[Harriet Bergeron]

Hi,

I have had PTSD for all of my adult life. I am currently in therapy. I was in therapy several years ago and made some progress that helped, but now I feel I am back at the beginning.


I look forward to reading here.


Thanks, H. B.

[Skeezyks]

I'm not in therapy. I think about it sometimes. But one of the things that stops me (among others) is the thought of starting over. Here's a link to an article, from PC's archives, on the subject of PTSD. Perhaps there may be some information within it that will be of interest:

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | Psych Central

[Samantics]

Welcome! I just got here myself, in exactly the same situation (new to therapy, PTSD since childhood). I've found the people here to be very insightful and welcoming. Hope your experience is the same! Don't be afraid to post!

As for your therapy situation, I know that feeling. These things seem to go back and forth in waves for some of us. Has your therapist suggested any writing exercises to help rationalize and organize your thoughts/emotions/reactions?

I've found such things to be quite helpful, but not everyone does. Feel free to ask and I'll share an exercise or two if you think you might benefit.

[Harriet Bergeron]

Thanks! I just visited the PTSD link and plan on going back there to explore. I feel I am in part 2 of my PTSD therapy. I have a kind of knowing, sinking feeling this will last for life. Maybe not the painful reaction, but a new method I can learn to handle my visceral response would help. I have not tried the new therapies and since nearly everything is now virtual, I am being seen by a therapist every two weeks and a psychiatrist every two weeks. I started Xanax and am exploring adding an antidepressant. All this is really helping me through the worst of it. At least I can get through the day again. I am trying everything. My concentration is a bit blurry. My mind flies all over and I find myself time traveling.


H. B.

[Harriet Bergeron]

Hi, Samantics! Thank you so much! I would greatly appreciate any exercises that you have found. I am now in my third month of therapy and I have really lucked out with the doctor and therapist I found. Finding the right support system is over half the battle! I remember many years ago that I had a difficult time finding the right match. I am actually surprised that I like and look forward to talking with them so much. I have become a bit of a hermit the past few years. I hope I will remember how to socialize after the pandemic. I hope it ends soon. The situation the world is in is what flipped me back into PTSD mode!


I saw your location and started missing my happy times in Montreal. I used to go there to play music. I remember being at Bistro Go-go and playing blues all night! I am years and miles away from those days. It brings back some of the happiest adventures of my life. I have been so incredibly isolated, it's a wonder I am still marginally sane at all! I need to focus on happy times in my past and hold out hope that the world will someday return back to normal for us all. It helps when I play music for hours. So nice to have found a place for my mind to go. Many thanks.


H. B.

[LainieLou]

For those who are interested...there is an excellent book about trauma and PTSD called "The Body Keeps the Score". The author is a doctor named Bessel Vanderkolk who is the reason we have ACE trauma testing and a realization that any trauma can lead to PTSD, not just military experiences. It is pretty comprehensive and weighty, but the information is invaluable in regards to understand how your brain is shaped/rewired by trauma and...the golden ticket...ways to address it.

Full disclosure, some people might find some of the content triggering. For myself, it was a therapist who recommended the book to me and I wasn't prepared for how just the knowledge unlocked really powerful parts of my past experiences for me. So just know that we are all different and if you find that the book is describing aspects of yourself, personality, unwanted behaviors, etc...it could be jarring. But I found it worthwhile. The last section of the book is devoted to the different treatments and therapies, how they work and operate, etc. There is no one gold start treatment (well, maybe EMDR!) as we are all different and respond accordingly.

I also found it easier for me to digest and retain all of the information listening to the audibook. While I am comfortable reading technical or complex stuff...this was a lot to take in as a reader and as someone who lives the experience if that makes sense. So I switched to the audiobook and felt like I was able to really take it in without having to keep going back to certain key points.