Ptsd

[STAYING_STRONG4HIM]

I was just diagnosed with PTSD today. Does anyone else struggle with this?

 

[Catherineanne]

I was just diagnosed with PTSD today. Does anyone else struggle with this?

Yes. I have had complex post traumatic stress disorder since around 1997. It is not easy to live with, but it can be done.

The most important thing, I think, is to gather as much information about this as you can. Having ptsd can feel like going insane at times, but it is not at all insane; it is a normal response to abnormal events in life.

Here is somewhere to start.

PTSD Forum - Welcome To PTSD Forum=

 

[STAYING_STRONG4HIM]

I want to thank you for responding to my post. I was starting to wonder if I was invisible. I will start doing some research on PTSD. The more I understand about it the more I can help myself. I'm sorry that you struggle with this too!

 

[Catherineanne]

I want to thank you for responding to my post. I was starting to wonder if I was invisible. I will start doing some research on PTSD. The more I understand about it the more I can help myself. I'm sorry that you struggle with this too!

You are not invisible. I can see you.

Having ptsd is like walking through the Valley of the Shadow, as mentioned in Psalm 23. If it helps, I can help you to find the path, because I have been here for a while. I know that at times it can be very, very difficult and time slows down until it feels as if it has stopped. At such a time, just focus on putting one foot in front of the other, and taking one breath after another. It will get easier, but it will take time.

Carry on staying strong. You are not on your own.

 

[singpeace]

I was just diagnosed with PTSD today. Does anyone else struggle with this?

I was diagnosed more than 10 years ago. I'm glad to answer any questions if I can. God bless you.

 

[Broken Hearted]

Sorry Staying Strong4Him I just say it. I suffer from PTSD due to alot of diffrent traumatic events that happen from early childhood years to the most recent traumatic events. They only where able to diagnose me last year with it when it got really bad. But Id like to help with what little I know if I can.

 

[STAYING_STRONG4HIM]

Does anyone know how to deal with flashbacks really well or even the slightest bit?

 

[R.A.IN]

I was just diagnosed with PTSD today. Does anyone else struggle with this?

I was diagnosed with it in 2004.

 

[Broken Hearted]

Im working on flashbacks.
One technique is called grounding you use your five senses to connect with the present time.

1 Sound: Turn on loud music
Loud music will be hard to ignore. As a result your attention will be directed to it and bring you back to the present moment

2:Touch: Grip a piece of Ice
If you notice you are slipping back into a flashback hold on to a piece of ice. It will be hard to direct your attention away from the extreme coldness forcing you to stay in touch with the present moment.

3: Smell: Sniff some strong peppermint
When you smell something strong, its hard to focus on anything else. It can bring you back to the present moment and slow down or stop altogether the flashback

4:Taste: Bite into a Lemon
The sourness of a lemon and the strong sensation it produces in your mouth when you bite into it can force you to stay in the presence

5:Sight: Take an inventory of everything around you
connect with the present moment by listing everything around you. Identify colors how many things are around you. List off the noises you hear. Taking an inventory of whats around you will connect you with the current moment

This is just a list of things they gave me to try. You have to try to see what works for you. Using your senses is suppose to help. You can use alot of things. From like a rubber band on your wrist popping it will cause you to think about the pain. Things like that help sometimes. What they are teaching me is to try to stay in reality when I start to slip back into a flashback.

Focusing on your breathing and taking deep breaths is a big part of it.

Another big thing is to write down your triggers. And then write beside it the facts. Like seeing something know its there but it cant hurt you. And if you dont feel safe fake the feeling till you can get somewhere safe feeling. Knowing your triggers and then writing them down and what you can do to cope with them is very good to do but it takes practice with doing it.

Im sorry it dont get better over night. But with teaching yourself some of these techniques and practicing them over and over it will get better.

If you need more things I will be more than happy to try to give you more. Im a work in progress myself and it takes practice. But Im here for you if you need.
Much Love Many Prayers

 

[R.A.IN]

Im working on flashbacks.
One technique is called grounding you use your five senses to connect with the present time.

1 Sound: Turn on loud music
Loud music will be hard to ignore. As a result your attention will be directed to it and bring you back to the present moment

2:Touch: Grip a piece of Ice
If you notice you are slipping back into a flashback hold on to a piece of ice. It will be hard to direct your attention away from the extreme coldness forcing you to stay in touch with the present moment.

