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[This message edited by littlemrsV0813 at 10:57 AM, November 20th (Wednesday)]

I was actually told by my IC after all the shit that came with Dday #2 (by far the worst...I got an email from WH telling me he was leaving me and DD and cutting us off financially...I had to sell furniture to pay for food for three months. It was awful...but I digress) that I was suffering from PTSD. So, YES, BS are at risk of developing PTSD or PTSD-like symptoms!

I too, have been diagnosed with PTSD. While I KNOW I did not experience the close to death type of trauma war victims did, I certainly did experience a trauma none the less.

Me too, it is pretty common in BS's. Talk to your IC about it. There are many types of therapy and pharmacuticals that can help.

Raising hand. I don't want to minimize the trauma of those who have seen battle, or who have been physically threatened. But betrayal through infidelity did, in fact, set some of us up for PTSD or similar disorders. Especially if the WS continually lied, told us we weren't seeing the evidence we did see, and/or verbally and emotionally abuses the BS. Our sense of safety becomes non existent, we learn to distrust our own feelings and instincts and we doubt everything about our lives.

Hugs to both of you. This is a long, tough, journey. Get help for yourself.

After coming home from my second Viet Nam tour, I was diagnosed with Delayed Stress Reaction, a form of PTSD. The formal definition requires things that betrayed spouses have not experienced or at least I hope not.

As a betrayed, I can tell you that the symptoms are similar and the feelings that go with them are close as well.

The sense of overwhelming loss of self, paralyzing sadness and 'learned helplessness' all fit.

No, it's not PTSD. But it can be difficult to tell the difference sometimes.

Actually, my IC told me infidelity has an impact on the BS akin to PTSD. No, it's not from the same cause as our military experience but the effects / results are often much the same. As Merlin said, not the same but difficult to tell the difference.

Add me to the list of having PTSD ;( I actually had it before from a traumatic medical event and Dday made it resurface ;( it sucks. For me it was so odd - as soon as I realized the victim mentality was what triggered it - it was easier to get a grip. I still have a few symptoms once in a while but not often anymore thank goodness.

People can get PTSD from a variety of reasons. The catastrophic destruction of one's life is one of those reasons.

Absolutely a BS can experience and suffer from PTSD. There is also secondary ptsd, which comes from residing with a person with the PTSD diagnosis.

The VA is a great resource for both PTSD as well as family/ marital counceling. The right councelor is a valuable resource because thy have an extremely diverse exposure to PTSD.

I would suggest researching resources at the va a social worker will be your greatest ally.

I have had nothing but good experience with the va resources.

Good luck.

We did experience death. My IC told me it was the death of my marriage as I knew it. Sadler, I know that it's true.

I have PTSD symptoms regarding stuff pre A and during A and around dday. I think it's the reliving things constantly and not being able to get past them that's the key bit not what those things are. I'm getting EMDR therapy for this. It is helping

I don't know about full blown PTSD but I definitely have stress reactions of a type I've never had before in my life. Never thought I'd have a panic attack at work.

I just got my intake paperwork for a therapist and it sucks that on the initial assessment I can answer "Extremely bothered" to almost every single assessment question.

Nervousness or shakiness, feeling sad or blue, heart pounding or racing, feeling hopeless about the future, feeling everything is an effort, spells of terror or panic, feelings of worthlessness, feeling no interest in things.

Yes, yes, yes to all of the above.

A good book that describes this and also gives good advice on how to heal from the trauma:

'Transcending Post Infidelity Stress Disorder' by Dr. Ortman.

I totally agree with the assessment that PTSD is akin to finding out the one you based your entire existence on has betrayed you and gone outside of your relationship to another.

DOD = 9/27/13

Working on it - very hard.

I have heard that it is not true PTSD but I had problems post dday that seemed to fit the definition. It persisted for a few years, intense anxiety triggered by events or places that reminded me of dday and the ensuing weeks.

I am glad to say that it ultimately resolved once our marriage healed, but that was after treading a hard road for a few years.

BS Only

[This message edited by SI Staff at 4:45 AM, November 19th (Tuesday)]

I kinda agree with Army. I think infidelity triggers anxiety attacks (which can be similar to PTSD but PTSD has the added element of fearing for your life and/or witnessing horrors and having absolutely no control over the enviroment.

My IC mentioned possible PTSD, but I'm thinking it was anxiety. For about 5 months after DD (during S), I has insomnia and night terrors.

During the day I sometime felt my heart would leap out of my chest and I had a couple of panic attacks (that was honestly the worst part). A few times legs would buckle and I'd lose my balance (twice I had to grab onto a table to not fall over). I lost 30 pounds in about 2 months (putting me underweight on BMI) and my hair started falling out (and did for about a year).

and while I think this was anxiety attack rather than PTSD, it was HORRIBLE.

PTSD develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.

PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes

PTSD affects about 7.7 million American adults, but it can occur at any age, including childhood. Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men, and there is some evidence that susceptibility to the disorder may run in families.

Anyone can get PTSD at any age. This includes war veterans and survivors of physical and sexual assault, abuse, accidents, disasters, and many other serious events.

Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some people get PTSD after a friend or family member experiences danger or is harmed. The sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can also cause PTSD.

Latest from NIMH. I would contend that an affair constitutes abuse or other serious event.

Risk factors for PTSD include:

Living through dangerous events and traumas

Having a history of mental illness

Getting hurt

Seeing people hurt or killed

Feeling horror, helplessness, or extreme fear

Having little or no social support after the event

Dealing with extra stress after the event, such as loss of a loved one, pain and injury, or loss of a job or home.

Also from the National Institute for Mental Health. The last three might sound familiar to many of the BS here. The definition you are using is outdated. I mean no disrespect, but there are other causes for PTSD.

A little background. I am a Critical Incident Stress Debriefer. I'm the guy who the firefighters and cops talk to after an *incident*. Actually anyone who has been through a major trauma, either as a witness or a *participant*. I personally had a 19 yo girl die in my arms from a flailed chest/severed arm. I pinched the axillary closed with my fingers for the 30 minute ambulance ride to the hospital.

I haven't been on the sharp end, but I think I can talk PTSD. Believe me, a BS can suffer PTSD.

ETA littlemrsV0813 sorry for the t/j. Yes, of course you can suffer PTSD.

Strength

[This message edited by 5454real at 1:06 AM, November 19th (Tuesday)]

I'm afraid my viewpoint may be somewhat unpopular. As a military member (who has deployed) I think that PTSD, even in our circles, is over prescribed. Don't get me wrong, I certainly believe it is a very real and very distressing condition but I see many service people diagnosed with having PTSD when often it is an adjustment disorder or a normal response to a traumatic situation.

As an infidelity "survivor" I've experienced the flashbacks, the panic attacks and the deep depression but I don't believe this to be PTSD, coming back from deployments I've had issues with settling back in, again I don't believe this to be PTSD. I am however responding in a normal way to difficult situations.

I understand the need to label our responses, it neatens things up, makes s normal, relatable and fixable but I've also seen first hand true PTSD and am wary of labelling a traumatic response as such.