I started feeling insecure by people and by my self because my voice even chnaged. Like I became emotinal. Ever see a movie where it shows a woman on the couch crying eating ice cream? I felt like that and I'm a guy.lol I also was sleeping 18 hours a day and my concentrartion has gotten worst over 3 years now when this all started. I hit an IED and since then these issues. I was put on ritalin and citrolopram for moods, but it has helpled me in my sleeping issues to now. Now I just hope my pysciall energy comes back along with my personality. Like once a week I feel good, then the other days I feel not like a kid since I started this med 2 months ago, but still not myself. I even had a anger outburst a week ao. Glad it happend though so the doctor can see what I mean by I still dont feel like personality has come back until i snapped that day. kind of blacked out and woke up in my chair. it was like being drunk you remeber things then don't remeber falling a sleep. I do have a neuropsychological test coming up in two months. maybe this will help in finding my personality chnage and concentration issues? I'm 33 by the way. this all started actually almost 4 years ago when I hit an IED but about 5 months after the IED, this is when I had a complete mood chnage. I remeber it very well, it was like something was shut off. I did feel this affect again when i started citrolopram but still I dont feel 100 better more like 50% but again its been 2 months now, maybe give med more time?
Can PTSD cause weird personality change?
- Asked
- 14 Feb 2013 by questionthatneed
- Updated
- 27 February 2013
- Topics
- post traumatic stress disorder
Responses (8)
I would definitely give the medications more time and I assume you are in therapy as well. You may need an increase in dosage or an additional med added such as Lamictal, but keep in mind the medications will only do so much toward your recovery; the rest is up to you to overcome. I assume you are in the military and that is how you came in contact with an IED? I do hope they are providing your care and will continue to do so.
Hi, i agree, some kind of counselling is essential. Are you seeing a psychiatrist? It's good that you are going to have tests done, it might uncover something that could help you get back to yourself? I answered another question you posted, suggesting that you might want to try increasing the Citalopram to 40mg again (with your doctors advice). When i did this, after a week i felt a world of difference. I know you don't like the severe tiredness but maybe something to consider in the future, hopefully you can get past this as i did?
PTSD is often overlooked as to just how severe it can be. I myself when having a great deal of troubles with my childhood, a period of time in which my mind has repressed to the point of having a total inability to remember the ages spanning from age 0 to 11 or 12. When I do recall these memories I loose total control of myself, becoming that same child, hurt and scared, willing to do whatever it takes to make the trip down memory lane stop.
With that said, I am not myself during a flashback, happy and fine one minute and in a flash a desperate and suicidal child. These rollercoasters make my panic attacks enjoyable in comparison. Not only do I get these horrific flashbacks, but my body when emotionally distressed shuts down and repress the event. One Thanksgiving I lost all memory that following day and had to ask my wife what had happened.
Hi question. How are you today. I ( mean she) wanted to tell you a story about a lady who had a good life. Then she lost it.
I met a man and he dumped me and through me out in the cold on Jan. 7., 2007. I became a mad person. He said it was our home and he put my name on the title to it.
My entire family, including 5 siblings and wives hated me and wanted nothing to do with me, and they don't to this day.
.
I walked for a few days before I found a vehicle that I could sleep in. It was put in impound 3 times, and this time I couldn't get it out.
Hi, i had to comment after reading your story. I had no idea you went through so much, i'm so sorry to hear what you've had to deal with. If you ever want to talk please feel free to pm me, i don't know if i can help, but sometimes people just need someone to talk to... I'm so glad you have overcome all of these terrible obstacles & good for you, becoming a valuable member of this forum, helping other people through your experiences. You are an amazing lady!!
Thank you so very much for sharing such a painful story. I know that the simple act of writing or talking about these demons only empowers them and can easily make them manifest. This is totally counterintuitive to most, but doctors as well as therapist have found that the ultimate goal should be to bury and move on and away from those demons. The more that they are discussed, the more real and strong that they become.
I say this for the benefit of those who are not familiar with ptsd, something that works in a completely different way than does the standard depression.
Anyways, if there is anything that I can do to help (for anyone really) please let me know. It's such a difficult item to battle. It's hard to get up after falling as the fall seems to go on with no end. For me, medication got me back to a standing position, and from there was lucky to have been able to then fight back.
I don't know alot about PTSD, but, I am so glad I don't. From what I have read, it has to be the worse thing. Because just the depression/anxiety is so terribly awful. I now understand what a friend of mine is/has been going thru after hearing what you all have to say. Her daughter, which, is now I guess in her late 30's. I need to ck that out. She was raped by 3 men and beaten years ago and has never gotten over it. She will do fine and then relaspe. She does good and then she thinks she doesn't need her medicine and goes off of it w/out her parents knowing. She is in a recovery house now for at least 6 months. They have tried everything. She was such a beautiful girl, so full of life. She was engaged at the time this happened and he left her. She was in Macon, Ga and I think at a Marriot and forgot something in her car. Went out at around 11:00pm and was attacked in the parking lot.
