According to the National Institutes of Health website “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.”
Signs and Symptoms of PTSD are grouped into three categories:
1. Re-experiencing symptoms:
• Flashbacks—reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweating
• Bad dreams
• Frightening thoughts.
Re-experiencing symptoms may cause problems in a person’s everyday routine. They can start from the person’s own thoughts and feelings. Words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event can also trigger re-experiencing.
2. Avoidance symptoms:
• Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Feeling strong guilt, depression, or worry
• Losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past
• Having trouble remembering the dangerous event.
Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a bad car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a car.
3. Hyperarousal symptoms:
• Being easily startled
• Feeling tense or “on edge”
• Having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts.
Hyperarousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind one of the traumatic event. They can make the person feel stressed and angry. These symptoms may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.
Unfortunately whenever a psychological experience is dubbed “a disorder” people get the impression that the person who has this experience is “defective” or “crazy” or of poor character. The thought that PTSD symptoms are related to some core defect in character/personality serves to further increase the sufferer’s anxiety and level of symptoms. Not wanting to consider any predisposing factors to these symptoms may also prevent a person from doing real soul searching.
There is one main reason to emphasize that PTSD symptoms constitute a disorder. That is that the symptoms greatly impair a person’s ability to function. They also rob people of love and well-being. Overwhelming anxiety is not conducive to well-being or loving relationships.
Because PTSD symptoms are debilitating we have to address them, face them and ultimately conquer them. That means acknowledging the other fears/concerns that go along with having these symptoms:
1. Am I crazy?
2. Am I defective?
3. Will I ever be normal again?
4. Why did this happen to me?
5. How can I prevent this from happening again?
6. Can I trust myself?
To start to recover, notice that if you reduce PTSD down to its core essence it is simply difficulty processing that the trauma was then and today is now. For people whose PTSD is related to an experience with a sociopath, the problem is that the sociopath may not be gone. The then and now is blurred. The worst things done by the sociopath are in the past and there may be protections in place but the sociopath is still around. Sometimes that source of trauma is the other parent of beloved children.
Recovery in such a context means having a clear head to really sort out what was then and what is now. Next week we will consider other roadblocks to distinguishing then from now.
Dear Jill,
I hated a hy-pnotherapist when I was 21, and he taught me “self hypnosis” and sometimes I am really “good” with it. OTher times it is difficult for me to concentrate. I have done “bio-feed back” and also use a “relaxation” therapy where I lie still with a vision of my body and feel each muscle, each cell, and my “mantra” is keeping time with my breaths. I say on intake “one” and on breathing out “and” then the next breath in is “two” and the out is “and” and go up to four then back to one.
I can concentrate on one part of my body and raise the temperature of that area several degrees, I can also slow my heart rate and respirations very slow—sometimes. Other times is is, like I said, difficult for me to concentrate.
I tend to “carry” my stress in my paraspinous muscles of my back and so I have had massage therapy (I have to pay for it) and my son D and I give each other back massages, when we are knotted up. We aren’t as “good” as a professional massage therapist but we are cheaper! ha ha
The araoma therapy doesn’t work for me as the scents irritate my nasal passages and make them swell. I have to use “unscented” shampoos and other products. I do osometimes use herbs (my favoritte is fresh basil which perfumes the entire house.)I found I like the smell from growing them in my herb garden,.
I can use meditation/relaxation to help relieve muscle stress, but I am not as good at it as I would like to be, but I do utilize it. Since the aircraft crash I find my my mind “wanders” more without someone there to direct me.
I haven’t tried yoga though I have friends who do. I walk a great deal and that helps burn off stress chemicals I think.
Two summers ago I caught Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and became so weak I literally could only stand for a minute or two and was so weak I could hardly take care of myself. I didn’t realize I even had a “problem” until I finally went to a physician (I’m back about that) and was diagnosed and treated. It took me months to regain my strength physically.