3: Smell: Sniff some strong peppermint
When you smell something strong, its hard to focus on anything else. It can bring you back to the present moment and slow down or stop altogether the flashback

4:Taste: Bite into a Lemon
The sourness of a lemon and the strong sensation it produces in your mouth when you bite into it can force you to stay in the presence

5:Sight: Take an inventory of everything around you
connect with the present moment by listing everything around you. Identify colors how many things are around you. List off the noises you hear. Taking an inventory of whats around you will connect you with the current moment

This is just a list of things they gave me to try. You have to try to see what works for you. Using your senses is suppose to help. You can use alot of things. From like a rubber band on your wrist popping it will cause you to think about the pain. Things like that help sometimes. What they are teaching me is to try to stay in reality when I start to slip back into a flashback.

Focusing on your breathing and taking deep breaths is a big part of it.

Another big thing is to write down your triggers. And then write beside it the facts. Like seeing something know its there but it cant hurt you. And if you dont feel safe fake the feeling till you can get somewhere safe feeling. Knowing your triggers and then writing them down and what you can do to cope with them is very good to do but it takes practice with doing it.

Im sorry it dont get better over night. But with teaching yourself some of these techniques and practicing them over and over it will get better.

If you need more things I will be more than happy to try to give you more. Im a work in progress myself and it takes practice. But Im here for you if you need.
Much Love Many Prayers

Those are some great tips!

 

[Daisy215]

I was diagnosed nine years ago, when I was nine.
I am happy to know I am not alone. When I tell people about my condition they often say only soliders can have PTSD.
Thanks for posting the helpful tips, I will have to try them.

 

[STAYING_STRONG4HIM]

I really appreciate these tips and I will try them as well. I think that some of these may work...it's just harder to find something that will work when I get flashbacks at school, perhaps do you have some ideas that I could use at school?

 

[Daisy215]

I would start by talking to your teachers, at least making them aware of the condition.

It's different for every teacher...

But all of mine let me just leave class. I can walk out, come and go as I please, which helps. If I feel something starting I leave and splash my face in the drinking fountain.

I'll think of some more I use...

Sometimes I wear a ring to figet with. For awhile I wore a rubber band around my wrist, and when flashbacks started I would snap it against my wrist.

My counsler gave me these magnetic magnet balls. I just play with them like a stress ball, it kind of prevents flashbacks

 

[STAYING_STRONG4HIM]

I think I've made all my teachers aware of the PTSD, and most of them let me just get up and leave. I'm still struggling with the PTSD though.

 

[Catherineanne]

I think I've made all my teachers aware of the PTSD, and most of them let me just get up and leave. I'm still struggling with the PTSD though.

Me too.

It does get easier with practice, though.

Grounding is very useful. It won't work every time, but it may help.

 

[R.A.IN]

Glad your teachers are aware of the PTSD.

 

[singpeace]

I was just diagnosed with PTSD today. Does anyone else struggle with this?

Hey there Staying_Strong4Him.

I'm sorry you have PTSD, but it's good that it got diagnosed.

A lot of soldiers come back from war with it. Most of them are over it within a year or two unless they were survivors of life-long child abuse; in which case, they could have it for life.

I was diagnosed in 1998. I will probably have it for life but I always keep faith and hope - it's up to God. Once I learned all about PTSD, a lot things began to make sense about myself. This year is my best year so far. As long as I am not around ongoing drama or yelling or violence, I'm okay.

Here is a website for you to check out if you like. Educate yourself, girl. It's more valuable than money.

PTSD


Isaiah 54
4 “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame.
Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you.
You will no longer remember the shame of your youth
and the sorrows of widowhood.
5 For your Creator will be your husband;
the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!
He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
the God of all the earth.

 

[R.A.IN]

STAYING_STRONG4HIM - how are you doing?

 

[STAYING_STRONG4HIM]

I appologize for being away so long but I have been struggling a lot between the depression and PTSD. It's been especially difficult this last week because it was exactly two years ago that I was attacked. Thank you all for caring and I hope to be on more.

 

[Daveptsd]

God is still in control. I'll never be "normal" but that's OK. Things I want to talk about overwhelm most people around me because they have no reference point to understand how I feel. God uses all things for good for those that love and trust him. He provided miracle after miracle that saved my life when I was in my twenties. At the time my concept of Him was vague and my tiny faith couldn't explain or understand why He would go to such lengths for me. Years later, I'm beginning to see.

I'm pretty sure my experiences were different than yours but the continuous traumas conflicted with all I'd grown up believing. Life was not fair, just or even precious. People are generally self centered and don't want to touch anything, or anyone that makes them unconfortable. People will always fail our expectations, that's who we are. Only Jesus is truely faithful.

Life has become a process, not just a series of events. God took me through hell on earth and is using those experiences to drive me to Himself. Let Him hold you and change you.