Exaggerated Startle Response

Don't know if any of you experience this, but I have it very badly. It's embarrassing. People walk in the room out of nowhere & I scream sometimes. Or, I'll be watching a movie & something unexpected will happen & I go ballistic. Freak right out. People look at me like I'm insane. I don't know, maybe I am. Does it ever go away? My nerves are so shattered.

Desy

yuh, I suffer from this but at a lessor degree.

I don't "freak out" or go "ballistic" but yes, I have to peel myself off the ceiling.

If you read other people's posts, you will see it's common for those of us who suffer with PTSD.

Hi Petunia,

Yes, I know this is a major textbook symptom of PTSD........just wondering if anyone knows if it actually goes away. Because I hate it.

Btw, thx for your post (and Mouse, you, too).

Desy

I think it can. (Have to think that!) Mine isn't as bad as it was 20 years ago...

I worked on recognizing it for what it was, and trying not to allow the startled feeling to linger... I don't always jump now, but my brain stops whatever else I'm thinking, and identifies it... I guess calculating whether there's danger again or not?

TC

Ooops. Sorry, misunderstood the question.

I am not sure if it will ever go away. For thirty-nine years I have lived with it.

I was a ten-year-old you couldn't even take to the fireworks. It was awful.

But I can tell you, for me, it goes through different levels of intensity.

If I am stressed to the max, a pin dropping will set me off. And vice-versa.

Yes, I suffer from this very badly as well. very badly. Always have, and the degree of how bad fluctuates throughout my life, sometimes worse than others.....right now for the past few months....VERY BAD. I even have to watch TV very low...So uhh, I dunno if it's ever gonna go away completely but it's something I have to live with.

I also hate loud sounds. I get so irritated with them. When it's at its worst I don't even like sneezes, especially other peoples. I know I'm bizarre. But they really upset me so you can imagine waht a motorcycle or siren does to me.

Yeah I have it bad too, I even passed it on to my dog! I know that sounds wierd but I really think I did... she's improving LOL... but not me, sorry. I hope it can improve tho.. good thread des.

I guess it's hard to change ones reflexes because you can't really think differently about it, it's just a reaction. Maybe it is possible to train it. I mean cops must go through training like that. And army guys. Imagine if they started screaming and jumping everytime they were startled. I know you can train to get better reflexes, and probably to control them too.

Maybe you shoulg ask an army man or a police officer. That could be kind of fun anyway

What the military and law enforcement use is, basically, exposure therapy.

It will help with PTSD also, IF you can handle it... I never felt exposure therapy would work for me, and I was right, for the time... but now as I am farther along in my therapy, I am able to do some of it (only with T's guidance) and I think I can conquer some reactions. Whew!

can you take exposure therapy classes and learn these things? I'd like to

<font color="purple">your not alone , that is me too... I dont get too bothered by it when I am at home as far as feeling embarrassed but it happens to me a lot at work and that can get embarrassing.... but most peeple who kno wme are aware that I am easily startled and understand that its an automatic reaction that I have no control of.... I wish I had some advice on it, but I dont, just able to relate.... ((Hugs))))</font>

i startle often. Most people find it funny, but not to me. It takes me to such a terrible place, and then i have to calm myself down, with everyone watching. It is horrible, i wish i had advice, but i don't. All i can offer is understanding.

lemmkins.

My responses can vary too depending on what it is that startled me. Being touched is one of the big ones for me. What I hate the most is that feeling when the adrenaline gets pumping. Makes me feel kind of sick inside and find it really hard to calm down afterwards. Have to remind myself to try to breathe and ground myself.

being startled easily doesn't mean you are insane. the fear is automatic fight-flight response. some sort of exposure therapy might help you.

mine is more internal. i freeze and then freak inside (heart rate, breathing, and thoughts seem to go off the chart). it's hard to know if mine has improved since i've learned to avoid so many types of situations that are freaky.

Thank you all, who have contributed to my post w/ your feedback. I really appreciate it.

Sky, what does your exposure therapy consist of? I am interested in what things your T exposes you to. Loud noises?

I am just starting to i.d. some of my triggers, so I gather that this will help in dealing w/ the startling.

Thanks again, all -- and take care.

Desy

Yes, the startle response is the worst, isn't it? I remember during one of my hospital stays, I jumped every morning when the nurse came in to take my blood pressure and said, "Good morning." One time I jumped so high, that he actually stopped immediately in his tracks by the door.....I think I *startled* him!!!!! LOL.

The thing that causes my absolute worst startle response is when the buzzer goes off for my apartment door. I jump halfway out of my chair. It drives me crazy! I get so mad at myself. I just growl and shake my arms and try to ingrain in my thoughts that it was a stupid reaction that makes no sense. But when that adrenaline is shooting right through your fingertips and out the top of your head, it's pretty hard to ignore. It feels awful.

I have to say that there are two medications that have helped me TREMENDOUSLY with this startle reflex. You may want to talk with your doc about them. One is a beta blocker. It actually helps prevent the adrenaline from flooding your heart when you are startled, plus it's an excellent cardiac protector. As long as you have good blood pressure and such, you should be a candidate for it. It is used a lot for the "physical" symptoms of stress. I was taking Inderal LA (extended release) at 80 mg twice per day, but the manufacturer apparently stopped producing the LA version. So now I take Lopressor SR (extended release) at 100 mg twice per day. I find that the extended version works SO much better than the regular version because there is always some med being dropped into your system. That may be too high a dose for you, but again, ask your doctor.

