There is hope

I have suffered from some horrific child abuse and year and half ago I got PTSD due to my mother trying to contact me again and she was trying to secretly see my kids at the mall where she worked as a security guard ( I didn't know she was a guard). She forged my signature and signed my kids up for this mall kids club hoping we would come there. She has threatened to abduct my kids before, so it totally freaked me out.
Well anyways I entered therapy for the first time 1 1/2 years ago, and my T specializes in trama and he is certified in EMDR. After one session of that along with talk therapy, I am cured from it. Does my mom freak me out? Yes, but even my T says she is one scary ******! So there is light at the end of the tunnel. Not only has my PTSD been cured, but I am doing better than before it all happened. So don't up, keep trying, things can get better.

My T says some things will still upset me, but he feels I will respond differently because I have dealt with what caused it in the first place. I think he is right because I have dealt with some triggering things, that caused the PTSD in the first place, but It didn't go into PTSD. I am relieved I am cured from it, because it was so hard dealing with that dark hole. PTSD is very treatable,, It is very hard work, but it can be cured in a lot of cases. I am studying to be a T ,and this is good news. Especially with EMDR and now they have come up with a pill this year that will help with the triggering memories, even long ago memories. It isn't availiable for the general public yet, but it is a good sign. I think it is amazing the reseach they are doing in this area, and it will be able to help a lot of people suffering from PTSD.

for offering hope...

It's good indeed that you received such good therapy so quickly after your trauma...that, too, helps to keep the PTSD from being severe. There are never enough good Ts around. Good wishes on that!

My PTSD was severe, and just because I recovered from it doesn't mean that it was any less than anyone else's. I am offering support and hope for people who are suffering from it, because it is curable with a lot of hard work, EMDR helped me, and a lot of good therapy.
I didn't receive therapy until 30 years after my trauma, so your assumptions are wrong about me and my case.I am here to give encouragement to others, I would appreciate keeping it that way and not by assuming my PTSD wasn't bad. It was, but I am better now. There is hope!!!!!!!!!!

comfort food like MacDonalds help too huh?

I would like to think so, and also chocholate and ice cream! It it doesn't help is certainly doesn't hurt.

They are making a lot of good progress with PTSD. My therapist also specializes in trauma, and says that PTSD can be cured. There are lots of factors that influence how persistent the symptoms are, and how easy or hard the cure is, and how long it takes. I'm glad that you are doing so well.

Thanks you for the validation! ;-) Even the info on this site about it says it is can be cured. It is hard, but can be done with a lot of work. Thanks again.

I think the term "cured" is incorrect. I.E. </font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
The FDA has approved two medications, Paroxetine and Sertraline, for use in the treatment of PTSD. Although no medication has been proven to cure PTSD, medications are clearly useful for symptom relief, which makes it possible for survivors to participate in psychotherapy.

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The meds are SSRIs allowed for off label use.

also: </font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Recovery from PTSD is an ongoing, daily, gradual process. It doesn't happen through sudden insight or "cure." Healing doesn't mean that a survivor will forget war experiences or have no emotional pain when remembering them. Some level of continuing reaction to memories is normal and reflects a normal body and mind. Recovery may lead to fewer reactions and reactions that are less intense. It may also lead to a greater ability to manage trauma-related emotions and to greater confidence in one's ability to cope.


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ncptsd.va.gov

Healing can reach a place where the PTSD doesn't intrude into daily activities and thoughts, but as you both probably experience, it's still there. Let's not give false hope.

There are quite a few people who believe PTSD can be cured, although I'm sure they would admit that the experience becomes a part of you that will never go away. The symptoms can be relieved though through therapy. There are also those who don't think PTSD is ever really cured. Maybe that is so far beyond their experience that it doesn't seem possible. I can't see how medication alone would cure it, or how a cure could take place if the trauma is ongoing, and sometimes it is.

Whichever you feel is right, that's okay. There is no set timeline, and everyone is different. Let's let those who believe they have recovered enjoy their recovery, while continuing to give support to those who need it. Sometimes it is necessary to agree to disagree. Terminology is nothing but words. Okay?

Thank you, Rapunzel for saying what I would like to say .
I truely think thinking positive will bring about recovery much faster than never believing it can happen. If you believe it will never happen, it NEVER will. I would like MY thread to remain POSITIVE.
Well I am living proof that I am recovered from PTSD. There are many cases documented if you don't want to believe my story.

I think what we go through is remission and not a total cure, as with most illnesess that Dr. still have no real knowledge as to why they happen, we use the meds they give with hope it helps, when meds and therapy help remission, when we have a flare up or relapes illness, not trying to agree or dissagree, after 40 years of batteling this monster called Mental Illness, this is what I live

Hi nothemamaa8,
Do you suffer from only PTSD or is there otherdisorders contributing to your symtoms? Are you in therapy with a trauma specialist who is experience at treating PTSD?

