Posted 5/3/2010 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
This might be an odd question, but here goes.
Recently my good friend, who used to work in a psychiatric hospital, and who has acted as a sounding board for me many times, mentioned that she feels it's possible I might be suffering from a long undiagnosed PTSD.
we were discussing my problems with anxiety and agoraphobia (which I am on medication and seeing a therapist for) but have never been satisfied about not knowing the cause of the symptoms.
I had two bad car accidents, one at age 15 with my mother at the wheel, and one at 17 when I fell asleep at the wheel and hit a tree (completely sober, just exhausted when my mom forced me to drive an hour home despite me telling her I was too tired to drive).
After the second accident, I became terrified to be a passenger in a car. I wouldn't ride in a vehicle unless I was driving for years. Eventually, I got over it, but never completely. I'm 29 now, and I still cringe and hold on when in the passenger seat with anyone else behind the wheel.
I used to drive all over the place, long road trips constantly, and I loved it. I loved being behind the wheel, the open road, I was fearless and carefree. Then suddenly for no reason I started becoming afraid to leave the house.
Now a days, I'm more or less housebound. I don't have panic attacks, but I can't tolerate leaving the house without my husband. Sometimes the house gets so confining that I force myself to get out, either with friends (which ends up being uncomfortable and not nearly as much fun as it should) or to run errands. But as soon as I leave, I want to get home as soon as possible, and won't leave again for days, or a week or more.
I worry constantly about all the bad things that could happen out there, and usually the scenarios center around the traveling bit. accidents and such, weather I'm driving or not. But I also can't stand to be around people and places that are unfamiliar. My husband has to accompany me to any place new the first few times until I feel comfortable enough to try it on my own.
In short, my question is, these symptoms started about 4 or 5 years ago and have steadily gotten worse. Could this be PTSD from the car accidents? Or is this just old fashioned GAD without any cause I can pinpoint? It's really frustrating for me not being able to pinpoint why this started, i feel like if i knew why this is happening to me I could make big steps towards getting better.