Untreated PTSD Impacts on Female Health Care
How to Put One’s Health First during Healing from Trauma
When my life was in a downward spiral from untreated PTSD due to sexual assaults in my teens, I went without insurance coverage for years and years. This meant that I did not get routine mammograms to see if I had breast cancer. I also did not see an internist, dentist, or other medical professionals for basic maintenance appointments for my overall health and wellness.
I am one of the fortunate ones that went without breast mammograms for so long but did not get breast cancer. But many, many women who do not have medical insurance to cover breast exams, DO get breast cancer – and many of them end up dead prematurely.
Even when I did get insurance to cover the breast exam, I was so used to being in denial about my health, I often did not go to the examination. I was in denial of my health due to my untreated PTSD because I avoided thinking and feeling so that I would not remember the painful memories. This avoidance of thinking, in this case, led me to not think about my healthcare and that definitely included getting mammograms for my breast health. Again, my avoidance was not limited to mammograms. It included pap exams and all other forms of healthcare.
Women can be quite fearful to get their breasts examined even when they don’t suffer from PTSD because avoidance is a coping mechanism of many, but when we are dealing with PTSD, the avoidance/denial increases exponentially.
Why Trauma Hinders Self-Care
Trauma survivors often have trouble seeing and accepting their own needs for good self-care because:
They don’t like to bring attention to themselves, as the inner world has been painfully overwhelming, or being seen by others was risky or dangerous.
They don’t know how to trust attention from others because historically, attention has been abusive or negative.
Their tolerance for pain and discomfort is high. It needed to be!
They don’t believe they deserve the good that life has to offer.
They have limited knowledge of how life can be different or think that it can be different only for other people.
9 Signs You Need Better Self-Care Due to Trauma:
You avoid going to the doctor.
You sleep poorly, without looking at what you need to sleep better.
You seek comfort from food (especially unhealthy ones), or your relationship with food is a constant struggle for you.
You dismiss your body’s need for healthy exercise.
You often reject the idea of asking for help.
You overschedule yourself as a way of life.
You regularly use alcohol (or another substance) as a way of relaxing.
You use pain, like digging your fingernails into your skin, when you’re overwhelmed.
Money causes you a great deal of stress.
Source: 9 Signs You Need Better Self-Care and May Be a Trauma Survivor-Brickell and Associates, LLC
Summary
When you suffer from PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder or Complex post-traumatic stress disorder, it may help you immensely to know the above so that you can make another choice in your healthcare. I use the example of mammograms, but it can be all areas of healthcare from seeing an internist for bloodwork to the dentist for regular teeth cleaning and x-rays, to getting a yearly pap examination. Knowledge is power. For a very long time, we did not understand the significant symptoms of C-PTSD. Complex PTSD is a fairly new term. All the symptoms of PTSD apply but there are additional symptoms. Please click on this link to familiarize yourself with C-PTSD symptoms as it relates to trauma and sexual assault survivors. Prior, It was primarily focused on veterans of war. I hope you can begin to understand how these symptoms may impact your choices when it comes to your health, when you know – you can grow. Your body, mind and spirit will thank-you. Be well.
