I wish that I could point out one specific traumatic event, but I am 58 years old and have lived through many horrific events. I have so many triggers that it is hard to get through the day without breaking down. I need to find some sort of process, book, whatever to help me decrease this anxiety and work through the trauma instead of having horrible nightmares about them.
Can anyone help??
I'm 45 and have been through multiple traumas. Right now, I'm recovering from a bout in court with my ex-husband of 4 years. Plus, a number of other trigger provoking issues.
I've also been in alot of therapy, CBT, DBT, and many groups and all these things help if you remember one important thing. That is that if you have PTSD you'll have bad days and good days...bad weeks and good weeks. You must remember, that the sufferring you are going through is not your fault. That you are a survivor and you will get through this with some therapy with a good therapist, and maybe some meds?
I wish you the best of luck in getting your anxiety under control.
Peace,
Thank you for saying that I am a survivor! I've always blamed myself for my traumas and I've let unimportant people tell me it's my fault. Once I was raped by the same man in a graduate library twice in a month's time. When he was finished with me he spayed his come all over my face. The responding policemen laughed and said that "he was only marking his territory." Then my husband refused to come get me and I ended up walking to my next class by myself in the dark. Just one of the minor "experiences." It gets all so confusing that I end up feeling worthless even though I worked arduous jobs in rural clinics and intensive care units as a nurse practitioner.
I feel terrible with my depression, fibromyalgia, and other chronic pain conditions. I was just hospitalized for suicidal depression. I don't want to die, I just want the emotional, psychological, and physical pain to go away.
Again Mahalo (thank you) for writing to me. I so much need intelligent, compassionate help.
I too have lived through horrific events in my life, and because of this I began experiencing many anxiety attacks to the point I did not want to go anywhere where I would need to socialize. After trying numerous medications, I found Paxil CR has helped the most. I now can attend events where socializing is required and I am not near as negative as I was. I have been taking Paxil CR for 8 months now. This medicine has changed by life.
placobee@att.net
Hello Calwill,
Welcome to Health Central!
One of my favorite lines in the movie Robin Hood is toward the end when the Sheriff of Nottingham tells the children, "I had a horrible childhood really, I should tell you sometime, with the childhood I had, it's a wonder I am sane." Sortof explains my life at times!
One of the best things I found about dealing with anxiety and stress is just to breathe. Breathe in, breathe out and repeat over and over. It doesn't always work completely, but the influx of oxygen is a good thing for the body!
Some other things you can do is exercize. If you are feeling overwhelmed and just need a break, take a brisk walk, or get to the gym. Sometimes I realize you can't do that but there are things you can do in the confines of your home. One of the sections online here talks about steps you can do to reduce your stress and therefore reduce a trigger of anxiety attacks. You can read the entire article here. There is a string here about Globus Hystericus that talks about calming exersizes. You can read that sharepost and its comments here.
Plus you have a phenomenal community here with people who care when you are having a challenging day and need some support, or when you are having a good day and you just want to share. Just login, post and let us know how you are doing!
Stay in touch and be well!
Vicki M
Exercise and work were always my mainstays...but with fibromyalgia etc, I can no longer get out most of the time. Bummer. I know how it feels to hit a great golf shot and play hard tennis of just go for long walks with my dog. But the physical pain is unrelenting.
Darn. But thanks (Mahalo) for the enthusiastic reply. I get a lot out of sharing with wonderful people as yourself.
Aloha
Helen
Hey Helen,
I didn't realize you had the fibromyalgia too!! That is a bummer. Any chance of you spending some time doing activities and exercising in water? I have rhuematoid arthritis and the warmth of a hot tub helps sometimes. I am not as familiar with fibromyalgia although I know folks who have it.
Thanks for sharing! Stay in touch!!!
Vicki M
Howdy,
OK, I'm not a Westerner, My name is Richard and I've always been a Boston area person.
I read everyone's comments. I am also a Multiple Trauma Survivor. In 1 year I was in a severe auto accident, then got divorced/loosing daily contact with my 8 year old son even though I was the primary care giver, then lost my very good paying job, had to sell my 3 level condo, rent part of a small old house and find a way to earn an income when no one would hire me.
The accident injuries were a fractured left hip, damaged left hand, 2 broken teeth, damaged jaw, vertigo, short term memory problems, Anxiety, depression, neurological & orthopedic pain in knees, shoulders, neck and back, lacerations on face forehead and arms.
7 ½ years later, I have surpassed every medical professional's expectation even though I have daily: concentration problems, fatigue and weight gain, decreased strength & mobility, intermittent depression and anxiety. I started a transportation service in 2001 and due to these medical issues, gave it up in 2006. I deliberately get rid of the not so good professionals (doctors, lawyers etc) and keep the better ones. I have great support from my Fiancé. Our children live with us by choice. My biological son has lived with me full time since 2004. I am working on a couple of business ideas that are more suited to limitations.
I am determined to become a better person than I was before the Traumas of Life in 2000-2001. I was in top physical and mental condition then and had a solid earnings capacity. Life is different today.
I govern my New Life with the following 3 rules:
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Dear Calwill,
What you are experiencing right now sounds quite awful. There are many approaches to treatment for PTSD and what works for one may not work for another.
Have you thought about finding a therapist? Have you already tried this route? The type of PTSD therapy that has worked well for me is called TIR (trauma incident reduction therapy). The website that explains how this works is www.tir.org. Perhaps this may be a beginning of not only understanding how a person with PTSD is triggered, but how the trigger from one event can bring about symptoms, and then how that triggers a previous event, and then how that can exacerbate the trigger first experienced. It's like a complex web of sensations, memories, thoughts, feelings, sounds, etc. that can trigger one or more traumatic event all at once.
What I particularly like about TIR therapy is that it enables me to put the emotional experience/response to a traumatic event into its matching cognitive context. (Even though I may be aware of the actual traumatic event, I am not in awareness of all that is occurring emotionally and responsively inside-this is important to "connect" these two aspects as it helps to bring down escalation of triggers as well as support me in being aware of them when they are occurring.
Please let us know if you are looking for specific books to read as well. (I actually recently picked up "PTSD for Dummies". I know... odd... BUT it helps to explain in a clear manner some of the more difficult to understand aspects of PTSD [and how to express them to others who are not experiencing PTSD.)
There are many "how to" books as well...don't know if you were leaning more in that direction. "The Courage to Heal" is a good book, but it was a bit of a strong read for me at first. If you browse the psychology section in the bookstore you may find something that resonates with you.
Please let us know if this is helpful or if there is something more specific the community may offer. (Meds, other types of therapies, workbooks, etc.). I have many books on healing too that I have found work well to accompany the work I do in therapy (emotionally, spiritually, body/mind, etc.).
Best,
Kimberly Tyler
Aloha Kimberly Wow, you are the most informative person I have heard from! You are so right...all my trauma and triggers ve become so complex that I can't tell what I'm feeling most of the time.
Thank you. and thank you for the suggestions about the website and book.
You are a wonderful person.
Aloha
Calwill