(((brookwest))),

Thank you for sharing how you have been learning how to better control some of the crippling symptoms of PTSD. I can relate to the cold and being careful to keep warm and how cold can lead to struggling with a "ptsd cycle" that is not easy to get out of.

"Overall, I try to pamper myself with comfort, whenever possible. I am unashamed to do this. " quote brookwest

This is an important statement brookwest. This is not something you should "ever" be ashamed of. Developing the ability to "self care and comfort" is crucial to healing with PTSD. In many of my posts I constantly try to encourage everyone who is struggling to develope a strong part of themselves that steps up to always be there to "self sooth and self comfort". It is the pathway to finally "healing" that is "crucial".

What you are discribing here is that you are "slowly" making attempts to "engage" life again, verses "isolating". As you are doing that, you have a part of yourself that is paying attention to slowly "self soothing" at the same time. What you are really doing brookwest is you are slowly rebuilding your capacity to cope again, and yes, it is a lot of work, baby steps, but the way you are slowly going to make progress in helping your brain get back to gaining more balance again.

I had a conversation with my therapist this week and I asked him if people heal from PTSD or just learn to cope with it. His reply was that it is about "healing" because of how our brains have the plasticity to heal. It does take time because the brain does take time to develope new connections and gain strength again, however, as you say by taking babysteps, being patient, his patients do improve and get to a point where they can feel much more "balanced" again.

As far as "triggers" are concerned, it is important to understand that you can "decrease" the power of experiencing a debilitating reaction to a trigger. By becoming aware of what triggers you, and why and getting validated and comforted through discussing the triggers, you can slowly begin to take away their impact. The reaction is merely a ripple that you can control verses having to be alarmed or feel threatened.

You are doing well, keep working at it slowly, and you are right to not be "ashamed", but instead continue to "heal".

((((Hugs))))

Open Eyes