The girl who cried wolf: a hidden cause of PTSD

#ptsd #mentalhealthmatters #gaslighting

Doctors and therapists should always ask this question. Learn about this mysterious cause of PTSD.

0:00 – introduction
0:40 – the body keeping score
1:14 – traumatized while unconscious
1:56 – key clues to solve the case
2:37 – anesthesia awareness
3:10 – anesthesia for cesarean section
3:56 – perfect storm of risk factors
5:37 – baby cries
6:50 – the missed diagnosis and state-dependent-memories
8:01 – tips to protect yourself
9:36 – where is this patient today?

Discover the true story of a patient who experienced partial anesthesia awareness during a C-section, triggering PTSD-like symptoms that baffled doctors and therapists for years. Learn how factors like cannabis use, neuromuscular blockers, and the timing of anesthesia during obstetric surgery all combined into a “perfect storm,” causing her brain to register sounds and sensations she couldn’t fully recall. This video reveals why sharing all medications and medical history with your care team is vital, and how understanding your body can prevent unrecognized trauma. You’ll also hear how she finally uncovered the root cause of her distress and reclaimed her life, highlighting the powerful connection between mind and body.

If this story resonates with you, please share it and leave a comment with your thoughts. Knowing how anesthesia works and what to expect can make all the difference in preventing complications. Remember that you have more power over your health than you’ve probably ever been told—so keep learning, stay curious, and advocate for yourself to get the care you deserve.

REFERENCES

This video/speech/channel DOES NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL ADVICE. Patients with medical concerns should contact their physician. If your concern is an emergency, immediately call 911. This information is not a recommendation for ANY THERAPY. Some substances referenced in this content may be illegal, and this content is not a recommendation for, or endorsement of, their use in any way.

[hotuish]

I am a trauma therapist for veterans and police. I treat some of the worst trauma. I found it’s best to believe them even if it doesn’t seem to quite add up. They are in need of something regardless. Now we are dealing with a surgeon that screwed up my wife’s spine during a knee replacement and he doesn’t believe she is having nerve pain, despite admitting to it at first. She is not drug seeking. She doesn’t want pain management. She wants to be healed. Too many doctors don’t trust their patients and/or want to cover their tracks. I wis she could see you.

[IQTech]

When I had to have a hysterectomy, I requested that I be allowed to listen to a recording of a sacred chant during the surgery. The surgeon reluctantly agreed. After surgery, she said that only two patients has ever requested music during surgery. She told me that like the previous patient, I went into and came out of anesthesia easily. She now recommends bringing their favorite music into surgery.

[minavelez]

I felt them cutting me open during my first c-section so many years ago because the epidural had worn off and they hadn't checked to make certain I was numb. It's been two decades and I still remember the way I screamed as it happened. My husband heard it down the hall as he was trying to get into the scrubs they gave him to put on. They told me when it happened, 'oh, we're just shaving you' and then they placed the mask over my face while lying to me AGAIN, 'oh, it's just oxygen'. Why didn't they just say that it's anesthesia? Why did they lie to my face? I knew that wasn't oxygen! I woke up later and that area on me was not shaven at all. Also, the spot I felt them cutting was jagged from me struggling as they were cutting. For months afterward, I kept hearing the cries of a baby, even when my son was fast asleep. I realize after this video, I must have been semi-conscious after they pulled him out not too long after they put the mask on my face to put me out.

[misspat]

I’ve also heard of people having PTSD symptoms from things that happened before they were 2 or 3 years old and able to form proper memories. I had nightmares throughout life of being paralyzed and unable to breathe which sometimes featured my father. In my 30’s, my mother finally told me that I went through a period at age 2 in which my father would hold me down at night in my crib face-down to force me to sleep there. It suddenly all made sense, and I’ve noticed these dreams have been much reduced if not eliminated (hard to be sure, given how dreams are often barely remembered afterwards, as well!). 👍

[Katie-ep]

Found this most interesting and believable. My friend blames a lot of things in her past on her PTSD. I remember she said she was awake during a tubal ligation years ago and I’m going to mention this info to her. I don’t think she’s been officially diagnosed, as she is angry at all drs. and very paronaid. Now in her late 70, s she seems very irrational. She’s been a friend for many years so I try to be a good supporter.

