I have ptsd and I'm newly diagnosed. I think this happened to me and I'm trying to see if other people experience this. Please I have kids. Do you act normal in this state?
Does anyone get blackouts/ dissociation from ptsd? If so how long do they last?
Question posted by Jh31 on 27 July 2013
Last updated on 10 October 2016 by Marks4805
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7 Answers
Marks4805
10 Oct 2016
Yes I do and have for past 2half yrs.
Along with several other nasty effects.
The black out last up to 45mins. And often suffer multiple times in one day.
Elisha777
12 Sep 2016
I have a sister that would have seiseizures and sit and stare for a few minutes.
myloves3
17 Sep 2014
Hello yes I to have blackouts. From ptsd I don't rember much of my childhood due to it but since adulthood over had blackouts that last from 30min-4hrs so it depends on the situation I'm in at least I'd say talk to your Dr try some meds I'm going the rouunds myself with meds to help best of luck
amy_carver7904
4 Aug 2013
I have had PTSD for 9yrs I blackout almost everyday my husband said they last about 10-15 minutes and that I fight him until I come to again he video me during a blackout and it wasn't good so please be careful
Elisha777
12 Sep 2016
I'm looking for help. 6 months in hospital trement. I dont want to be the bear-er of bad news. I'm 51 and regress into a ifant in hospital for 9 days. Severe hidden memories cuses this.
jk13
28 July 2013
I almost totally forgot, and am surprised that I did forget, but yes, I also had black outs as well as randomly falling asleep! It's almost like a weird dream recalling those events, but yah, I remember the day after thanksgiving not being able to recall much of what had happened. When put into situations of severe stress the body seems to automatically shut down! If I'm not mistaken those blackouts lasted as long as the situation did, provided that I didn't fall asleep.
Like most of my childhood, those events are simply not there, and I would suppose the reason for not recalling until now. At this point as you already know, those are events from my past and will be left alone to be once again forgotten. PTSD is so weird, if you think about what makes you ill, the past, the past will eat you up, however, if you accept the past and let it go, it also will leave you alone. Easier said than done of course.
I'm still shocked that I had totally forgotten such a large part of the illness! I really am so sorry that you're going through this, but, there is hope, you can get better. I sometimes forget just how sick I was, how terrible ptsd is. With that said, after hitting rock bottom, I started to really work on getting better. When I started to work on living in the now, the condition evaporated quickly. It simply can not exist without the past. Best of luck to to you.
Jeff
janiebme
28 July 2013
Hi Jh31-
I have ptsd. If your dissociation is strong enough it will seem like a blackout. It is your mind's way of protecting you. I did a lot of dissociation and would find that during the event I would loose time. One way to put it is if you have ever been driving and your minds goes somewhere else and you notice that you were driving on autopilot. A little unnerving and you wonder how you did not run off the road. Dissociation can work the same way. I found that if I stayed in the present moment it helped. Yes, you can act normal during the dissociation, but not everyone acts the same. Long term dissociation should be treated by psychologist or therapist that is trained in ptsd. I found that a psychiatrist is for meds not the best for therapy. I read a few books on ptsd and that helped me understand what was happening to me because at times it makes you feel like you are loosing your mind... you are not, it is just symptoms of the ptsd.
Feel free to contact me if you have more questions or concerns I will do my best to answer them if I can. Just remember it took courage to reach out and you did.
janie
Jh31
28 July 2013
I will explain how it happened. I got into a heated argument and I started feeling weird almost like being drugged. Then about s hour and half later I laid down to go to sleep. Well I thought I fell asleep but then I wake up suddenly and my feet are all black like I was wandering around barefoot outside and then crawled back into bed. It's weird. Can it happen like that? And how much time do you loose?
janiebme
29 July 2013
Hi Jh31-
It depends on the person how much time you can loose. Do you have anyone at home with you to check to see if you are going outside during the episode? PTSD can have all kinds of weird symptoms. You should talk to your doctor and or therapist about what is happening to you. janie
Jh31
29 July 2013
No unfortunately I am a single parent. How much time do you lose at a time? Is it a long time?
