Anxiety/PTSD after trauma

[Ally88 0]

Hi Everyone, 

I am a person that has suffered with anxiety for many years now. I have always been an anxious/worried person, even as a child, but I didn't begin experiencing full-blown panic attacks until I was involved in a serious car accident. I guess it could be called PTSD, but the panic attacks continued for several years after the accident and still occasionally happen today. I am wondering if anyone has experienced a similar evolution in their mental-health and would be open to sharing their story. I am trying to learn more about my panic disorder/generalized anxiety by understanding my predisposition to these disorders, as a naturally anxious person. If anyone is willing to share, I have some more specific questions to provide guidance: 1. When did you begin experiencing anxiety/panic disorder? How old were you and were there any specific circumstances that impacted you?

2. Did you experience any events/circumstances that were particularly traumatic that you believe might have contributed to/triggered your anxiety/panic/PTSD?

3. Would you describe yourself as a naturally anxious person? Do you recall being more worried about things (sickness/health, irrational fears, bad things happening) prior to the onset of your anxiety/panic disorder? 

4. Did either of your parents or close relatives experience similar anxiety problems/mental-health disorders? Do you think you were impacted by them at all?

I apologize if any of these questions are too personal, of course this is just a forum and I expect that anyone that doesn't want to answer/isn't comfortable won't. I feel that learning as much as I can about my mental-health and the nature of my "problems" is very helpful in understanding why I am this way and how I can help myself and others. I hope that maybe this can help some of you as well. I appreciate any responses/contribution, and I hope that maybe we can spark an insightful conversation here. Thank you!

Ally

[Ihadcancer 321]

There are some who could answer who are going through a hard time right now.

I have PTSD from having cancer twice and what I went through after my 2nd surgery.  Mine is called Chronic Disease PTSD and it causes me to have health anxiety.  It gets very bad around time for my cancer tests.  I got results back on my first test yesterday and they were all good.  Several more tests to go over the next 2 weeks tho.  

Prior to this, I was THE optimist.  I had some worries when my children were babies and got fevers and couldn't tell me where it hurt, etc. but not anything serious, like this. 

I grew up when parents didn't communicate with their children.  They're both alive at 85 and almost 90 and haven't mentioned anxiety.  My only sibling, a brother, had horrible mental issues and was an alcoholic from his teen years. He lived a good portion of his life living in the woods, breaking into and living in people's homes while they were away, living in outbuildings on property, eating from dumpsters, etc.   He was murdered in 2006 and found between dumpsters behind a bar.  (2nd degree manslaughter because the man who killed him hit him and he fell back and hit his skull on a cement picnic table).