Post divorce PTSD?

[Notcontent]

I wonder if anyone can relate to this.

I feel a bit like I am losing my mind. A decade ago my exH left to be with someone else. I will try to keep this brief but it was an extremely traumatic time. I was left with a small baby and due to complicated circumstances had no support network - friends and family all far away. It was a terrible time. Things are obviously better now, but actually, I have never felt more unhappy. Life is pretty relentless (I work nearly full time and look after dd 99% of the time).

I am starting to think that perhaps the trauma of the time when I first found myself alone, plus all the stuff that happened afterwards (stress over financial issues, exH being nasty, etc) and the relentlenses of being a lone parent with no help has just got to me and I am suffering from some form of PTSD.

I am constantly tearful and very stressed about things that other people would probably find less stressful.

I can relate to your situation. I'm not sure how depression/anxiety differ from ptsd. I've just been reading about Mel B seeking help for ptsd after her dad died and she divorced, and it made me think if my own mental state is related to my messy separation and subsequent lone parenting. Be interesting to see what others think.

I was left by my husband at the same time as suffering a bereavement of a close family member.

For over a year I felt nothing. Completely numb. But I have been experiencing anxiety since then. I think it may have just caught up with me.

I think I can relate - horrific divorce, worry about finances, nasty ex etc. I seemed to cope fine at the time, but years later, I'm fixating on it and am very weepy and negative. I can only think it's delayed ptsd/depression.

I think often at the time we're very strong and focused (especially if there are kids), and the grief, sadness and anger has to come out at some point.

It's not nice is it? I mtrying to focus on what I have now and the little bits of awesome, but I'm finding it hard.

Do you have any support system now, any good friends you can rant to? X

After a 4 year dc based court case my Dr said I was showing symptoms of ptsd although gp's aren't qualified to diagnose apparently.
You have my best regards op.

It does sound like you’ve suffered trauma from that time and it’s no wonder! Have you spoken to your Dr about it or had counselling? It sounds like you need help..

You sound depressed not ptsd.

I mean this kindly - I have done a lot of research into PTSD, depression and anxiety as I have all of them - it sounds most like depression. That doesn’t make it any less serious or horrible for you and you absolutely should seek help for it and it sounds like you have been through so much and I really feel for you- I just don’t think you need a trauma specialist- I think you need a therapist you can tick with who is person centred and maybe can do some ACT or CBT

However - a good initial assessment with a therapist should clarify what your most pressing needs are right now and get you the help you deserve

Sorry my message sent before I finished - yes what the last pp said.
It doesn’t make it any less horrible but it doesn’t sound like ptsd. You so sound horribly depressed though and struggling.
Even if your mental health was good most people living your life would still feel down I think it sounds very hard with little support or time for your own enjoyment.

Go to gp and get mental health help.
Work on getting more practical suppport into your life.

Its not totally unusual for things like that to bubble back up to the surface after some time. I think it might be your brain's way of saying it's time to deal with this.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and commenting.
Yes, it probably is depression. It’s just ironic that at the time when things were at their worst I kept going but now I feel less able to cope.

It’s very common to keep going through the hardest bit. It’s often when things calm down that we fall to pieces.
This happened to me when my Dd was very ill. It was when she was well and went off to university that I absolutely crumbled. Whilst she was still at home I needed to be strong and keep everything together.

Not ironic at all. It’s how we are designed to cope.

@Notcontent that's kind of the crux behind depression, you coped at the time because you HAD to, and then things get better, you get time to process and start thinking what the actual fuck??

Good link here on the difference between depression and PTSD.

Hope things improve for you soon, op.

www.webmd.com/depression/depression-ptsd-vs-depression

Please go to your Dr op.x