Everything I used to enjoy is gone from me, I no longer feel it for anything.

[MotownJohnny]

That is the depression component of PTSD, I guess. I feel the same way about "old stuff" for the most part, but I have found new interests and passions.

[Teacake]

You are numb. So much stress takes us up to opiate release. Try to come down. Be calm and soothing. You went to numb because you are super stressed and super adrenalised. Bring yourself down to calm. Stop thinking about trauma. Stop thinking about stress. Take a shower, and do whatever feels good, stretch or massage your feet or brush your hair. Stay calm and gentle and wear your favorite clothes, make your bed with clean sheets. You are coaxing yourself back into your body.

If you find a psoas stretch on YouTube that you can do easily, do it. Those muscles contact when we are alarmed and gently, easily and softly opening and relaxing them can bring us around.

David Bercelis TRE will help, and you can learn It from his book.

Sometimes we respond to numb by drinking coffee, blasting music, trying to wake up and snap out. It's the wrong thing to do (unless there's an emergency). The right think is to come down. If you cry and shake when you do its ok. Baby yourself a little, lime you are coaxing a frightened animal to freedom.

Originally Posted by MotownJohnny

That is the depression component of PTSD, I guess. I feel the same way about "old stuff" for the most part, but I have found new interests and passions.

I wish I could say that, I feel it for nothing. I remember the things I enjoyed and was excited about but I dont feel it any more.

Originally Posted by Teacake

You are numb. So much stress takes us up to opiate release. Try to come down. Be calm and soothing. You went to numb because you are super stressed and super adrenalised. Bring yourself down to calm. Stop thinking about trauma. Stop thinking about stress. Take a shower, and do whatever feels good, stretch or massage your feet or brush your hair. Stay calm and gentle and wear your favorite clothes, make your bed with clean sheets. You are coaxing yourself back into your body.

If you find a psoas stretch on YouTube that you can do easily, do it. Those muscles contact when we are alarmed and gently, easily and softly opening and relaxing them can bring us around.

David Bercelis TRE will help, and you can learn It from his book.

Sometimes we respond to numb by drinking coffee, blasting music, trying to wake up and snap out. It's the wrong thing to do (unless there's an emergency). The right think is to come down. If you cry and shake when you do its ok. Baby yourself a little, lime you are coaxing a frightened animal to freedom.

I will check him out now.

[Teacake]

It feels like nothing but it is a state of hyperarousal masked by your body's natural opiates. This is the state we go into if we see an automobile accident is unavoidable.

It's best to come down from there. It is a psychologically dangerous place. Your body equates it with inescapable death. When you begin to come down you will be in high autonomic arousal. People can get reckless and hyperactive, even manic. That's why you need to know you are coming DOWN from that numb calm through hyperarousal, DOWN to parasympathetic calm.

If you are doing talk therapy and going numb you really need to stop doing trauma work and do ego building and other stuff. Don't retraumatise.

Originally Posted by Teacake

It
If you are doing talk therapy and going numb you really need to stop doing trauma work and do ego building and other stuff. Don't retraumatise.

I dont understand exactly what you mean by going numb during talk therapy and not re traumatizing.

[Hellion]

I think going numb during therapy would be like if you're overloading your mind with too much about the trauma and so as a defense mechanism you go numb because the mind/body can't handle the stress and is trying to protect you.....basically it would indicate you're taking things too fast and need to either slow down or take a break from delving into all the trauma recovery work.

I have been feeling pretty numb myself lately, trouble is my brains really doing a good job of pushing the thoughts away and numbing me so I really don't know what's causing enough stress for the numbness to take place.

Originally Posted by Hellion

I think going numb during therapy would be like if you're overloading your mind with too much about the trauma and so as a defense mechanism you go numb.

What does this mean or what would this look like? A lack of emotions, shutting down, not feeling anything oneway or the other??

Originally Posted by Teacake

If you are doing talk therapy and going numb you really need to stop doing trauma work and do ego building and other stuff. Don't retraumatise.

What is ego building??

[birdpumpkin]

I feel the same way Newfie Girl. Ever since our fire I've felt so numb. I feel no joy or anything. Not interested in what I used to be interested in. It seems I can feel negative emotions all too well but nothing positive is there...

Originally Posted by birdpumpkin

I feel the same way Newfie Girl. Ever since our fire I've felt so numb. I feel no joy or anything. Not interested in what I used to be interested in. It seems I can feel negative emotions all too well but nothing positive is there...

