[lenjan]

I spent last night at my sister's, in the room I had for the 6 months I lived here. Those who especially suffered through that with me (thank you, Miss Jan!) will recall how awful of an experience it was.

So last night, I had one nightmare after another, to the point that I finally said the heck with it about 4:30 this morning and just stayed up. One of my nightmares was about my sister getting angry at me and trying to throw me out of the house. She and her husband and her niece took her side, and my nephew took mine. It was pretty awful.

I didn't realize what I went through here under the guise of "help" had affected me so much. What I'm wondering is, once you have PTSD, does *every* negative experience you have kick it in? Mine originally stemmed from my childhood issues, but I'm strugglingly mightily with the memories of this time last year, when I was literally in a fight for my life, and now this.

I'll be curious to hear your experiences.

thanks

Candy

[ster]

Sorry not to give you a one time reason. They can come out with a thought a smell. In a room. I have been very lucky I have not had a bad attack as I feel tthem coming. when i start to feel a slight bit below the heart more of the diaframe I start my breathing and they go away for the most part. When I have one I cannot breath thru I take a half tab then I take the rest of the pill. I do know that it is the brain resepters that are not balanecd can cause it

[(JD)]

Candy, I sure understand about triggers...and think this is a good topic, but please remember that if you don't receive many responses here (though I hope you do) that when someone here as a member doesn't feel safe, it might be too much for them to tell what triggers them, in case a foe afoot tries to use that against them here... (not allowed but does happen.)

However, I will share my two huge triggers...both because I was injured in a thundestorm and the authorities did nothing to help me. So, thunderstorms and authority not doing what they "should."

[lenjan]

My question wasn't about triggers, really, it was : Once you've developed the disorder, does it resurface every single time you have a negative experience of any duration?

Nobody has to tell me a thing about his or her triggers if they don't want to.

[Numbers]

I don't think every single time but yeah for me bad experinces trigger the PTSD

[Numbers]

I'm a bit uncertain of your question, do you mean if one develops new PTSD for every bad experience. So that you have nightmares and all that stuff about every bad experience you had since you devoloped the disorder?

[lenjan]

I guess that's one way to put it. I mean, living with my sister for 6 months was a complete disaster, but so were 5 solid years of repeated abuse that I got as a kid. I have nightmares, flashbacks, etc from the abuse. I had a fight with my sister several weeks ago that she already has forgotten about but that sent me into a complete mental health death spiral that I'm still not out of.

So yes. One traumatic experience, one set of stuff to go with it? Or because you have PTSD from one thing, do you just have it permanently, so no matter what else comes up, you get thrown into it?

[Numbers]

I don't suppose it comes up everytime something bad happens, but I think one can have ptsd for a new reason if you already have it. I have ptsd symptoms from different times in my life that have nothing to do with each other.

[biplol]

Candy, to me it's relayed to stress.
Anything that gives me enough anxiety that makes me feel like I'm going to be exposed to something I'm not comfortable with is a trigger.
And I have to say, some people, themselves, are triggers to me.
I try to avoid them, I don't like to talk to them, just in case some topic might come out that I'm not ready to discus.
In my case it usually starts with that uneasy feeling, if I don’t pay attention I go straight to anxiety and “poom” trigger time~
It also seems, like the more old I get the more triggers I have.
But now that I know what can be damaging to me, I avoid them and I try to go around them.
I hope this helps~

[(JD)]

OIC ok.. well in some areas (trigger areas) yes it flares. But it is always there for me, not the going away and resurfacing for me. Hypervigilance is top on the list...all the time. I notice things that only someone with PTSD will see (unless trained in observing, which I also am...so maybe that makes it worse for me? idk)

Because my abuse started when I was very young under 3 and abuse happened thru 32, I think that PTSD has tempered my life. My "flight or fight" response has always been activated. My triggers are grouped by simliar experences - like getting in an elevator now because I was locked in closets at 3yrs old as punishment. They have in common small tight space that you can't get out of. I don't watch the news nor read the paper because it is stressful. Once in awhile a man will smell simliar to my abuser - a combination of mint, bad breath and sweat - that is extremely upsetting to me.
I think (my personal opinion ONLY) that once you have PTSD it is easier to collect more triggers because your "flight or fight" reflex is turned on. You are more senistive to your environment.

The most successful thing that I have tried to aleveate my triggers is to avoid situations that might agravate my triggers like the plague. I started this about a year ago. Trying to work thru my triggers hasn't worked for me.

I know from reading posts that others have found relief in working thru the "snapshots in time".

But again, I've had many years of abuse.

[biplol]

Freewill, I don't watch the news either, it has been years, literally I think the last time I watched them was like 20 years ago...

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candybear said:

So yes. One traumatic experience, one set of stuff to go with it? Or because you have PTSD from one thing, do you just have it permanently, so no matter what else comes up, you get thrown into it?

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I think it's kind of like kindling in BiPolar. If you have a series of untreated episodes it tends to make it easier and easier for the next one to occur and the liklihood is that it will be worse. I think the original PTSD makes the threshold for being re-traumatized lower. And then it is all reactivated. At least that is my experience. I don't have a series of different reactions to different triggers. As time goes on there seem to be more and more triggers from other experiences not related to the original trauma.

I don't know if that's everyone's experience. I don't have vivid flashbacks. It's more like overwhelming terror. So my experience may be different from other peoples.

I hope it's not permanent.

[Yoda]

My therapist told me my flashbacks may never go away completely. But the frequency and the severity of their impact has lessened. TV is a big trigger for me, even commercials. I think once something big impacts your life, be it positive or negative, you are forever changed. I have adopted the attitude that I don't want to be defined by my past though. There is so much more to me.

[wisewoman]

Candy, I find land mines all over when I least expect it. No fun. Meds do help me.

Candybear,

I'm sorry about those triggers. They are mean and sneaky and decieve us into thinking we are 'back there'.

I've posted a few times about my psychologist's therapy so I hope I am not yakking on too much about it, but it is so helpful. She uses guided imagery and the results are truly amazing. The first one we did was just going to be about general anxiety, but I chose to use a triggering image that has haunted me for so many years. The gist of it is that in one session, using one guided imagery exercise (which in NO way means you have to re-live the experience), flashbacks of that image have come far fewer times and with much less 'power'. It was really amazing and if she had told me before we started how it would turn out, I wouldn't have believed her! I told her that and she said she knew that and that is why she just gently suggested it and didn't talk about the outcome.

I wish the same success for you, by whatever method works best for you. For me, this guided imagery is so interesting, relaxing, and really kind of fun!

To answer your last question, I am still new to therapy, but I think that the more you learn the better it gets and, no I don't think it is forever. It is just till your mind finds a way to process it so you can get past it.

I hope you have wonderful days ahead!

ECHOES

[heyjoe]

For me it is usually sounds and smells. Though I too am always hypervigilant and always worrying that the worst will happen.