[kassie1]

Does anyone relate to their PTSD driving them crazy? I know what is happening and yet it just doesn't seem to go away. I understand that I have this biological trail going on inside my mind that reacts to threats - but as much as I understand it - I can only take so much of being triggered by fears - that may or may not happen or triggered by major events which I have no control over.

I feel like a train wreck and exhausted with worry over things which I cannot control and my mind knows this - but it still reacts and so does my body. I know I can handle most things that happen - which is not soothing anything. I go to yoga class and get nice and relaxed only to come home and freak out when something goes wrong.

I am trying but wonder how others handle this triggering response.

[Open Eyes]

((((((Kassie1))))))

Do you have a therapist to help you? Everyone is a little different with the amount of PTSD they have I think. I think it is important to find out where your triggers are coming from. And I know it can be hard, as I have more than I realized myself and yes, it can be such a battle in your own mind over how you can control this and keep certain situations from bothering you.

Half the battle is getting help in therapy and finding out where these triggers are coming from, what kind of abuse or tramatic situation you were presented with that causes a memory of certain sounds or sudden situations that cause you to fill with anxiety. Once you find out where that originated, then you can work on building skills to help you over come these triggers. But if you don't realize where they come from then you are opening yourself up to just reacting and never getting those moments of calm and peace.

I have PTSD pretty bad and I have to be honest that I still have a lot of work to do on it. But I do have a better understanding of what it means and how I have to continue to work at it. And it can be very lonely, so glad you came here and your going to learn your not alone just as I have benifited from that too. Oh, that helps sooo much. To be able to say how your feeling, struggling and even talk about certain situations that made this happen and then seeing your not alone, that very important.

When I have a bad day and I get triggered by something bad, alot of times I have come to PC and just read threads and posted. I have learned that by using the frontal part of my brain, it helps the part of my brain that presents the anxiety to start to calm down. In an anxiety attack the brain can race and quick scary thoughts can get overwhelming. For me when I come here my brain starts to calm down and be able to do one step at a time thinking again. And I don't just run and talk about me, and my issues. I look at the issues of others and I give suggestions and ideas and then I forget about me and my brain is focused somewhere else.

It all depends on how bad a situation I am addressing. When I first came here it took me a while before I could talk about my issues from my past that has caused this condition.

Those are just some of my ways, and meditation is always good, can you get triggered again, yes, but the meditation is always good for your brain.

Open Eyes

[dalmaoma]

Originally Posted by kassie1

Does anyone relate to their PTSD driving them crazy? I know what is happening and yet it just doesn't seem to go away. I understand that I have this biological trail going on inside my mind that reacts to threats - but as much as I understand it - I can only take so much of being triggered by fears - that may or may not happen or triggered by major events which I have no control over.

I feel like a train wreck and exhausted with worry over things which I cannot control and my mind knows this - but it still reacts and so does my body. I know I can handle most things that happen - which is not soothing anything. I go to yoga class and get nice and relaxed only to come home and freak out when something goes wrong.

I am trying but wonder how others handle this triggering response.

Kassie1, I can totally relate to what you're saying. I have been in counseling for around two to three months and thus far I haven't encountered anything helpful with the triggers or the PTSD in general. My counselor has introduced me to mindfulness and muscle relaxation. Both don't help when my mind is overwhelmed or if I'm stressed. She tells me I need coping skills which I know to be true. I fear that a great deal of the effects of the post-traumatic stress will be everlasting regardless of coping methods. For me, I long to be as I once was but am beginning to see that may not be a possibility. I'd like to be able to do more than just cope with it. The triggers are especially annoying. The other evening I decided I wanted to watch Dracula 2000 because I am a huge Gerard Butler fan and I knew he is in it. I had not seen it before. I watched the first part of it (which had nothing in it that I pretty much haven't seen before) and for some unknown reason, out of the blue, I became so disturbed by it; I had to stop watching it. I have no idea what triggered me or even why. There are times my mom will have a program like Dateline on and a story will affect me just in hearing it. Little things being bigger things perplexes me. I don't have any words of advice and I feel that it is a shame there aren't easy answers or simple solutions. I do hope things improve; for the both of us. Best wishes.