Self Diagnosing PTSD and Other Mental Health Issues

[Mari9999]

Is anyone else struck by the what seems like a significantly high number of women who describe themselves as suffering form PTSD ? Is it possible that these women are all self diagnosing ? Usually they attribute these conditions to what are seemingly every day life conflicts.

Many other say that they cannot work because of their mental health. Has there been some drastic increase in debilitating mental diagnosis that render women disabled and physically incapable of working? Are these women all capable of qualifying for disability benefits?

AIBU to think that this cavalier attitude towards mental health makes it difficult for women with medically diagnosed issues to be taken seriously?

It also seems that every second woman claims to have been married to a narcissist or for their current partner to have a cheating narcissist as an ex?

What ever happened to simply coping, being responsible, and owning one's behavior?

Insert Michael Jackson popcorn GIF

This should be fun.

I think you're being goady OP!

If you read a book about CPTSD you will realise how prevalent it is in our society. It wouldn't suprise me if many more people than we realise actually have it. And the things that need to have happened to you to "get" it may not even be immediately obvious - there are subtler threads running through that can lead to a chronic sense of discomfort.

Maybe do a bit of research.

What makes you believe this is relevant to women in particular?

No, I haven’t. Where are you getting your information from and why is it specifically “women” who self diagnose and are married to narcs?

Is your source is people posting on here op? Can’t imagine that’s a terribly reliable method of analysis.

The reason people self-diagnose conditions is because it's so incredibly hard to get assessments on the NHS - even if you can get referred, waiting lists are years long. And not everyone can afford to see someone privately.

And the things that need to have happened to you to "get" it may not even be immediately obvious - there are subtler threads running through that can lead to a chronic sense of discomfort.

CPTSD is much more than a chronic sense of discomfort.

I think PTSD/CPTSD are both chronically under diagnosed, and there’s also a lot of self diagnosis which doesn’t necessarily “fit”. The language of trauma is very trendy at the moment and seems to be applied at times when people feel significant stress/distress, where everything can be described as traumatic. PTSD and complex PTSD have clear diagnostic criteria which include a “qualifying event” the nature of which are outlined in the DSMV.

I know people can face huge distress in their lives but not all distress is trauma, so in that sense I think people overly self diagnose. On the other hand people tend to downplay incredibly traumatic experiences meaning they never receive a PTSD diagnosis which in many cases would be helpful.

Its also worth noting that not all trauma leads to PTSD, a degree of post traumatic stress is to be expected after a trauma, it’s when they persist over a period of time the process is considered “disordered”.

I think that there is a huge increase in demand for care for relatively trivial mental health conditions, when self care would have been expected until very recently.

I think this causes major problems, because people suffering from mental health conditions are all feeding from the same trough, and very serious conditions, schizophrenia, anorexia, etc get missed, due to the number of people in the system with anxiety, etc.

People with anxiety may need help, but not as urgently as people with schizophrenia.

There needs to be some sort of better triaging system, and referral of more urgent cases along a faster route, I think

I do have a bit of an issue whereby some women seem empowered (good) but are also seemingly powerless to resist the hold and attraction that a "bad boy" exerts over them. Proper empowerment isn't pole dancing and the like but recognising, resisting and standing up to wrong 'uns and their demands. Persistence is futile. (ducks)

I think there are many undiagnosed mental health disorders but these days diagnosis is a privilege for most as it's either too expensive for some to go private or a postcode lottery if at all available on the sometimes years and years of waiting lists on the NHS so perhaps some people do self diagnosis but not many people who don't suffer with the symptoms of their condition sit contemplating that they do.

I know both men and women who have self-diagnosed mental health issues. Not sure why your post is just focusing on (and disparaging) women, it doesn't seem to be a sex-related issue, ime.

I think both diagnosed and undiagnosed is both a huge scam tbh. What people need is security, love and patience, not a label from a psychiatrist that effects their medical record for life.
It pisses me off that this diagnosis gets handed out like candy to women. It's the new hysteria diagnosis.
I can't tell you the amount of girls that are getting PTSD and CPTSD as a diagnosis when in fact they have ADHD, ASD or are just teens. It should never be a diagnosis you give to a child.
CPTSD isn't even a recognised condition anymore outside the UK.
The other thing is, you go to 5 psychiatrists and they'll all give you a different opinion.
In terms of self diagnosis, people are just desperate to put a name to their suffering. However, a diagnosis doesn't come with therapy on the NHS so it's then just used as a crutch.

I’m diagnosed autistic + ADHD and the community is plagued by self-diagnosed people, who diagnose based on their “traits” without any consideration of whether they were born that way and dismiss lifestyle choices and life events that could produce those “traits”.

Yes, still struggling, but not untreatable compared to actual autism and ADHD which the genuine traits of are permanent.

I don’t know so much about mental health conditions being self diagnosed but I do agree that it is very shortsighted of the enormity of the actual conditions on genuine sufferers and how much it does detract from them being acknowledged and supported.

not many people who don't suffer with the symptoms of their condition sit contemplating that they do.

