Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

[boredelmo]

So it is established that many members have been in SD sitautions.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. ( http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml)

Does anyone suffer from this? Were you actually diagnosed? Do you think you might have/have had it and didn't know there was a name for it?

I'm pretty sure I have some form of it. It effects me everyday, I avoid a lot of places now. A LOT. I think about it everyday esp since my jaw now makes a popping noise if I open my mouth and I am unable to chew food with one side of my mouth. I can't even open it up for a good ole' burger. I have scars on my elbows and knees that paint a good picture of what happened as well.

I have lost touch and contact with a lot of my friends because I feel like no one knows what I am going through. I irrationally get upset. Mainly when people say "Hey, I heard about what happened." I think to myself, "What, did you think i didn't hear about it? It was the worst night of my life."

I try to get over it by keeping busy with school and work. I try to joke about it to myself. I try to count my blessings. But at the end of the day, I replay the situation in my head and think about all the bad things happening right now still because of it. It's been about 4 months and the matter hasn't even begun to be settled in the Justice system.

 

[Mandirigma]

Get professional counseling, failing that find someone you trust to talk about it.

Sometimes it helps just to get it out of your head. But PTSS affects everyone differently.

I still wake in cold sweats from time to time, according to some of my mentors this never really goes away.

 

[sacp81170a]

One thing that helps is talking to other folks that have been through stressful experiences and realizing that your reactions are perfectly normal for someone who has been through what you've experienced. The primitive portion of your brain will kick in when you get a stimulus that reminds it somehow of the incident. That's what causes the physical symptoms of the fight-flight response. How you deal with those physical symptoms depends a lot on what you're expecting, and thinking that your reactions aren't "normal" makes you feel isolated.

If you can get a handle on what causes your physical reaction, realize that is a perfectly normal part of having been in a stressful situation, and find a way to deal with those physical reactions (breathing exercises are a very good place to start), then you may be able to "boot strap" yourself out of your problem. I highly recommend that you get Col. Dave Grossman's book "On Killing". He explains a lot of the process and gives some good hints on how to deal with your feelings.

You're normal. If it gets to be overwhelming, see a counselor, they can be a real help. Find friends who've been through similar experiences. You're not alone and help is available.

 

[Coltdriver]

I would recommend that you go find a counselor and work you way through it. You can resolve the problem and get past the after effect of a traumatic event that is causing PTSD.

Your reaction is perfectly normal and it is partly a defensive reaction. If you get to work and resolve the problem with a counselor you can be over the worst of it pretty quickly and you can learn to deal with the rest of it so that you manage it out of your life.

You don't want to try to resolve it without help because you don't have the training to get to the heart of the matter and then work through it. You might get it right but you might not and if you don't get over it then you will have these effects for much longer than you should.

I work with PTSD affected people every day. I can assure you that you can get it out of your life. Its good that you recognize that some thing is lingering that is affecting you in a negative way. Now take the next step and get ahold of a counselor and go to work to rid yourself of the problem. Every journey starts with a first step. Take the first step tomorrow, contact a counselor, and know that you can resolve the problem.

 

[Leanwolf]

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Wha' hoppen???

L.W.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Anxiety

Elmer, I'm gonna recommend that, for the time being, while this is still pending in the system, that you don't discuss it a bunch online.

You've had recommendations about counselors. If you can find a good one, that's not a bad idea.

I don't know what your religious orientation is -- and I'm not going to ask -- but what has always worked for me, personally, is to find a level-headed member of the clergy to talk with. To illustrate: I'm not Jewish, but on a couple of occasions I've used the services of a rabbi to help me sort things out.

What you want to avoid in counseling of any kind is working with someone who tells you what you think or feel.

I get what you've got going on, and I wish you the best with it.

However, you will understand, I hope, that I cannot really let this run as an open topic on THR.

If you have members on THR that you trust with your case, then PM would be appropriate.

I'm going to close this, as we really do not need an open discussion here that invites strangers to analyse you in public.

If you feel you absolutely must discuss this in public, then give it a shot over on Armed Polite Society (APS). I can't guarantee you they'll let it run over there, either.

Still, I hope you work it out without any nasty long-term encumbrances.

Peace, dude.