I have probably had PTSD my entire life due to abuse I survived as a minor, but never realized it until I was diagnosed a few years ago by a PHD. At first, I thought she was a quack, but after reading about it my eyes were opened!

I acquired an mTBI in the summer of 2010 and to me, although the mTBI certainly increased the symptoms of the PTSD, especially for the first six months and possible dues to some additional complications, I see the two as completely different.

I don't know if that's just because I've had the symptoms of PTSD since I was a child, so it feels "normal" to me.

Because the auto accident I was in was so bad, wicked scary and I was injured, I certainly had a huge increase in PTSD symptoms. I had a lot more nightmares and flashbacks of the accident in but I also started to freak out while riding in vehicles and I mean freak out like a screaming, scared two-year old. And this behavior was coming from an adult who was completely competent, independent, and successful socially and financially before the accident.

I also think the loss of my reasoning and cognitive functioning had a large part to do with that. As my brain has healed, I've been able to reduce my anxiety by reasoning with myself and being able to meditate - which was an impossibility the first 6-10 mos. after the accident and something I missed greatly during that time because I've been practicing meditation for years.

The cognitive impairment and speech problems I have experienced has only been since I acquired the mTBI. I've never had most of these problems before the accident, except one time several years ago I had very minor and somewhat similar, but nowhere near identical to these for a few hours and then greatly reduced for about two weeks that I now believe was my first concussion. (I work in a very physical field and most likely hit my head and then didn't remember doing so.) Actually, I'm kind of glad I finally solved that mystery.