Published on 12, July, 2020
My daughters school phoned me today. The explained that she had a good day but they believe she may have PTSD. I've read up on it and it could be a possibility.
She has been through so much the last few years and it has had a massive impact on everyone especially her. For example, she got taken out of our care and nearly put into care. There was a lot of trouble with emergency services, her going missing, being arrested and taken into custody many times. Many family members and pets have died. School issues which started it all off. And a massive move. That's just a few. She tried commiting suicide and self harmed for years.
It started when she was 12, she's now 15. She's always struggled when this all happened and still does. She can't eat curtain food which reminds her of hospital, for example, toast, biscuits, apple juice. She won't go to any places that remind her of what happened. For example, the park, certain roads, part of the forest which includes a certain tree. Even a member of the public who walks past her regularly just reminds her. It could be the same lady who helped her or she looks similar. I've noticed that when a police car or ambulance goes past or she sees one, she gets twitchy and seems to become a bit distressed and distracted. Even hearing sirens is a trigger. She's had constant nightmares about it and it comes and goes during the day and feeling the same emotions and feeling as to when it happened. She constantly seems on edge. Could this be because she has developed PTSD
That sounds horrendous - you must be extremely worried.
On the face it, like consciousbadger, I think it's worth pursuing, but the problem (for all of us) at the moment is that the UK Primary Care infrastructure is stretched almost to breaking point, so getting referred for a diagnosis may be really difficult.
In the US, where a lot of people struggle to access proper medical care even in the best of times, there is more publicly available self-help stuff - like these, for example
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/child-trauma.pdf
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=post-traumatic-stress-disorder-in-children-90-P02579.
https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/ptsd.html
All those are credible websites.
There's a tonne of internal links on the CDC site in particular, and they have a bucket-load of quite practical-looking information.
There are peer-refereed academic papers out there as well, if that's your thing.
I imagine that the recommended parenting strategies on some of these sites would do no harm even if your child was eventually diagnosed with something different to PTSD.
The most important thing your daughter has going for her is, of course, you. Whatever she has to go through, loving parents will make it better than it would otherwise be.
I wish you, your daughter, and your family all the best in dealing with a very difficult situation.
I can't tell if you are questioning my diagnosis/experience or simply being comprehensive in general advice on the topic, but it came across a bit like that (on two counts) so not really sure what's going on if you are having a go? No idea if intentional or not but I feel attacked.
To be clear, I went the GP route, then because of waiting list I was referred (paid for via my work's health insurance) to an appropriately qualified PTSD specialist - through initial screening with psychologists and psychiatrists at a private practice. I also advised PA to go to GP in first instance because that is the route in they are the gatekeeper.
I also did not tell PA their daughter has PTSD. I said it sounds like. That was based on my own experience and subsequent wide reading on the subject so I am an informed person on this specific topic.
oh ok, sounds like a nice outcome. thank you.
I've taken down the two paragraphs which I think led to the misunderstanding. They weren't critical anyway. Glad you said something and didn't just quietly take away some hurt.
oh ok fine, i'm just being sensitive. all good!
update: please don't edit or remove your post because the info in it is v useful!
I am supporting what you've said and will take it down if you feel attacked, not my intention at all. I will never, ever attack someone on here and I'm very sorry you felt like that. If I disagree with people I generally ignore their post and let it go - not here for any kind of conflict, of any sort, ever.