I fear I wont find my way back. Yu cant FORCE yourself to enjoy these things again, how do you get past this? How do people do it?

[birdpumpkin]

I don't know - you're right. I've heard "fake it til you make it" and try to do stuff anyway, but I kind of feel I could just take it or leave it right now. My big interests are reading and studying languages, and at one time it felt almost vital to me to have alone time to read, etc. each day. Now that is gone. Just doesn't seem to matter. I would love to feel the excitement over things in my life that I used to, but it's just not there.

Originally Posted by birdpumpkin

I don't know - you're right. I've heard "fake it til you make it" and try to do stuff anyway, but I kind of feel I could just take it or leave it right now. My big interests are reading and studying languages, and at one time it felt almost vital to me to have alone time to read, etc. each day. Now that is gone. Just doesn't seem to matter. I would love to feel the excitement over things in my life that I used to, but it's just not there.

I do have to fake it. I have 2 children I try not to involve in my stuff and my husband doesnt even know 3/4 of my stuff. I have to try and force myself to do stuff with my kids. I dont want to force myself but thats how it is....... every..... single..... day.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by Newfie girl

What does this mean or what would this look like? A lack of emotions, shutting down, not feeling anything oneway or the other??

Well not sure if it feels quite the same for everyone...but with me pretty much its like there is just too much so I can't feel it and so I will feel nothing. Though eventually my mind will try to process it and then I might start feeling really on edge and really notice a lot of the PTSD symptoms.

So I guess I would describe it as kind of shutting down from overload.

[birdpumpkin]

I've got a 10-year-old with Asperger's so I definitely understand about forcing yourself to do stuff. School starts earlier this year, and I'm just dreading having to get up early and get him ready for the bus - it seems so overwhelming. My husband thinks it's all just silly and isn't supportive at all, nor is my parents. Everything is supposed to be okay. That makes a lot of sense Hellion. I can see it in my situation - just having too much to feel so just shutting down. Definitely could be overload.

Originally Posted by birdpumpkin

I've got a 10-year-old with Asperger's so I definitely understand about forcing yourself to do stuff. School starts earlier this year, and I'm just dreading having to get up early and get him ready for the bus - it seems so overwhelming. My husband thinks it's all just silly and isn't supportive at all, nor is my parents. Everything is supposed to be okay. That makes a lot of sense Hellion. I can see it in my situation - just having too much to feel so just shutting down. Definitely could be overload.

Ohhh thats makes it sooo much worse when you feel so small and embarrased because of the attitudes of other people. I often feel like im making a big deal when I have no right to. I struggle to put value on my self and myown traumas.

[Numbed]

Originally Posted by Teacake

It feels like nothing but it is a state of hyperarousal masked by your body's natural opiates. This is the state we go into if we see an automobile accident is unavoidable.

It's best to come down from there. It is a psychologically dangerous place. Your body equates it with inescapable death. When you begin to come down you will be in high autonomic arousal. People can get reckless and hyperactive, even manic. That's why you need to know you are coming DOWN from that numb calm through hyperarousal, DOWN to parasympathetic calm.

If you are doing talk therapy and going numb you really need to stop doing trauma work and do ego building and other stuff. Don't retraumatise.

So not hypervigilance, but arousal?
Former would be ADHD focus like, latter like ADHD emotions?

I would of thought numbness came from the vigilance than arousal, as things in vigilance is always there, just see when something draws attention. Like seeing something everywhere after becoming new interest but always been there.

Might be wrong though, seem to know couple more field words than me xD

[Teacake]

Originally Posted by Numbed

So not hypervigilance, but arousal?
Former would be ADHD focus like, latter like ADHD emotions?

I would of thought numbness came from the vigilance than arousal, as things in vigilance is always there, just see when something draws attention. Like seeing something everywhere after becoming new interest but always been there.

Might be wrong though, seem to know couple more field words than me xD

I dunno.

I'm just out of second hospital this year. And I drank a half pint of jack on a coke. I'm not a bastión of mental health. I got discharged from hospital telling everyone I was still suicidal. My insurance is medicaid. I am american. Mg son is a really smart guy. May e we can figure out how to get me good ptsd treatment. Of we do I will share the details.

David Bercelis TRE did wonders for me. You can learn it from his book. He says so. I'm not an example of wonders at this writing, but I'm old, with three decades or untreated ptsd and some serious old person loss. Read the book. do the exercises. Old people exist for one reason: to tell young people What to so. when we aren't religious, you should listen to us. We know things. And we see how life can be so much fun...If you do it right .

Wow!!! So anyway......