The average person, even professionals that are not specializing in "trauma work" and "ptsd" doesn't understand how hard it is to struggle with PTSD. The symptoms can be very confusing to someone who is struggling. I have experienced all kinds of triggers, even trying to return to what I did in an environment where a trauma that affected me took place. I have felt like someone suddenly put a jacket full of wet cement on me, even though I was not even thinking about reacting.

I spent a lot of time here at PC and just worked on trying to get my conscentration levels more under control. I would type things out and have to edit everything I wrote constantly and I often left out words or repeated thoughts not realizing it. I had to review everything I had posted the previous day, what did I say, where were my thoughts? I thought to myself, "I am on my own with this because no one is going to understand how much I am challenged". And that was the "truth", a lot of people don't understand how much work it really is.

A person often has to repeat and slowly learn "that is not now" and the person has to really sort through their emotions and be prepared for a sudden emotion to come forward that takes them by surprise. It is so important that when that happens the person is not picked on for it too. Instead, it is better to be supportive, allow the person to just express their emotions so they can recognize it themselves too. The reason people isolate is because they don't feel they have control of their emotions. It is extremely helpful if they are given permission to just "vent" whatever they need to vent, because often it is backwards where the person is not deciding to be sad/angry, it is instead something that takes them by surprise too. If a person is given a sense of safety and freedom so that when this happens they can see it and track it and work through it, it really helps them slowly work through it and actually gain on it verses fear and stress about it all the time.

This is why they have recognized how people do better when they are interacting with others that have PTSD. It is especially helpful when someone is struggling and is supported by someone else that has made gains on it so that they get the comfort and understanding and permission to keep trying, it's ok, they are told, just let it come out so you can work through it.

When a person struggles they feel very disconnected, it is very important that person be around others where they can connect.