Did I give myself PTSD?

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Hey guys and girls,

Lately (maybe over the past few years - it's been particularly bad over the past year), I've been having flashbacks - mainly of me making an arse of myself, whether it's saying/doing the wrong thing.

I have always been bullied, which could contribute to it, and have also been diagnosed with depression. I don't have flashbacks of the bullies/bullying, but of myself being an idiot.

I think I might've given myself PTSD. I will try that eye movement therapy.

Does anyone else have this problem? What was it?
Thank You

It doesn't sound like PTSD to me, from your description. I would say it is more rumination from something like anxiety, perhaps. It is something for you and your treatment team to discuss.

PTSD flashbacks involve traumatic events and often cause people to have physiological fear responses too - from behaving like said event is happening again, to a racing heart-beat, sweaty palms, etc. For instance, they might raise their arms to ward off an attacker, or duck under objects. You also can't "give" yourself PTSD - it is a reactive response to trauma.

OK, maybe I was overreacting. How do I make it stop?

You might want to read up on mindfulness. Mindfulness is a technique that helps you stay within the here and now, and can help you stop ruminating about past events.

Some ways of practicing mindfulness includes focusing on your nearby environment, like room temperature, light, and the texture of your clothes, or bodily functions like breathing. Another technique is to imagine that whatever thought you are thinking is on a cloud or a river, and is floating away from you. The intention of mindfulness is to stop your thoughts from snowballing, because the more you think about a certain topic, the more it is likely to remain with you.

Here is what seems to be a good site on mindfulness: http://elearning.talariainc.com/default ... s1=1180478