post traumatic stress syndrome?

Question:

after falling on the job and subsequent back surgery, my husband can't work. he is a different man. he can't sit, stand, lay down for very long. sneezing just about kills him. this happened about 2 years ago. nothing helps the pain. he is becoming depressed and snappy. we are fighting the work comp. ins co for a settlement. could he be suffering from post tuamatic stress?

Answers:
PTSD is typically brought about by severe emotional trauma. It's been most commonly linked with war veterans but can happen to anyone who's gone traumas such as prolonged child abuse, rape, serious car accidents, violent attacks and natural disasters.

Some of the symptoms of PTSD are flashbacks (in which an emotional trigger causes the person to relive the experience), nightmares, avoidance of anything that reminds the person of the trauma, dissociation, hyperarousal (which is like a fight or flight response) emotional detachment and severe depression.

Of course your husband would need to be diagnosed by a doctor or therapist. He very well could just be depressed and angry because of the restrictions put on him by his injury and the pain he's going through. Chronic pain can be a terrible strain on a person emotionally and physically. It may be a good idea for him to see a doctor or therapist so that he can address the emotional issues he's going through.

Other Answers:
I'm not sure his ailments suggest post traumatic stress syndrome but he is probably suffering from some depression due to the pain and his inability to work and the problems with the insurance company. He should speak with the doctor about appropriate pain relief medications and ask for a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist to work through the depression. A man who is used to working will suffer from some forms of depression because they are no longer able to adequately support their families.

purely opinion here as I'm not a mental health professional..

PTSD is usually brought on by an incident that is considered traumatic - both emotionally and physically (ie, war, car accident, death of a loved one, etc). While it's not impossible that that's what he's experiencing, he could also be suffering from depression due to his circumstances and the pain that he is in. If you're able, have him speak to a therapist to be screened for PTSD or depression.

Sounds more like he is feeling like he is not fulfilling his "duties" as a man and feels awful about it. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and it is much different. Help him find a way to feel productive. Ask him for his advice, find a way for him to make money online or something like that. He really is in pain in more ways than one. He needs to feel that he is still a "man" doing for his family. Don't help him too much, show him that you still respect him and don't think he is helpless.

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post traumatic stress syndrome?

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