I had another, shorter bout of the same tick borne fever this summer, but was treaated promptly this time, without the horrible loss of strength. It is frustrating to “get older” and not have the stamiina or strength I had in my youth, even that I had 10-15 years ago, but am coming to grips with that emotionally, but do try to keep myself healthy and get regular medical check ups. Actually, except for sleep apnea (which I am treated for) I am in reasonable health for my age, no diabetes or heart trouble anc actually I just picked good physical specimines for ancestors, so I have a good constitution and long-lived genetic material on both sides for several generations back, though I did have one grandmother who dies in her 40s of uterine cancer, but I have had a hyst so no worry there, both her parents lived into their 80s. In fact, 7 of my 8 great grandparents died in their 80s and several of their parents lived to be quite old. Again, one GGM died of uterinie cancer in her 40s. The generation prior to that, I had several women die in child birth but most lived to be quite elderly in a day when there was no antibiotics, etc. so considering all that, I have a remarkably good physical gene pool to pull from.
I have been sick several times since the PTSD from infections, and required hospitalization twice for them, surgery for draining absceses, and high powered antibiotics. I attribute most of this to my immune system crapping out due to the PTSD from the crash.
The subsequent other stressors with the Ps on top of losing my husband and so on, contributed to an extremely HIGH stress level that was enough to sink a bull elephant.
That is why I am so intent now on decreasing my stress level, and doing all I can to keep it low. It takes a toll on the body and the mind to live under constant high stress, much less the continual stresses we encounter.
CHANGE of any kind is stressful for us (all humans or mammals) so I try to keep change as low as I can. People who are stressful in my life I also eliminated as quickly as I could see what was going on.
I am working on my “give a chit” factor as well. Trying to own my own responsibilities and NOT own others responsibilities. Cutting out the DRAMA to the extent possible. Even still sometimes I backslide and get caught up before I realize what has happened. Changing my thinking and patterns is a continual effort, but it is getting easier.
Trying to focus on the positive is another thing I try to do. Enjoy the small things in life, and take joy and pleasure in “smelling the roses.” Counting my blessings is another thing that helps me to realize just HOW BLESSED I AM.
I know it sounds sort of “goody-two-shoes” or naive but just realizing how blessed we ALL are helps to calm our fears.
I can’t remember were I read or ehard it, but once not too many months ago I heard a “blessign” that we don’t often think of.
TODAY I did NOT have a tooth ache. That is sort of a “negative” blessing, but if you have ever ahd a tooth ache, you know what I mean!
I have a dry bed to sleep in, clean water, clean clothes, enough food, etc. the things we tend to take for granted.
When I was young I traveled the world, and I got to see up close and personal people who didn’t have enough to feed their children, didn’t have a place to live, or clean water, or medical care….and having seen that, I appreciate what I do have, because I have seen the results of the lack of those basic things, that even poor people in our country have come to expect.
Just sitting here typing this to you, it makes me feel more relaxed just thinking about the blessings we do have. It is okay to vent about what you lost, and the pain you went through, or the pain you are in NOW, but at the same time, I think it is important for us to “count our blessings.” It’s good therapy.
Oxy,
What exactly is bio feedback?
Yes, we do have it very good if we have a roof over our head, clothes to eat and medical care. It is good to remind ourselves of this. I also don’t have a toothache today! Yay! 🙂 That actually does put it in perspective becuase those toothaches are nasty.
Thanks for sharing all of your PTSD info and treatments with me. I want to start being much more agressive about attacking my PTSD. I can’t afford any melt-downs. There’s just not room in my life for them. I wan to work on being whole and in balance again. Please let me know if you find any new methods. Thanks. 🙂
Oxy,
I think that you’re going to live to a ripe old age. Just the fact that you recognize and eliminate P’s from your life has probably added 20 years. Add to that, the work you do toward eliminating stress, your wonderful good son, all the good you do for other people (who aren’t P’s), and the gratitude and good wishes of all of us on LF – you should live darn near forever!
Oxy,
I second what Skylar said. I’m very happy that you are in good health and that you take such good care of yourself. I’m glad because the world is a MUCH better place with you in it.
