[MotownJohnny]

Yuck ... I know it's "harmless" in the sense that it's just anxiety, as my doctor told me about 9 months ago.

It's just so ... unpleasant is a good word for mine, because it's nothing debilitating, it just makes for a bad day. And of course, bam, out of the blue, it hits you.

PTSD/CPTSD - the "gift" that never stops giving.

[seesaw]

I find anxiety and panic attacks very debilitating. I mean, how are you supposed to function, interact with others, concentrate, think, do work, when you are in the midst of a panic attack or flashback?

My psychiatrist has said that I should be able to recover enough over the next few weeks as we sort out medications so that I can go back to work, but it will never go away for me. I will always be coping, the question is only how well will I be coping over time?

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack your post, but it just triggered me a little bit when people, especially doctors, don't seem to understand how much is affects your ability to live and perform every day normal tasks.

Yes, you're right. It's the gift that keeps giving.

[Open Eyes]

Yes, these episodes that come up are intrusive and inconvenient and can throw off a day. I think it is important to keep in mind that when a trauma takes place it is something that a person lives through, didn't have a way to stop it or understand it, or was caught off guard in some way.

I have used the example of snakes a lot here, a person goes for a walk in the woods and is so busy looking at the trees and other things doesn't see a snake on the ground and gets bitten. From that moment on the person will become obsessed by snakes and will always be distracted every time they walk in the woods from then on. That being said, the person will also make an effort to identify the snake and learn all about it so the person can develop more awareness and be more careful, even learn what snakes are poisonous, where they can be found verses what snakes are not poisonous and while a bite may hurt, you will survive it. Yet, even though more knowledge is gained, a walk in the woods will always be different, this is the case with human nature and in the nature of all mammals as it is simply part of how we become aware, more careful in order to survive and thrive.

The reality is that a lot of people have these challenges and they will avoid certain situations that they feel makes them uncomfortable for some reason. All people develop their own coping methods while they navigate life and being around others. It is just that with PTSD, these different challenges are "magnified" which make it more intrusive and inconvenient for the person who has PTSD.

All challenging life experiences changes a person, no one can go back to who they were before a bad experience takes place and we all do have bad experiences. The important thing to recognize is that while these inconvenient reminders happen, you really do not have to decide to feed into them or even decide you are now cursed or will eventually face some kind of scenario where you might lose everything either. When these episodes take place, do something that is mundane so your brain can realize, OK, no emergency, stop producing the cortisol or adrenaline for the fight or flight response, and as you do the mundane and your brain realizes this, the cortisol or adrenaline build up will dissipate allowing you to calm down and focus again.

Mowtown, you have gained substantially, you have made some good choices and have decided to engage yourself in life again. You have taken control of the adrenaline and you do things to burn it off leaving you with a more satisfied feeling. You also need to learn to develop good skills in "meditation or yoga" so you can also utilize those skills to engage a "calm and clear" in your mind and body as well. As you slowly take over and build these skills, while it will not change how you have experienced a trauma and are now more aware, it will provide you with more ability to develop control when you have an episode which will help you shorten the episode instead of unknowingly feeding into it where it affects your whole day.

You know you can have good days now, you can see that you have been gaining too. Give yourself permission to keep building on that even though there will still be these off and on reminders that come with PTSD, and yet in all honesty, most people do experience some of these challenges and may just experience what they call, "having a bad day for some reason".

When I am saying all this, I am in no way minimizing or trivializing the challenge that PTSD presents. However, instead I am encouraging you to
keep moving forward with the understanding of the challenge and supporting you to keep your mind open and doing good self care so you do keep gaining.

(((Hugs)))
OE

[Stronger]

Oh it's awful!! Times 10! And you feel as if your heart were pounding right out of your chest sometimes. I feel ya. You're not alone

[Teacake]

Originally Posted by MotownJohnny

Yuck ... I know it's "harmless" in the sense that it's just anxiety, as my doctor told me about 9 months ago.

It's just so ... unpleasant is a good word for mine, because it's nothing debilitating, it just makes for a bad day. And of course, bam, out of the blue, it hits you.

PTSD/CPTSD - the "gift" that never stops giving.

Prolonged stress is not harmless. Cortisol is very hard on the body. Read about what it does to you over time. You will deplete GABA and set off a cascade of neurotransmitter depletion. You will break your methionine cycle and be unable to detoxify homocysteine leaving you at greater risk or heart attack or stroke.

If I were you I would drop the wry celebrations of your health risk and get serious about nutrition, exercise, neurogenic yoga and meditation.

I take a norepinephrine blocker. It doesn't prevent me from being able to defend myself, but it does allow me to experience more of my own loving and tender feelings, and retain my "fair form" longer under provocatation. I love it. I also believe it is protective of my overall health.

[MotownJohnny]

Originally Posted by Teacake

Prolonged stress is not harmless. Cortisol is very hard on the body. Read about what it does to you over time. You will deplete GABA and set off a cascade of neurotransmitter depletion. You will break your methionine cycle and be unable to detoxify homocysteine leaving you at greater risk or heart attack or stroke.

If I were you I would drop the wry celebrations of your health risk and get serious about nutrition, exercise, neurogenic yoga and meditation.

I take a norepinephrine blocker. It doesn't prevent me from being able to defend myself, but it does allow me to experience more of my own loving and tender feelings, and retain my "fair form" longer under provocatation. I love it. I also believe it is protective of my overall health.

Sorry, I think I ruffled your feathers a bit. I certainly didn't mean to, this is a supportive place, so sorry If I offended.

I should clarify what I meant -- by adding the word "imminently" or "immediately" - as in, when I have these anxiety attack moments, I know and need to keep in mind that in that moment, I'm "safe" in the sense that I face no physical danger in that place and time. But yes, long term, it can be completely devastating and destroy lives.

[Teacake]

Originally Posted by MotownJohnny

Sorry, I think I ruffled your feathers a bit. I certainly didn't mean to, this is a supportive place, so sorry If I offended.

I should clarify what I meant -- by adding the word "imminently" or "immediately" - as in, when I have these anxiety attack moments, I know and need to keep in mind that in that moment, I'm "safe" in the sense that I face no physical danger in that place and time. But yes, long term, it can be completely devastating and destroy lives.

You didnt ruffle me, Johnny. Im not exactly sure what provoked my recitation of doomy predictions, but you said nothing to offend me. Also, my psychic forecasts have never won me the lottery, so dont die a voodoo death over anything I said. It was offered with the best supportive intentions.

PTSD isnt an anxiety disorder. Its not an anxiety attack when we flip into fight mode. We are traumatizing and we are also getting primed to freak out. Its best not to ignore it.

[Mysterious Flyer]

"Getting primed to freak out". That's the best description I've ever heard.