Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

[Guest]

My daughter has been (once again) diagnosed with PTSD / rule our Major Depressive Disorder. She has been in / out of hospitals x3 in 3 wks for suicidal thoughts, and self injury, and eventually, attempted suicide. She was in therapy 2 yrs ago when she was "seeing" the attacker who was "threatening her verbally". Now, she is "seeing and speaking" to her nanny (deceased grandma), who is telling her to "be a good girl and don't hurt yourself...everybody loves you and doesn't want you to hurt yourself". Sometimes she "brings" grandpa (also deceased) but he "just sits there and smiles,,,he doesn't say anything". she is currently taking Paxil and Trazidone (?). It has been very difficult to get her into a Thearapist, but she has an appointment next week. These hallucinations are very frightening to me...but I don't believe they are to my daughter because only kind things are "spoken". I have been doing a lot of research on PTSD depression and SI, but can't find much of anything relating to this....is this "part of PTSD"? or is this a sympton of something else?

[Guest]

While intrusive thoughts and flashbacks are part of PTSD, these sort of hallucinations are more rare. It is hard to diagnose and treat over the Web so all I say must be taken with a grain of salt. We do find that victims of trauma have more fragile egos which may make these sort of experiences happen on occasion. This fragile ego is also the reason why the truthfulness of so called "recovered memories" of abuse is uncertain and controverial. So, we do see these kind of experiences in individuals wiht PTSD even though it is not formally part of the diagnostic criteria. Whether something else is also involved, I couldn't say.
[quote] My daughter has been (once again) diagnosed with PTSD / rule our Major Depressive Disorder. She has been in / out of hospitals x3 in 3 wks for suicidal thoughts, and self injury, and eventually, attempted suicide... [/quote]

[Guest]

thank you for responding so quickly. By asking whether something else could be involved, I suppose I am asking if there is a possibility of this being schizophrenia or some other mental health problem? are hallucinations seen in "major depressive disorders" bipolar, etc?

Also, is it possible for someone to "fake" all of this? Of course, that would seem to be a problem all in itself, in my opinion.

Is it not a good idea to ask my daughter about particular past incidences that may have "triggered" this? For instance, sexual harrassment by a boy at school, and I have seen on the computer that she has a "favorite" site she went to "sad love quotes"...in other words, I am searching for some answers. I don't want to upset her by asking questions...

I realize that all you know is what I have told you, and I will take all you say with a grain of salt...but with the information that I have given you, assuming she stays in therapy, do you think she will have a good chance of recovery? She is 14.

[quote] While intrusive thoughts and flashbacks are part of PTSD, these sort of hallucinations are more rare. It is hard to diagnose and treat over the Web so all I say must be taken with a grain of salt... [/quote]

[Guest]

I was disappointed that there hasn't been another reply...my daugter since the last post had another "incident" where she called a former teacher, talked about a loaded gun, and now says she doesn't remember most of the conversation...could this be the medication?
[quote] thank you for responding so quickly. By asking whether something else could be involved, I suppose I am asking if there is a possibility of this being schizophrenia or some other mental health problem... [/quote]