Thanks guys! I’m glad I can encourage you! BTW only the GOOD die young, I have lived wayyyyyy too long to qualify for “dying young”! LOL
Bio-feed back is a way to measure your relaxation. Essentially you are electronically hooked up to a monitor for some kind of feed back that goes to a TV or computer monitor. On the screen is some sort of thing that you start trying to control, a bouncing ball or something, and you focus on trying to control that, and as you do, it slows down or speeds lup from the electronic feed back from your body.
I got really bad chest pain once when I was 50 (and a bit over weight) so I eventually had my husband take me to the ER. the cardi9ologist kept me in CCU that night because he was convinced it was my heart. (It wasn’t, it was spasams of my throat.) anyway, the next morning while I was waiting for him to show up, I was BOREd and being the “bad kid that I am” and being hooked to a monitor that went beep beep beep, I lay there and decided to have some FUN to break the monotony, so I meditated and relaxed and lowered my blood pressure and heart rate enough to make the nurses JUMP!
With the monitor and the beep acting like bio-feed back I could tell when I was “succeeding” and when I set off teh alarm I got a “positive reenforcement of my efforts, so I was actually using the heart and other monitors as bio-feed back indicators.
I passed the stress test he gave me with flying colors and he let me go home that afternoon! I think the nurses were glad to be rid of me too! It hadn’t helped me much that most of them were my friends as well. LOL ROTFLMAO
I’m just moving this to the top so that Skylar, Star, Erin and others can see my responses to them. I’m sorry I was so late in responding. I took a break from the board for a few days to try to take care of myself.
Jill:
I am really glad you are able to view things differently.
I think it’s important for us to be able, in any way to get through terror. Terror is paralyzing and we can’t move through a day with any amount of ease!
I also heard somewhere that 99% of the things we worry about will never come to be……so it’s worrying in vain…..and non productive.
Hey, im still alive and so are my kids…..the s ‘felt’ and witnessed my empowerment and I believe this made a difference in letting him feel and know….you can’t mess with us! He moved!
So….keep it up girl, release what you have to to be able to care for you and your precious baby…..and make it a beautiful life for 2!
XXOO
I have come across the above list of PTSD sings and symptoms many times, but came across another list today, ‘Warning Signs of Trauma-Related Stress by the American Psychological Association’
on this site: http://www.forests.com/ptsdapa.html
this site is also mentioned on the above page. looks interesting: http://www.trauma-pages.com/
‘Warning Signs of Trauma-Related Stress by the American Psychological Association’
Individuals who have experienced a traumatic event oftentimes suffer psychological stress related to the incident.
In most instances, these are normal reactions to abnormal situations.
Individuals who feel they are unable to regain control of their lives, or who experience the following symptoms for more than a month, should consider seeking outside professional mental health assistance.
The American Red Cross is now working with mental health professionals trained in trauma. For information or a referral, contact the local American Red Cross chapter or the American Psychological Association at 202/336-5800.
* Recurring thoughts or nightmares about the event.
* Having trouble sleeping or changes in appetite.
* Experiencing anxiety and fear, especially when exposed to events or situations reminiscent of the trauma.
* Being on edge, being easily startled or becoming overly alert.
* Feeling depressed, sad and having low energy.
* Experiencing memory problems including difficulty in remembering aspects of the trauma.
* Feeling “scattered” and unable to focus on work or daily activities.
* Having difficulty making decisions.
* Feeling irritable, easily agitated, or angry and resentful.
* Feeling emotionally “numb,” withdrawn, disconnected or different from others.
* Spontaneously crying, feeling a sense of despair and hopelessness.
* Feeling extremely protective of, or fearful for, the safety of loved ones.
* Not being able to face certain aspects of the trauma, and avoiding activities, places, or even people that remind you of the event.
on the above mentioned trauma pages website there is a short list of ptsd and trauma workbooks:
http://www.trauma-pages.com/s/wrkbks.php
there is a break down of authors comments and readers comments; two books mentioned:
Can’t Get Over It: a handbook for trauma survivors. by Aphrodite Matsakis, PhD (1992; New Harbinger Publications).
Judith Herman’s (1992) Trauma and Recovery book (Basic Books).
the item about being overprotective/ feeling fearful of friends and family was an item i hadn’t seen listed before. like our compassion has gone into hyper vigilance.