PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

I am asked if I suffer PTSD or depression.
When my injury first happened I was just to overwhelmed with what was going on to dwell over what happened to me. I was a very health person and very rarely ever visited a doctor and to be laid out on a bed in the most pain I have ever been in my life while a bunch of Doctors poke and prod me was more devastating than the injury. The slightest movement of even the bed sheet was enough to send me of the deep end.

All I wanted to do was to get out of the hospital. Within 5 days I was sitting in a wheelchair and hanging on to the arm rests like I was on a big dipper  amusement ride. I was spinning out a bit but I had gotten out of bed and pushed outside on the verandah of the hospital By some mates from work.

There was a lot of counselling and group sessions to which I refused to go. To me talking about what happened was not going to help the situation I was in and was more interested in what I had to do to get out of the hospital and on with my life.

I think the sooner you can come to accept the situation your in, forget the past and just look at the future the easier the transition back into society.

I remember the nurses asking me at times to bedside visit new arrivals who were having a hard time accepting. You see a new patient will talk with someone in a chair as they believe no one could understand what they were going through.

The world doesn’t stop just because you have been injured. You will find the more you accept and get on the more your family and friends  will also benefit.
I know this to be as I felt those around me were affected more than I was.
The better I appeared the better visitors and friends were.

This does have a down side because if you look good, don’t complain or seek sympathy then it is harder to fit back in mainstream employment. Know one but yourself will  truly  understand the pain and trauma  you go though every day. However is there really a need for others to understand. Let’s face it, there is nothing they can do about it and will only bring awareness to yourself and possibly treated differently or not included in activities as others would believe you not capable and have to many issues to ask out.