[Teacake]

Mental health workers who are not doctors or physiologists or people who have experienced "Big T Trauma" (I can tell) keep telling me to visualise roots growing out of my feet or energética shields forming around me.

Is there an iota of evidence that this works for hyperarousal associated with having to physically grapple and be prepared to fight someone who outclasses you?

I am a very physical person. My traumas were physically threatening and requiere inmediatez physical action. I do well with direct physical interventions. Karate and yoga work for me.

Maybe if I were traumatised by psychic atrack a psychic shield would be useful to me.

I used to imagine bringing up a wall of fire around me when ex-monster did his rage thing. He was very sensitive to "energy". Obviously he sensed when I tried to feel into him and it made him angry.

Was I wrong in being so thoroughly dismayed that the psychologist who was to teach me something about PTSD wanted to teach me how to make a psychic shield around me? I learned it from reading some psychic girls website. I did enjoy and appreciate the website. What did medicaid pay this psychologist to teach me the same thing?

Am i unduly crítical?

I use visualisation all the time. I visualise my traumatised friends laughing in the sun, healed and relaxed.

I do the meditation where you breathe in what is bad and breathe it out as something good.

I know how to use my imagination to soothe my body. I did it as a little child. Scary dream about Batman. Make it a film. Make stills of the scary frames. I knew how that was done tell tv. Burn the scary stills. Sweep up the ash. Put it in a jar. Put parafin on the jar. Then a lid. Bury the jar. Plant an evergreen over it...crocuses around the evergreen, wait.for them to come up and bloom...then of course im dreaming of all these things...

If that stuff worked for ptsd I wouldnt have the symptoms I have.

Are people crazy to take me by ambulsnce from one end if the metro área to another to teach me how to put up an imaginarte shield and get so mad that I ridiculed the idea, while apparently showing some ability to work with other traumatised people that I had to be MacMurphied, slandered to other pariente and when they rebelled I had to be retraumstised and drugged punitively.

I KNOW im still hard to follow. I still go to the retraumatisation. I am still waiting for Prozac to be gone. I am still reeling from innocent error and malicious misconduct in all my attempts at ptsd treatment. Its ****ing with me.

If there is any scientific evidence that visualisation works to reduce ptsd symptoms Id like to see it.

I was just horrified when I was in the wellness center and with another client dealing with a man who suspecred hed been raped. I didnt KNOW what to do except keep him talking and show nothing but positive regaré and get him so i knew he would sit right while I got someone who could get him to hospital. A zillion mental health workers putting neurotoxic blue frosting fake in their mouths with glazed eyes and im alone working with the rape victim. Until I got a girl trained in this and thank dogs it was the compassionate empathic awake one who had talked me down. But after it was over this one said it distressed her that they all had gone to a back room to debrief, but I was excluded for confidentiality. But I needed "debriefing" because i had my own trauma and now this guys trauma. I asked what kind of debriefing they do. They visualise him drifting further and further away tell them. I was so horrified. I said for christs sake, dont do that, visualise him getting really good help, smiling at helpful nurses, walking strong and confident, looking healthy and well. Not drifting away!. Is it any wonder they are always medicating with sugar and transfats and can't do shte for anyone?

Do they visualise me drifting away? Farther and smaller, until my annoying insistence upon help can't be heard. Farther and smaller... Oh look, another green and blue cake. Made with Crisco! Let's eat it with plastic forks.

I know its not the fault of the people who work in those places. They suffer too. I see their skin and eyes and in too many a posture and body type, and I hear their complaints...if they were evil and maliciously happy it would be easier to walk away. I think that dumb woman believed teaching me how to put up a psychic shield was going to help me. She's probably tens of thousands of dollars in debt to learn that this is therapy.

It all seems so hopeless.

[JaneC]

There is no one size fits all for how to help a person ground or recentre or find balance when completely overwhelmed by their trauma. Not in my experience.

I get really pi ssed off at my T when he, very occasionally in the beginning, rolled out the BS techniques that supposedly work. He no longer does. We are working on figuring out what suits me, some of which are the "usual" techniques.

I'm sorry you are struggling. What does help you in the moment Teacake? Figure that out and then make sure it is on record everywhere you go for help?

Take care.

[Teacake]

But what I meant to ask was if there is any evidence at all that "grounding" helps PTSD. Is there any evidence that a a state of groundedness even exists? Can it be defined on medical terms?

Are we being given imaginary treatment for a real disorder? Ground. What does that even mean? So know how to do it. It doesn't keep me from stepping into a noose to.find the sweet spot. Get grounded. Can I stay grounded in my sleep? Can I build a shield around me to keep me from dissociating in the night and waking up a suicide? This is so ****ed up.

