PTSD and Trauma recovery

[Tuff Stuff]

Symptoms of PTSD can include:

• Hypervigilance and scanning Yes
• Elevated startle response No
• Blunted affect, psychic numbing Yes
• Aggressive, controlling behavior (a high degree of insistence on getting your way) Yes,but less so these days
• Interruption of memory and concentration Yes
• Depression Yes,taking meds for it
• Generalized anxietyYes,just less these days
• Violent eruptions of rage No,not these days
• Substance abuse No
• Intrusive recall -- different from normal memory in that it brings with it stress and anxiety Yes
• Dissociative experiences, including dissociative flashbacks Yes
• Insomnia Yes
• Suicidal ideation Yes
• Survivor guilt Yes

Thoughts?

Now what?

[TruTexan]

Originally Posted by Tuff Stuff

Symptoms of PTSD can include:

• Hypervigilance and scanning Yes
• Elevated startle response No
• Blunted affect, psychic numbing Yes
• Aggressive, controlling behavior (a high degree of insistence on getting your way) Yes,but less so these days
• Interruption of memory and concentration Yes
• Depression Yes,taking meds for it
• Generalized anxietyYes,just less these days
• Violent eruptions of rage No,not these days
• Substance abuse No
• Intrusive recall -- different from normal memory in that it brings with it stress and anxiety Yes
• Dissociative experiences, including dissociative flashbacks Yes
• Insomnia Yes
• Suicidal ideation Yes
• Survivor guilt Yes

Thoughts?

Now what?

I have a lot of that going on with me, most of it actually. I have PTSD, anxiety, can't handle stress,severe depression, and night terror dreams. I take meds for anxiety and depression, and my doctor wants me to try a drug that's been found useful for my night terror dreams. But my primary care physician says nope, I can't take it because of my high blood pressure medication. She wants me to find something else that can help me. Short of just living with broken sleep all the time from the night terror dreams, there is no other treatment for them. I take meds to help me fall asleep, because without it, I can't shut my brain off to do that.
I typically get maybe 4 to 5 hours of broken sleep a night. When the night terrors start , i wake up constantly and it's one dream after another when I fall back to sleep after a while of being up.

[Tuff Stuff]

I sleep,just not regular hours.I have learned to recognize the signs in me and that is when I need to be left alone and think it through.This is not going to make much sense to some,but when i'm good,i'm really good..and when i'm bad,i'm really bad.I've lived with it most of my life...doctors couldn't help,most meds did not work.I don't like stress,but if it gets too much,i'll jump in my van and drive...and how far i drive depends on how much stress is in my life.Flashbacks can be troublesome,there are some memories i don't wish to relive...i have a good productive life and i'm mostly a positive person.I know how to deal with my illness...and that is being alone.I do know that is not for everyone,being alone i mean,so i encourage others to seek help if it gets to be too much.

I should not have ended my post with now what?.

[boioboi]

Stress is a huge trigger for me. Stress, feeling out of control, and lack of sleep are often the perfect storm for PTSD triggers. It's less so about the flashbacks and more so about the emotional vomit that'll come up at the shittiest times. Today my anxiety has bee horrid. My emotional support dog got into the trash and ate a bunch of pads (gross!) and although she's still pooping, I'm terrified that she has a stomach blockage and will have to go in for surgery and will die (she's an old pup - 15 years old). I'm angry at myself for forgetting that I left the bathroom door open during our week long vacation and forgot to close it before my spouse and I went out. ...I'm terrified I've killed my baby. ....it's not a good feeling.