The other med that works wonders for the startle reflex is an anti-anxiety, but you have to find a doctor who will prescribe it long-term. Just taking it for a few weeks will only help you for those few weeks.....then you will probably revert back. The anti-anxiety meds are for the "psychological" symptoms of stress. So in conjunction with the beta blocker, they work really, really well together in helping you to stay calm. I take clonazepam 3 mg per day, and I probably will for the rest of my life. But it certainly does improve my quality of life.

Oh, and for the person who posted that she thought she gave her dog the startle response. Lol. I've done the same with my poor cat! Every time the door buzzer goes off, he runs as fast as he can (even from a dead sleep) and hides in the closet. I've taught him that it's obviously something to be terrified of. Oh brother!!!! Lol.

Take care and God bless,
Sandy

Thanks, Sandy. That is quite the post.

I don't know if I'm willing to go on another med for this........very tough decision........(I hate meds).......

I, too, am on clonazepam, but I don't find it helps that much. I don't want to increase the dosage b/c I'm trying to get off of it.

But I'll keep that other med that you mentioned in mind.

Thanks again, eh.......from one Canuck to another...

Desy

I do screaming whenever anything startles me or goes suddenly "wrong" and my husband gets upset often at the loudness (I'm half deaf) of my expression of surprise.

I've half "accepted" that I do this and now often defend my reaction with my husband; I have dropped knives when I'm working in the kithen and only moved my foot just in time, etc. Some startles are more startling than others :-) That's probably a good thing to realize. If you're surprised, then you're surprised; there's nothing wrong with that! That you get surprised more often or are "louder" is an individual difference and is okay.

I'm working on accepting my individual differences and knowing in myself that it's okay for me to be startled/express that very normal feeling "louder" than others and "holding my head up" and merely apologizing/explaining in a simple way that doesn't make me (or the other person) feel shame "I'm sorry, I was startled." (instead of "you" startled me) and going on.

I'm also working on not always screaming :-) It's a "habit" with me, the only way I currently know how to express myself in a startling situation. I have a head start on working on the habit for myself; I was in therapy for 9 years because I didn't have "words" to express myself and I suspect my startle response is another lack of "words"/means. I figured out many many years ago (30+? :-) that I use to call suicide/help lines because I literally did not know how else to ask for help. I wasn't really suicidal but felt like I felt that way because that was so concrete/literal a need/call for help. I was so "muddy" and confused, etc. that I couldn't express myself at all. My T taught me "words"/how to identify and express my feelings and lots and lots of things got betterer and betterer :-) I imagine my startle response can get better too and I can get less startleable if I look at it in that way and use some of the tools my T taught me.

Right now my exposure theray is helping me get ready to fly in July...

but regarding the startle response, it's best when in his office... his inner sanctum? Where I KNOW I am safe... proven for years.. so when I am startled by something there, we work on it. (They are building a high rise next to his office building. ) So it comes down to identifying the sound. Talking about the feelings I;m feeling, determining which are good and usable and which might not be, countering any thoughts that are negative (like, oh that always happens here, I hate it when that happens, I can't do anything about it, I am not safe, next time it might hurt me, it's just like when I was hurt.. etc) I'm sure you know some of yuour own thoughts that happen.

Sometimes my mind just "goes" as you understand I'm sure... and trying to access the thoughts and the emotion at the time is very hard work, but good for unwraveling the response and working on training the brain on the truth

Sky,

Could you please mention the noises that your T exposes you to? (If it is appropriate for the forum). Thanks. (Interested).

Btw, good post, Perna. Thx.

Also, I think since beginning prozac my startling has become worse. Anyone have a similar experience?

Can you tell me of this fight or flight response you talk about.Please assume I know nothing about it. Thanks

Smilie

Ok. Some say that it's from when we were cavemen and needed it to protect ourselves...and now we don't need it so much but it still kicks in. I personally believe it is the wonderfulness of God's creativity.

It's that when confronted with a traumatic experience, in general, we either stay and fight, or we run away (flight.) With PTSD the problem is that we do that for nearly anything out of the ordinary. Anything that "triggers" us into the time when we were first traumatized, causes the same reactions: fight or flight.

Now if this were a simple brain decision that would be one thing. But it isn't. This is a full fledged chemical reaction of adrenalin (giving strength to fight, or endurance to run/flight) and those chemicals wear on the body, not to mention the surge of feelings that go with the increased adrenalin! Each event becomes a "crises" event to someone with PTSD...until they can learn to manage their reactions...and at least soothe themselves.

Usually what is learned first is avoidance. To try and avoid any situation that might kick them into a trigger response tends to come naturally.

Did this help?

Sky: in general, we either stay and fight, or we run away (flight.)

Sometimes it's overlooked that there is a third option: fight, flight or freeze. Freezing can occur when fighting or fleeing is not an option.

For those who may have "frozen" this book may be helpful: Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma : The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences The "freeze" pattern can be seen in animals when death appears imminent. When death is not, it can be observed that the animal will shake and tremble for a period of time and then arise and carry on. Dr. Levine's theory is that traumatic memory becomes frozen in the body and if one can find a way to release the stored energy, they can move past the trauma.

Smilie: Can you tell me of this fight or flight response you talk about.Please assume I know nothing about it. Thanks

This is an excellent introductory article. It was written by two massage therapists but it explains the underlying physiological response very well: Recovering Body & Soul From PTSD.