I was given ER discharge papers that say PTSD isn't life threatening. The hell it isn't.

[JaneC]

They are pretty ignorant for sure saying that PTSD can't be life threatening!

I believe there is evidence that shows that "grounding techniques" can help to lower the heightened flight/fight physical response......IF YOU CAN DO THEM. Therein lies the problem. How do you get someone who wants to run or hit out at others, or has retreated into a dissociated state, to actively try those techniques and keep trying them until they work?

I wish I had an answer to your questions, to all our questions, on how do we feel and stay safe at our most vulnerable times. I wish the medical doctors could find a solution also. I just think we have to keep trying to work through what works for us as an individual.

Teacake, you are a big proponent of mediation, yoga etc so you know the ability of these things activities to help you manage symptoms. I've read many times all the wonderful ideas you have on this subject. I do hope that you can find some relief and solace with these soon.

please take good care of yourself.

[venusss]

Originally Posted by Teacake

But what I meant to ask was if there is any evidence at all that "grounding" helps PTSD. Is there any evidence that a a state of groundedness even exists? Can it be defined on medical terms?

Are we being given imaginary treatment for a real disorder? Ground. What does that even mean? So know how to do it. It doesn't keep me from stepping into a noose to.find the sweet spot. Get grounded. Can I stay grounded in my sleep? Can I build a shield around me to keep me from dissociating in the night and waking up a suicide? This is so ****ed up.

there isn't any foolproof evidence ANY MH treatment work and how.

It either works for you,or it does not. I mean for me shielding works amazingly for anxiety and paranoia. It's one way of relaxing your mind and body. I think the purpose of grounding is to stay in the moment and not to let your mind spin and overestimate the actual dangers.

Not sure if there is "medical" evidence, but meditaiton works... but it takes time to master it. You shouldn't expect it work from the first attempt. Practice when you are in a calm situation first. It may not work 100% but any lessening of troubledness it great, right?

[vonmoxie]

There was a small study (referenced below) that came out a couple of years ago which demonstrated effectivenss of guided imagery in combination with healing touch for a group of returning combat-exposed marines with diagnosed PTSD, over half of whom had guided imagery administered via a recorded CD along with healing touch twice a week for three weeks, and also listened to the CD independently at least once daily, resulting in symptoms decreasing to below the threshold for PTSD diagnosis, and by "about 14 points".

I'd be curious to know what the actual "imagery" was, but haven't been able to track down those specifics. While not directly related there was also a significant study on the very mixed results of positive self talk (also noted below), with some persons actually feeling worse as a result. With such Stuart Smalley-isms as "I'm a lovable person" having been used in that study, it seems to me a significant takeaway that what's said needs to respect a person's current state as well as their ultimate goals, so that statements aren't invalidating and making people feel worse. It sounds to me as though the "magic shield" and "i am a tree" visualizations, for you, may fall into this category. I'd certainly consider, at the very least, advising a practitioner when a particular visualization doesn't feel like a good fit, so that there is a chance to try another that may have better potential to work.

However, I don't see it suggested anywhere that the same results can be achieved using guided imagery without the "healing touch" component being included, and then there is the fact that these soldiers were provided with audio and instructions for specific regularity of use in order to be able to effectively continue on their own. Just a one-off or occasional practice of guided imagery alone may not fit the bill.



Articles referenced:

(NCBI/PubMed) Mil Med. 2012 Sep;177(9):1015-21.
Healing Touch with Guided Imagery for PTSD in returning active duty military: a randomized controlled trial.
Jain S1, McMahon GF, Hasen P, Kozub MP, Porter V, King R, Guarneri EM.

(NCBI/PubMed) Psychol Sci. 2009 Jul;20(7):860-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02370.x. Epub 2009 May 21.
Positive self-statements: power for some, peril for others.
Wood JV1, Perunovic WQ, Lee JW.

[doglover1979]

Grounding doesn't have to involve visualizing or anything complicated. Grounding is anything that brings you back to the here and now. I like to use techniques involving the sense of touch the best.

I don't have any scientific evidence, but my personal experience is that it can be very helpful.

[SkyWhite]

I agree with doglover.

The only time I really need to ground is when I'm dissociating badly, which is a lot lately. Strong smells (pleasant ones), touch, counting, deep breathing. I've tried these with some success.

I'm a clairvoyant and I've heard of many psychic shield methods for psychic protection, but never in relation to ptsd. What are you being shielded from? Is it just a distraction method? It's a little too newagey for me actually and I doubt my T would suggest these methods for my mental health.

I would be curious to see some solid evidence-based research for what you're talking about Teacake.