I think you’re right that people experience symptoms and now it’s very easy to fall prey to Dr Google/TikTok etc. The problem is that confirmation bias is a common thinking style/error whereby we naturally look for evidence to confirm our thinking and naturally ignore evidence that challenges our thinking so before you know it what started as intrusive thoughts, for example, becomes PTSD. The value in working with a clinician is that they can help pick through the thinking and look for alternative explanations.

Mental health provision in this country is woeful though and people naturally want an explanation for how they’re feeling.

CPTSD isn't even a recognised condition anymore outside the UK.

Someone had better let the DSMV know that then, given it’s the diagnostic manual used in the States, the U.K. and much of Europe. The inclusion in the DSM only happened with volume 5 after much campaigning on the part of clinicians trying to quantify the difficulties people with a history of complex trauma were experiencing.

What people need is security, love and patience, not a label from a psychiatrist that effects their medical record for life.

A diagnosis isn’t a mere label, it can give someone a good understanding of the struggles they have, which aren’t healed by love and security alone. It can also mean access to supports and treatments that can alleviate a huge amount of distress.

I’m not a fan of the medical model of distress, but having a common language and understanding is helpful in many cases.

My DH has PTSD from fighting a war. He’s much better after treatment from a veterans charity. He held down a very stressful, public facing role for 17 years before treatment. When people say they can’t work due to PTSD, that’s crap! Your mind is in turmoil and you struggle with life but generally those with PTSD suffer in silence and don’t blurt it out all over the place like a badge of honour.
Generally help is sought after things get so bad in their head that suicide is the next step

Well the patriarchy ignores and dismissing our needs, doesn't even study us most of the time, coupled with an epidemic of violence against women, compounded by the patriarchy blaming us, questioning us and what part we played in it, making it harder for us to live alone, or get legal aid, the huge numbers of men who never even get taken to court, let alone convicted, is it any bloody wonder there are large swathes of the female population walking around traumatised? That is if they're not one of the 2-3 women a week who are murdered at the hands of a current or ex partner.

I'll bet £50 you've never questioned the PTSD diagnosis of a male soldier, and yet statistically more women have that diagnosis.

I'm more than happy to have my taxes pay for disability benefits for them.

Generally that does happen I'd have thought? If you have or are suspected of having schizophrenia you'll be referred to secondary care mental health services. If you get anywhere at all with anxiety or depression - unless very severe - you'll go to primary care services.

I think people are looking for reasons to explain their disconnect and failure when really it's how we are governed that's at fault. All the old certainties of work, home, relationships and society are in flux in a globalised world that pits everyone against each other in a race to the bottom for us, to facilitate a race to top profits for them. Something is going to have to give.

Pinkstripeycat, I think it’s somewhat naive of you to base every person’s experience of ptsd on that of your husband.

I agree with this.

My anxiety was so bad I hardly left the house for 2 years. I didnt/ don't qualify for any PIP/LCWRA. It's totally shit.
When i had some counselling/ talking Therapies on the nhs my therapist said he strongly believes I have cPTSD, but isn't qualified to diagnose. The waiting list to be diagnosed is so long it's almost impossible.

He held down a very stressful, public facing role for 17 years before treatment. When people say they can’t work due to PTSD, that’s crap!

Some people can work, they managed to cope until they don’t and then often present with something else (bereavement, anxiety etc) because they’re so used to coping they don’t make the link to previous trauma. Others find themselves literally stopped in their tracks, can’t function day by day and work would be out of the question, many fall between two stools experiencing significant distress but just about functioning day to day. It’s a complicated condition which is why knowledgeable, experienced support is important.

I have diagnosed c-PTSD, your thread is vile and goady and I am reporting it.

I went through years of neglect and abuse and have been suffering my entire life because of it.

If I wasn't worried about getting a ban I would I set a couple of extra words here...

@SuzyQ12
To be honest the thought arose today after spending much more time than unusual this weekend reading MN threads on various topics. So admittedly the numbers are skewed towards women.

My thoughts as I read were how few women in RL that I know or have known who were diagnosed with PTSD. I know many women who have electively chosen not to work, but the number that I have encountered who were diagnosed with a MH issue that was so debilitating that they were on full disability and unable to work was a relatively small number. I am in the USA so while many go without MH services, the services are still relatively easy to access.

Narcissism seems to have just become a trendy buzz word that is bandied about with no real understanding of the clinical application of the diagnosis, and the number of "cheating narcissist" as the ex was nothing short of amazing.

It just made me sad to think how often we trivialize something significant in order to minimalize personal responsibility and justify personal actions. I don't doubt that many of the people bandying about these terms are under some sort of stress and are experiencing some amount of anxiety, but do we really want to encourage people to see themselves as disabled or incapable?

Could it be that people with stigmatized mental health conditions are more likely to seek support on anonymous internet forums?

I didn't qualify for disability benefits even though I was seriously ill. I got a bit better and was awarded them. A local man has just featured in a newspaper article. He lives at home, never leaving his room has carers because of aggressive MS but his PIP has been stopped, so what do benefits have to do with it? Women have always been diagnosed with 'nerves'. Women who didn't leave the house, were 'home birds' and praised for being so committed to running the house. Of course there's been a rise because unlike other times, we now expect everyone to work. We also expect women to be all things to all people.