[Trenchant]

I had a patient who was sent to me for outpatient rehab rehabilitation in part because I have also worked in a psychiatric setting. Everybody thought he was clean off his rocker. One of the things they said was that he was hallucinating. Specifically, he hallucinated helicopters in his in-patient room. Of course he did. He was a heavy drug user who had lost his entire arm in a rollover car accident. They had to med vac him away from the scene to a trauma hospital. So he was reliving this. Once there they gave him anesthesia and completed the amputation of his traumatically amputated limb. He remembered conversations, disrespect from the team, disrespect towards his severed limb, and it’s disposal.
Of course he did have a lot of psychiatric and addiction problems. But he also had PTSD from the accident. And he had PTSD from his recollections of the surgery.

[AustinB.]

I had a tube placed up my nose and down my throat once. I kept gagging, and the doctors kept telling me, "quit fighting it, " and "the more you fight it, the more it's going to hurt." It was horrible. I was thrashing on the table and surrounded by a bunch of people, and the doctor was making me feel very ashamed about it for not being able to just take it like a man.

[briteeyes]

Oh my goodness this happened to me! I haven't been to a doctor in over 5 years because of what happened during my emergency surgery for a perforated colon. I went to the emergency room in excruciating pain at noon. By 2 they realized I had a perforated colon and was sepsis. They had to wait for a doctor and finally did the surgery at 10:30 pm. I woke up strapped down with the breathing tube down my throat and went into a full blown panic. I thought I was choking, drowning and was fighting to get loose. I hear the nurse saying the anesthesiologist had already left and she pulled the tube out. It was so painful . I was so traumatized I have NOT gone back to get the reverse colostomy, I was supposed to get six months later. I have so much anxiety that I wont go to any doctor now. It changed who I am also. I dont trust drs anymore. I had been on pain meds for chronic back pain for several years . I had 7 disc replaced but 2 slipped out of fusion and had worse pain after the back surgery. I got off the meds because I wont go to doctors anymore. Ive become a hermit because of my last surgery. Thank you for this video. Maybe it was because I had been on pain meds for my back before the surgery.

[laurawheeler-pxoz]

Thank you for this video. though it brings up painful memories. At first i was with an abusive husband for 13 years of my life, then i left when i couldn't bear it any longer, bear in mind i only stayed that long because of our kids. After two years of being single, i met the love of my life, and we had a fantastic first 5 months, then my PTSD kicked in and I did a lot of things because i wasn't properly healed, and he left me. I realize now and i feel so empty and lonely inside. I love him

[PlumbTuckeredOut]

I think it's so important for this information to reach medical professionals! While my issues were not from a surgery, for years doctors had been insisting I was creating drama, making things up, etc. I was in a long time battle with PTSD from some trauma I could not remember or describe. My symptoms were very real however, I was labeled as crazy and attention seeking. While I am now recovering I may never again be able to fully trust medical professionals because of the way I was treated- and NOT so long ago either! Thank you again!

[Telenaus]

one of my most common flashbacks is when i had sepsis, & they were trying to put the endoscope to see where i was bleeding in the upper esophagus, for about a year i couldn't fathom why i now hated orange flavored anything, the the flash backs started, i walked through the flashbacks, , i found out the flavor of the paralyzing stuff, , , orange, the reason i cant be surprised touched 8 nurses were holding me down, & the dr not the anesthesiologist gave me a shot, he said"there now you wont remember a thing" boy was he WRONG i can describe the nurse's down to a scar on one of their hands. this type of ptsd wasn't even recognized where i lived at the time i thought i was just insane then we moved to a new state where they had good mental healthcare.

