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Butterfly
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19 Sep 2014, 11:39 am

I was nearly struck by a car in a grocery store parking lot doing my job at the time. I was in the crosswalk and an SUV going 30 mph struck the shopping cart in front of the one i was holding. If had been moving 0.5 mph faster I would have been killed!
I had to miss work for 4 months and when i returned, I wasn't the same. This eventually led to my termination in January 2014 because my brain chemistry was completely out of wack.

My depression continued to get worse until about late April. I got a temporary full time job with the government from May 5 to August 8.

I did very well. However, I have been emailing my former boss and haven't gotten any response. My PTSD is relapsing and I have had two fender benders in 4 months. I am even afraid to leave the house now. If the federal Government isn't hiring, how am I supposed to get a regular job? My confidence is completely lacking, I am having hypersomnia, severe anxiety and losing my appetite during the day.

Any advice?



Sweetleaf
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20 Sep 2014, 12:23 pm

If it's really getting in the way of you working SSI or if you've worked enough in life SSDI are options, but that would be disability income which has its downsides so not the best thing unless you really can't hold employment and even then SSI is a pretty low income. Try to find or continue any therapy or treatments you find to provide any relief.

As for 'relapsing' don't know if you do this but don't beat yourself up over it......its not a failing on your part or a sign of weak/bad character if you feel you are doing better and managing it and then 'boom' it hits you like freight train and seems any help therapy or treatments provided just goes flying out the window....so just see to it you don't see it as lack of efforts on your part or anything like that

Anymore I remain prepared for the fact it can hit me out of the blue pretty hard and that's not my fault, and also I don't get so disappointed when I realize I haven't actually 'recovered' so I manage as best I can but try and keep in mind its a hard thing to fight and/or try and live with. Don't know if any of this is helpful but just based on my experience of PTSD.


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OliveOilMom
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20 Sep 2014, 2:10 pm

I wouldn't think that there's a big chance of almost being hit by a car again. At least not doing normal things and not being in the street. My ex husband hit me with a VW bug back in the early 80's and nothing like that has ever happened to me again. Lightening doesn't usually strike twice in the same place, and being hit by a car isn't that common, so I'd think you have probably had your one time for that. I would try to remind myself of that if I were you.


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SignOfLazarus
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20 Sep 2014, 4:45 pm

If you aren't in some kind of therapeutic treatment- professional counseling for PTSD- that needs to happen now.

If you are, you need to start discussion options with your therapist. Serious options. Like what to do to support yourself. If you are having difficulties functioning because you are experiencing symptoms that are preventing you from working, you need to seriously address your situation.

If it is that you are trying to get a job from the place where you had full time employment and that isn't panning out, you need to look elsewhere- it isn't clear to me which it is.

One option is to look at job coaching or vocational rehabilitation programs- often you can get referrals through a therapist.

Quote:
Lightening doesn't usually strike twice in the same place, and being hit by a car isn't that common, so I'd think you have probably had your one time for that. I would try to remind myself of that if I were you.


It is very difficult to talk oneself out of PTSD/PTSD symptoms. If that is what is going on, professional assistance is often required to recover from the symptoms and develop coping skills. Why some people develop PTSD and some people don't is complicated, but part of it is that some individuals may be inherently more vulnerable to developing the symptoms than others, even given the same circumstances. This doesn't make them weak, this simply means they have different individual factors. But it also means it is very difficult to make self talk and such work, particularly without professional intervention.


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OliveOilMom
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20 Sep 2014, 7:45 pm

SignOfLazarus wrote:
If you aren't in some kind of therapeutic treatment- professional counseling for PTSD- that needs to happen now.

If you are, you need to start discussion options with your therapist. Serious options. Like what to do to support yourself. If you are having difficulties functioning because you are experiencing symptoms that are preventing you from working, you need to seriously address your situation.

If it is that you are trying to get a job from the place where you had full time employment and that isn't panning out, you need to look elsewhere- it isn't clear to me which it is.

One option is to look at job coaching or vocational rehabilitation programs- often you can get referrals through a therapist.

Quote:
Lightening doesn't usually strike twice in the same place, and being hit by a car isn't that common, so I'd think you have probably had your one time for that. I would try to remind myself of that if I were you.


It is very difficult to talk oneself out of PTSD/PTSD symptoms. If that is what is going on, professional assistance is often required to recover from the symptoms and develop coping skills. Why some people develop PTSD and some people don't is complicated, but part of it is that some individuals may be inherently more vulnerable to developing the symptoms than others, even given the same circumstances. This doesn't make them weak, this simply means they have different individual factors. But it also means it is very difficult to make self talk and such work, particularly without professional intervention.


I had severe panic disorder and agoraphobia for several years and could barely leave my home because of it. Knowing and reminding myself of things like I said to the OP would sometimes help me get through an attack without completely losing it. I never said anybody was weak because of it, I was simply sharing information that I thought may do him some good when he starts getting panicky about it. It doesn't cure it and sure doesn't stop the attack, but that kind of thing can help you get through it a little easier sometimes. I was simply sharing what helped me, not trying to imply that the OP was weak.


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SignOfLazarus
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20 Sep 2014, 8:50 pm

OliveOilMom wrote:
I was simply sharing what helped me, not trying to imply that the OP was weak.


Yeah. I never said this. I didn't see anywhere that you could have implied it either.
Sometimes general information is just that or possibly sometimes I might write stuff in order to make sure people don't think *I* am implying something.


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Sweetleaf
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21 Sep 2014, 3:05 am

I almost got hit by a car, since I've had PTSD...but not sure you can get double PTSD, I know makes me jumpy crossing the street...even though when this happened it was my turn to cross and it almost seemed like they sped up, had to pretty much jump out of the way. But yes much of the time with a traumatic event it doesn't matter how likely it is to happen again, reminders can still trigger physical reactions...though I could see how reminding ones self of that could help keep it in perspective to an extent but depends on how badly triggered one is.


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