What a terrible thing to happen! I hope that she can find a way to heal and start enjoying living life at some point... That's a really good idea about referring your friend to this site, i'm sure that we can all offer help/support/suggestions. Btw, i think IED refers to 'improvised explosive device', and yes it is a military device used in wars.
Dear one who questions, PTSD is something I am familiar with. It is true that the basic idea now is to not go over the event endlessly. We wear those paths in our brain until they become almost automatic. Always there. It is true that the scenes may haunt one for a while. It is very true that with time they go away. The biggest challenge is to stop making sense of the events. They don't make sense and never will. They can't be changed. It is done.
One event of being harmed had me in a black out for four or five months as a child. It was the first day of summer vacation and it was almost Halloween when I woke up. So to speak. I had no idea where I was and what was happening around me, even though my family thought I was fine, just quiet.
Having had more time to think about you, I would like to add that I have seen much about how Veterans are not being treated immediately for PTSD. We recognize how valuable you are. I recognize how selfless you are for serving our country and protecting others from this terrible war.
Please know that even though it may take time to see someone, there are many of us here who will be supportive of you. You can send private questions to people if you wish. Make them your friend and a request goes to them to accept your private questions. PQ.
Hi question. How are you feeling today? Just checking in. What you experienced was on a much higher level of ptsd than I have. I can't imagine what it must be like for you. Thank you for fighting for our country. I think I have more up days then I did. I pray you will, also. My heart aches for anyone who has gone through an IED.
God bless you, question.
Anna (aka:pickles503)
Hello question,
Are you doing a bit better?i know you have seen you have a lot of supportive friends here and received advice from some with similar experiences to yours.. Please update us. We care!
You are in my thoughts,
4N Substances aka Frenchie
Hi Frenchie, cookie, monkey! How kind of you to express your support in such a kind way. Love ya, Anna
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Hi Jeff. I'm sorry you have to go through this. Your doing the right things. I wish I had that stamina. I try to deal with PTSD but I can't stop the racing thoughts. I'm so happy you found a solution to help you.
God bless you,
Anna
The weird thing is, I thought about things when I wasn't on the medication, was paranoid of light flashes like a camera flash or people, but once i started citrolopram I started feeling better, but now it's like my persoanlity is comingback, but once in awhile I can have a anger outburst for no reason then I wake up out of it. Kind of scary, it's like being drunk, you rememebr some things but don't remeber all of it or falling asleep becaus eyou wake up wondering when did I fall asleep. so not sure if this is PTSD but then again, this happend after I hit an IED 3 years ago and I got worst but started medication and is helping now with my sleep. I use to sleep 18 hour days and my brain felt like it was slowing down. now I feel better besides what I mentioned. and still no psyhical energy. like I can stay up now through the day, but no energy to want to work out or work etc. feel lazy and I really don't want to be.
This all sounds very much like standard ptsd, although I am no doctor. Why I say this is cause it's your body going into a sort of unhealthy self defense, dissociation, common to ptsd. Your brain blocks out what it finds to be simply to much while you go into spells of anger. It really does have a way at time of possessing a person. Alpha blockers work well with ptsd as they block the chemicals that cause flashbacks or attacks. In severe cases it might even be utilized with a secondary type of alpha blocker. The antidepressant will help, but by no means takes care of the problem.
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The details as to how exactly a person reacts to this varies greatly. After all, multiple personality disorder really is just a form of ptsd. Only once your stabilized on medication can you even start to think about doing much of anything, work, or really function in society. It sucks. If need be, hospitalization is a necessity in order to get back on the feet again. You most definitely can't run or for that matter walk when your falling down. If the meds don't work, you really might want to think about hitting up the hospital. If I had insurance at the time when I was at my worst, I would have been by doctors orders forced into a hospital. I however was lucky as the new meds worked. Only then was I able to then pick myself back up.
You know, after reflecting on the comment of lacking energy, I actually often will get spells of complete lethargy, tiered to the point that doing things, anything almost feels, no, it feels very painful. Now being able to recognize this as being not who I am, I'll literally have to just start practice on something like the one inch punch, no space needed, could be on my back still stuck in bed. By just doing this one technique that oddly enough is often viewed as an exercise of working with the chi or ki or whatever one wants to call your life force. I can feel life come back to me. Same is true with any hollow / depressive feelings that may occur. It literally feels like I'm fighting demons. After I've fought myself out of the heavy weight that seems to almost bind you, without even thinking about it my mind becomes very empty, in a good way.
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I have the advantage of being involved with numerous styles for years, stopping when first attack with panic and then flashbacks & hollow depression.
I personally am in a position while the concept of perfection is ignorance, however is engraved and don't really need a teacher anymore to do this sort of stuff... Long story short, I actually don't have the energy or stamina, but do when fighting off the inner demons.