Coping

How do we folks with PTSD cope, especially when are symptoms are triggered even further by forces beyond our control?

I'm noticing tonight that the sound of kids playing outside, high voices and sometimes loud happy screams, is bothering me. It sounds like emergency to me. I'm ready to fly or fight.

The kids aren't doing anything wrong, they are fine. I closed up that side of my apartment, I have a nice fan on now that provides soothing white noise, and I am going to move to a further room and settle in with a good book. I have ear plugs too if I want.

Also going to take a warm bath to settle down my tight muscles a bit.

My doors and windows are locked, I am safe as much as I myself can control. I'm not in control of the disaster or all the traumatic events. I am not responsible for that and I am not guilty cause I survived. I am responsible for myself and those around me, I am responsible for making good choices about myself. I am able to control to a certain extent if I stay stable or if I get worse.

Post deleted by Petunia

((((((((((((((sarah))))))))))))))))

i think you've done wonderfully as far as self care goes!

i hope you have a peaceful, relaxing evening in your room further into the apartment.

peaceful wishes coming at ya. can you feel them?

kd

Yep, can feel those calming vibrations flowing through the air. My apartment is nice and calm, and now that the sun is set, the little screamers are tucked into their own homes. Quietly, I might add.

How be you, KD? ((((hugs))))

i'm so glad, sarah!

i'm doing well today. i've had a rough couple of days. a combination of flashbacks and feelings coming, as well as an issue that i had to deal with being together with children parts. hard stuffs.

thank you for asking (((((((((((sarah)))))))))))))

have a good day!

kd

KD,

Hope you are getting a chance to rest up and have fun or do whatever is good for you.

I started to get anxious about all I need to do Monday, then I remembered that the bank etc. won't even be open Monday, and that I need to slow down and relax. No hurry, no worry.

I have quite a list of things to do - bath, music, ride my bike, draw, journal, call someone, call another person, email someone, on line support groups, play with my cat, watch a funny movie, pull out the courage to heal text or workbook and do some work in them, the same with the PTSD Workbook and the Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook. work on my book proposals for -La La Land Express and Me Myself and I (both books have now been copywrited). Squish play dough, work on present therapy projects, clean.......the list goes on.

Lists are so helpful, going to work on one today and print it out.

I want to hear more about the books you are writing!

Me Myself and I is an autobiograpy of my life, dealing with child sexual abuse, therapy, the foster care system.. basically everything Ive going thorugh to the present.

La La Land Express is a book of peoms chronoligically from 1983 to the present. the main theme running through the whole book is my therapy journey from deciding to enter therapy in 1983 to the present. Some of the topics covered therapy/support groups Ive been in, hospitalizations, my therapy programs over the years. being diagnosed MPD (now called DID), the process from diagnosis to the integration process and some of my integrated memories. there are some peoms wrote while in memory states also and some life experiences like losing my biological father to cancer, being diagnosed with cancer myself, my son in foster care, finding a teacher after 25 years, and so on.

They are completely wrote and have been submitted to the library of congress for copywriting. Now I am working on the book proposals. Book proposals not the actual manuscripts are the reports that are submitted to publishers asking that they consider your book for publishing. the book proposal has things like table of contents, a summary of the book, how much you want it to sell for, what market you think it will sell good on, what you are going to do to help promote the book once it is published and so on. Once they are published the hard part is going to be promoting. I do not drive and I am writing under a name not my actual name due to safety reasons. I really don't want to have to deal with the death threats and so on that I had to when I went public against my main abuser before. Though he is dead there are others just waiting in line. Theres a foot long word for writing anon. but I cant spell it - basically means pen name. So Im kind of stumped on how to promote the books for sale. Then of course I have no money for agents and so forths so I am the one that has to research contracts and so on...Life as an author...aint it grand

maybe this website could help with some ideas, flyers could also help.... http://www.barbarasher.com/

cool thank you I just did a quick look and I will definately be checking that site out more. Thanks.