Are you familiar with EMDR? It has helped so many people, people that have been haunted for years with PTSD, and they are fine now because they dealt with the memores that triggered it. There are always exceptiong to everything, but the recent finding on PTSD in the last 10 years show it is very treatable with many people going on to normal lives again. Now if you are suffering from more that just PTSD, then it will probably take a lot longer. I didn't have any disorders , just the PTSD.
Recently this year, they are testing a drug out that is suppose to help with the memories of recent trauma or older trauma (like the vietnam war for example). It looks very promissing .

PTSD is an anxiety disorder and most anxiety disorders are treatable with therapy and or drugs. I don't or never have taken any drugs to help with my recovery. I did mine with EMDR and a good therapist. I have had simular things happen to me over the last year, that could of caused PTSD, but it didn't . One just recently were my mother is threatening me (she owns a gun), for telling relatives about the abuse she did to me and my brother. Is this upsetting and scary? Yes of course, but I am sleeping well, no nighmares, no panic attacks, I am not isolating, I am living normally and quite well. The upsetting memoires that cause PTSD may never completely go away, but the power of them can, and the memories will not control your life. It takes a long timeand is very agonizing, if you are just doing regular desensitization but EMDR can give results rather instantly. I plan on becoming certified in this when I am a T.

Another instance, my stepdaugher(who graduated as a Pysch major) was raped a few years ago, and was really experiencing some PTSD, well they did EMDR a week after, and she improved her symptoms almost immediately. The difference was like night and day. She is also living a very healthly life being married, being a mother, without some of the sexual problems rape can cause in people who experience that.

I have a friend who was suffering very badly from the Gulf war and did EMDR about 8 years ago, and it has changed his life totally. He doesn't have the nightmares and is no longer suffering from it. He isn't even bothered my fireworks going off like on the 4th of July.
My T has treated over 200 cases of PTSD with EMDR and it helped all but 2 cases. But those 2 cases had other disorders, like DID. Are we allowed to post links to sites with info about PTSD? I have a lot of recent info that might be helpful for some.

Now if you suffer from personality disorders, now those might not be so easy to recover from since most are now thought to be mostly biological. But they are coming up with new finding from new studies on these too.

They have done MRI studies of people with PTSD and there is proof that PTSD can be cured, it can be seen medically, there is a huge difference in the brain. Some of EMDR studies have proven with medical imaging that EMDR works on PTSD.
I just want to offer hope to people, many people can recover from it with the right treatment.

Hey exoticflower,

It's so great how you've learned to work through your PTSD. I appreciate your sharing this with us. Gives some people hope for sure.

I wonder if some people may have a different view of "cure" because of the semantics of it...... like what you said here: </font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
My T says some things will still upset me, but he feels I will respond differently because I have dealt with what caused it in the first place.

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I think this is wonderful for you...... I just wonder if to some --- they don't see that as a cure but as--- managing??? IDK-- I just know if it helps one to a better life then what does it matter the word???--- cope, manage or cure--- it's all good to me!

Wishing you a good day! (hope I haven't offended anyone certainly not my intention)

mandy

Hi Mandy,

No you didn't offend and you brought up a good point I think.
I believe there is huge difference in just being upset because some memories are upsetting for anyone, and actually suffering from PTDS. PTSD interfers with living you life, it is like being trapped in a dark hole or something. It is like they are reliving the trauma through flashbacks, nightmares, they socially withdrawl, have insomnia, are jumpy with anxiety. It had a huge effect on living your live normally.
Going through desensitization of those memories give them less power over you and when a stressful thing happens you just get upset like everyone else would without going into a severe state of mental distress. But those distressing memories have to be confronted which a lot of people find too distrubing to do, so they continue to be triggered by them.
My T , is brother and sister who are also T's have treated over 1000 people with PTSD, many war veterans who have been suffering from it for decades who finally get some relief after all those years when they used EMDR to desenitize the memories. This is exposure therapy that has been used for years, it works, but it is much harder to heal, and has less sucessful outcomes.

I've only got one comment. EMDR did absolutely NOTHING for me.

I have PTSD but manage to cope most of the time without being triggered. There have been times, though!

my dx's are Anxiety,Bi-polar, DID,and PTSD, I'am lucky to have a pdoc who makes home visits and 1 hour sessions per every 2 weeks, my story is in announcements it will fill you in on alot of my life

I am sorry EMDR didn't work for you, I know it doesn't work for everyone. There are new studies being done right now on some new drugs that take away the triggering memories and is showing very good results. Hopefully it will be available soon, because I think it could help a lot of people and even prevent PTSD after a tramatic event.
I know they helped a lot of people with EMDR after Sept. 11th, but not everyone was open to it . I have hope there will be something for everyone to help.