Question is this ptsd?

i have a question for as long as i can remember every once in a while a certain phase smell or just where we are can cause a "panic attack" i start remebering things that i dont actually remember going through and i can hear and smell weird memories it almost makes me psychically ill and it feels like a wave of fear rushes over my body, i think this may be PTSD BUT i have no idea where these bizarre memories are coming from, i thought to have PTSD there had to be a memory or a horrible even i have no memories of any horrible evens anyone else have this same issue or know if PTSD can be triggered even though consciously i dont remember anything tramatic?

PTSD is an abnormal reaction to trauma. More specifically, it is a PROLONGED reaction to trauma. Many of the symptoms of PTSD are actually very normal in the first few weeks after a terrifying or horrifying incident, but once a few weeks pass, those symptoms subside or no longer cause a significant amount of distress for most people.

That being said, if the moments you described were the ONLY time you have problems, this would be very unusual for PTSD. on the other hand, if you were also constantly edgy, vigilant or on your toes, or if you avoided a significant part of things in your life, this would be less unusual for PTSD.

There is controversy over whether memories become "blocked" in PTSD. In fact, the vast majority of people who suffer from PTSD end up with intrusive, preoccupying thoughts of trauma rather than blocking it out, so not having any memory of a traumatic event certainly makes it much less likely that you have PTSD, but not impossible.

Of course, this begs the question, if not PTSD, what the heck is going on. There are a slew of possibilities. The most harmless is that you may simply have episodes of derealization (feeling out of body) that up to 70% of people experience with varying frequency. The most worrying possibility is that you have mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, which can produce these type of symptoms without causing obvious seizures. And of course, there are all the other episodes that you can worry somewhat about.

In short, talk to your doctor, and possibly a psychiatrist. In either case, however, don't let them start out by buttonholing you with PTSD--make sure they do a thorough examination and consider all the other possibilities.

It's very possible; I have PTSD due to a trauma years back. I'll smell someone with a certain cologne, or see a certain car and totally freak.

My best advice would be to see someone (counselor, therapist). You shouldn't have to go through those horrible "memories" and talking to someone really does help.

Good luck......

This does sound like PTSD, which I have. It is very possible that you went through something very traumatic when you were very young. It is possible not to remember - but your body and mind still know what happened. I went through the same thing with panic attacks when a smell triggered something...it is really scary because you never know when it might happen. I think it is best to see someone about this to work through it and to figure out your past -- this doesn't go away - and sadly it may get worse if you just try to ignore it...

i wish you the best

My husband has PTSD, and for many years, lived without remembering a very traumatic event that happened to him while in the Navy, after having been in Viet Nam. I always knew something happened to him over there, but never pushed him about it. He had violent dreams every once in a while, and no one could touch him to wake him up in the morning. We had to wake him up by calling out to him, to avoid getting accidentally whacked. About 4 years ago, he started to remember. I don't know what really triggered his memories, but I had to check him into the VA hospital for about a week, so the doctors could help him ( he had been thinking about crashing his motorcycle into a tree). When I visited him in the psych ward, he told me what he remembered. The doctors put him on medication to help calm him down, plus get a better quality of sleep. His doctor said that the event he went through was so traumatic, that he blocked it out of his memory, in order to lead a somewhat normal life. It's a self protection that the mind does. Recently, another event re-triggered the trama, bringing back the memories, especially in his sleep. He ended up having to take more medication, causing him to quit his job, because the medication made him sleep (not good when you drive for a living). Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that it's quite possible something happened to you that your brain has hidden. The best thing I would suggest is to go to a counselor, and talk to them about it. They have methods to get to the bottom of whatever it is that seems to be buried in your memories. Just know that whatever happened to you is in the past. Even if you remember what happened, you have the power to choose to not let it rule your life. Acknowledge that it happened, and determine that you will not let it get in the way of having a happy life. <*)))><

One of the symptoms of PTSD is feeling as though you're reliving a traumatic event. I've never heard anything about smell, though.
You may have undergone something traumatic but suppressed it.
I wold seek some therapy to sort this out.

There is something called emotional numbing that can occur when someone has experienced something traumatic. They may know an event occurred, but they don't necessarily identify it as traumatic, or may not be able to recall the details. Sometimes this numbing of emotions about an experience can come out in other ways (ie symptoms of re-experiencing). Its possible that this is happening, but there could be something else going on either medical or psychiatric. I would strongly suggest going to see your Primary Care Provider and be open and honest about your experiences. The smell could be an olfactory hallucination... these aren't very typical of psychotic disorders although they can be associated with them, and could be evidence of something more medical perhaps some forms of epilepsy (not positive, but look up "temporal lobe epilepsy". Of course as you said it may very well be symptoms of PTSD or something else psychiatric. I strongly urge you to see your provider. They will be understanding, they won't think you are crazy, however they will probably be worried for you and try to help you the best they can.

Stay safe and healthy!
DMZ

sounds like your subconscious is trying to come to the surface...that is good and usually happens in mid twenties into the mid thirties. I am still dealing with something similar and it keeps rearing its ugly head every now and then....each time it is just as haunting as the first time I remember the little details....I guess I don't know if I really want to remember....it is a choice that I have to make so my advise is nothing....I am not ready to deal with it. you have to make a choice...and only you can do it. I guess there are a lot of out there with this and it affects all of us just a little different. Make your choice and deal with what you learn....don't try to live with it on your own once you learn what is happening, keep help near you or a phone call away.