janiebme
30 July 2013
I could loose 15 min to an hour. I did it during the day time. I was not driving or had children to care for. I did found that I did things in the house and did not remember doing them. I did EMDR with my therapist to help with the dissociation in a safe environment. I hope this helps you. I commend you for dealing with this as a single parent. You are braver than you think. janie
Jh31
31 July 2013
Thank you I really am trying. My kids are my reasons to be strong:) Is a hour the longest you have ever lost? I'm sorry I keep asking about it but I think it's helpful to hear others experiences. Thank you Janie.
janiebme
2 Aug 2013
I had a four hour black out but it was during the trauma that created the PTSD. It was too horrific for my mind to recall. I also did things that I did not recall after the trauma. I drove to a pharmacy and pick up a prescription and did not recall doing it until I saw the bottle at home... A bit disturbing to say the least. Untreated PTSD can lead to many issues. It is beneficial to be on meds and doing therapy. You are asking good questions. janie
endlessPred
27 July 2013
Hello JH. This is not normal but does come with the condition for some people. It depends upon the severity of the event and the way we process it. Blackouts are dangerous, as you know. Please see a psychiatrist immediately. Your concern for your children is appropriate. You aren't crazy, but your mind is doing something crazy. This can be treated and you can heal. Time is of the essence for you to get help please don't delay. You don't want this to be ingrained in you. Time to heal. When you are feeling better you will see the wisdom in this. Write any time. I wish you well. Karen
Jh31
27 July 2013
I do have a therapist and started taking celexa but this is all new to me. It scared me to death. I have no idea how long it was for or what I was doing during this time.
endlessPred
28 July 2013
Are you taking other medication? Say for sleeping or anything at all, including herbs, OTC medications? There are numerous things that can interact and cause all kinds of problems. If you are, we can check them and see if you are having some type of interaction going on. People forget about herbal teas, so list what you do. You can add to your original question.
Yes, this is frightening. How long cannot be answered. Seconds, hours, only you can put that part together. That is why frequent visits to your therapist is very important right now. I suggest that until this gets sorted out you should get help with your children. Often stress can trigger an event.
Another thought is are you sure you blacked out, or did you have a seizure? Both have missing time. Was anyone around when this happened? Even kids might know something to help. If anything is happening while taking the Celexa call your doctor right away, just in case it is not right for you. :-)
Jh31
28 July 2013
I'm just taking celexa. I haven't had trouble sleeping so far. The blackout happened when everyone was asleep already so I can't ask. That's what worries me. Would I of left them alone? It's just crazy.
endlessPred
28 July 2013
Basically you were sleep walking? When a person has a trauma sleep walking can occur. The depersonalization can also happen. It feels like you really aren't present. All is remote. More like watching than doing.
There are a few things I can suggest. Remember we are not doctors here. But having gone through this once when I barely made it out of a burning building, I do know what it is like. Not that I know your level of fear. I sought help. I did not have children. I did not maintain a family. But I wandered round for days and no one even was interested in how I was. It was frightening. I just had co-workers. Far from home.
I am surprised you don't take as much as an aspirin. Most people take something. Because of these effects you are having, be sure to not drink alcohol. It will be a problem and exacerbate your blackouts. I would also get another appt. with the therapist every week until this settles. It will. It does. The only way this will stay with you is if you keep rehearsing it in your head. The therapist will help you with that. you will be fine. It will be better. It will be a happier life. Wishing you clarity and peace, Karen
Jh31
28 July 2013
Do you ever loose time or blackout?
jk13
28 July 2013
It's often easiest to fight these sorts of things standing up vs. In a perpetual fall. You might want to ask your doc about minipress, an alpha blocker that helps stop the flashbacks. It's not 100% effective, however as memory serves me it is a whole lot more effective than any ssri / snri. For the falling asleep, nuvigil helped, not 100% either, but a whole lot better than a cup of coffee.
jk13
28 July 2013
Duh, and for the black outs, honestly, avoid situations that cause them. For me I ended up disowning family members.Sucked at first, but now I can see just how important and healthy that move was for me.
If you do find that you are in a bad situation, don't drive! Almost wrecked the car once! If there's anyone that you can talk to would be the only way to know how you're acting during the episodes.
Related topics
post traumatic stress disorder, dissociation
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