PTSD after illness/surgery is it a thing?

[CarrieErbag]

My dc has been suffering from anxiety for a while, it is becoming increasingly bad, she has become almost agorophobic and is having dreams about being ill again after having surgery for a serious spinal issue 3 years ago.
PTSD seems a bit dramatic but I wondered if it's a thing?
She is currently only just functioning, fine in the house but can't to anything else.
We have a GP appointment in about 3 weeks.

Yes, it is a thing and it's not dramatic at all. PTSD is not unusual after serious illness, it is a traumatic event.

I'm sure that's entirely possible, that's a big life event for a kid to cope with. Could something unconnected have triggered it (and she's reverted to thinking about and reacting to what happened)?

Some kids are just more prone to anxiety and anxious thinking. Hopefully a GP will make a quick referral but there can be long waiting lists. There's good resources online for parents of kids with anxiety, it might be helpful if you started some basic CBT work with her, particularly if she's getting agoraphobic. I'd also ask the GP to check her bloods for things like low vitamin D, B12, iron/ferritin, just to rule that out; even the low end of normal ranges can have an effect on mental health.

There's also some safe & effective herbs you could try to calm her nervous system: avena sativa, lemon balm and chamomile. There's a brand called The Eclectic Institute that does kids' tinctures, they've been useful for my son in the past.

Hope that helps, you're definitely doing the right thing!

I have no idea what may have triggered it and she can't/won't articulate any thing as it gets her stressed.
She's had bloods done all normal apart from low level neutropenia? Last 6 months she's gone downhill very quickly.
She won't entertain the idea of PTSD as she feels it's reserved for soldiers who have witnessed all kinds of horrors.

Hi I work for an organisation that trains social workers in trauma. Our understanding of PTSD came from experiences of veterans but it is widely accepted now that trauma can occur in different settings and yes that surgery is a type of trauma.

That's interesting Beetroot, I am hoping that the GP can offer some help that won't just be limited to bunging her on some prozac or some such .
She is currently doing A levels at home , but the idea of her being able to go to university is at the moment as fanciful as a trip to Mars.