the plunge but I must also say, I am really impressed by you guys. Let's admit it, surviving and recovering from ptsd / cptsd delivers a certain degree of personal insight that I found in abundance here.

So I will be scouting around and using the forum to ask some questions, see about common themes and see how I can advance my own recovery whilst hopefully - and with due consideration - helping others with theirs, even if it's "only" listening. Don't worry - I know that advice is a dangerous gift and that I will never be prescriptive. Just present possible options in a friendly way is my way.

Thank you also for the links to Pete Walker's work. Will be checking it out today. Hope we all have a good weekend! Regards...flooky...

At last...there have been a  couple of "at lasts" in my life of late. My diagnosis of PTSD came about a year ago...I have had a modest amount of therapy but it, and the online resources I sought were geared towards "single issue" PTSD. When I came across what cPTSD was about - prolonged exposure to terrible stress and threat with no means of escape - the lights came on and when I discovered there is this support forum they started flashing pretty colours.

Like many here my abuse is rooted in childhood / teen years. I won't say more than that for now as trigger warnings aren't the best way to say hello!

I was in my 50's when I was finally diagnosed...I also have fibromyalgia whi h may be related to the decades oc inner turmoil my traumatised brain served up to me on a near  constant basis. My rage was always against myself although when I got the diagnosis - a portion of all the anger ever directed within actually went out onto the perpertrators...who have been dead now a number of years. That took some processing and art therapy helped me greatly to get the poison out in a safe, constructive way.

I know now that ultimately my immediate experience of the trauma isn't necessarily the trauma itself, although that's the trigger for me deciding to have a healing relationship to it as a wound rather than a fearful relationship  to it as an enemy. Doesn't stop the EF's but helps me greatly to resolve them quickly when they do arise. Will they ever stop? Don't know. But at least now they remind me to be compassionate towards them rather than try and bomb them with hatred and revulsion.

Anyways, I would like to thank the modfroots, adminfroots and all you lovely froots for being here. May all our flashbacks be handleable