[semolinasemolina]

I literally just went to the urgent care thinking my spleen was about to explode, i couldnt breathe and had been in pain for weeks until it became so extreme I couldnt sleep! But when i got there, they explained i was having an abdominal migraine - my whole abdominal muscles are just so crunched up from all the stress. Im pleased that my spleen isnt exploding - but it goes to show that anxiety is beyond "overthinking"

[markblair]

I have an almost similar experience. I am male, and I believe i was assaulted in pre op by a nurse who firehosed 2mg of medazolam into my IV. Firehosed is plunging the syringe as fast as she can. She snuck up behind me to do this. When I turned on the gurney, I watched her do it. In the OR, I apparently was fighting the intubation, as one of the versions of the surgery report. I had amnesia for 5 months until I had a memory of the pre op nurse. I am now on 150mg of zoloft because of the ptsd

[MsAubrey]

My mother in law hates fireworks and thunder. She was born in England in 1943.

[jenniferwilson]

Traumatic birth experiences do traumatize mothers. If a woman requires GENERAL ANESTHESIA for delivery, something terrible is happening, and the fear she must have had and missing the entire birth experiences is traumatizing. I was a labor and delivery RN, believe me, general anesthesia is only used in emergency situations.

[nelsaf]

The Body Keeps Score. That book helped me find my trauma therapy, EMDR. I can never thank the stars enough for having that book cross my path, thanks to our marriage counselor.

[CosmicCat]

I have anxiety too. My doctor appreciates this and knows to give anti-anxiety meds before any procedure. The problem lately has been the new generation of nurses. Their training has apparently been that everyone is a “drug seeker” and they roll their eyes or give the meds from the point furthest away from me, near the IV bag. The idea is that I get the meds quickly to relieve the anxiety, not wait for them to travel through the circuitous lines of IV bags so that by the time it reaches me, I’m already in the OR and freaking out.
It’s like there’s zero compassion in nursing now.

[chriscross]

While watching this I broke down in tears. I had PTSD prior to shoulder surgery but after my symptoms were worse. I have extreme medical anxiety now. I had to go to the ER a week ago and cried and shook uncontrollably all the way there. I always thought it was a control issue r/t past PTSD. I have been in therapy for those issues for many years and thought it was under control. But after that surgery it came back stronger. I couldn’t understand why it was an issue following a simple procedure and spent more time in therapy always discussing what had happened previously and thought I wasn’t healing despite doing the work. But this opened a door. I remember crashing sounds like something metal hitting the floor, cursing and music, which I don’t listen to much since the surgery. Which was really odd because I loved music prior to this surgery. I’ve always been sound sensitive but this cranked it up. I remember pain. There was a lot of pain but shouldn’t have been because I had a nerve block prior to going into surgery. I was agoraphobic following surgery. It took me a few years to get well enough to function but still don’t like going anywhere and I especially don’t like going alone. I don’t trust doctors to take care of me. I don’t trust them to not hurt me or let me hurt. This explanation makes so much sense. Especially because the pain meds prior to surgery made me nauseous and I would smoke to reduce it. The worst part is it’s been 25 years I’ve been dealing with this thinking that it was PTSD from my childhood. Going through therapy for years working on the wrong problems over and over again and not progressing. I finally did IV ketamine therapy last year and have had some symptom relief. But I was focused on the wrong thing. Sitting here I can hear that crash over and over again. Like cymbals crashing together. But sharper. Thank you Doctor. This may have changed everything for me.

[georgevirginia]

Wow! This explains a lot! i woke up screaming during surgery for cervical cancer. Sat straight up, screaming. It horrified everyone in the room especially the doctor doing the surgery. Then they put me back under and they said i died.. They said they had a heck of a time like they were traumatized. The whole ordeal was traumatic…i don’t remember anything except for waking up screaming.

[joannmartino]

I have ptsd from waking up during a couple procedures. One procedure I woke up while the cardiac interventional surgery was going on. I started screaming and they put me back under. I did tell the anesthesiologist exactly all meds I took, I do use opiates for documented reasons and I am under the appropriate medical care. The surgeon actually got annoyed with me because he was almost finished with the procedure, but was still in my heart, causing alarming angina. March 6, 2025, before my shoulder surgery, I spoke to my anesthesiologist at length about all of this. She took care and administered appropriate meds for both the shoulder block and in the 5.5 hours I was on the table, I did not wake. They are using ketamine when they reverse anesthesia, as I do see it on the list of meds from the operation report. She was awesome.