PTSD from a seizure?

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It's unusual to experience PTSD from something you are unconscious for, but if the conscious bits (like what happens as you are coming to) are traumatic enough, that could cause PTSD. If your seizures originate in the part of the brain near the amygdala, that could be a factor too, since the amygdala is strongly involved in forming emotional memories, especially ones related to fear.

The official diagnostic criteria for PTSD include the revisiting of the trauma through nightmares and/or flashbacks, the development of "hypervigilance" (anxiety, anger, insomnia), and impaired ability to function socially, at work, etc.
 
Yep. I actually asked about this while I was being screened for that (they screen military for that stuff all the time). The doctor said it was pretty common for someone to have a small amount of PTSD after a seizure - especially after a first/second one, AND especially if you have forgotten a large portion of the day. The lack of control that comes with having a seizure could spark some amount of PTSD. I had a couple of dreams/incidents after mine (jumped out of bed thinking I was going to be in an ambulance was kinda weird), which is why I asked about it. I was a psychology major, so I knew what they were screening for when they were asking me questions about dreams/etc., but I didn't feel like a seizure would cause PTSD, so I did ask if having a seizure would actually provoke PTSD.
 
Back in the 90's after I had an unsuccessful lobectomy and started have TC seizures, my epilptologist asked me if there had been abuse in my life. I told her that there was and she said the research at the time was indicating that any kind of abuse (physical, mental) has the possibility to bring on a seizure and also cause PTSD. Several of my bad TC's, I would "hear those voices" who had abused me as part of the aura.

Then the neuropsychiatrist told me I was suffering from PTSD and depression, due to all the seizures and craziness.

Check out this interesting website:

http://www.aesnet.org/go/patients/post-traumatic-epilepsy/what-is-post-traumatic-epilepsy
 
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