PTSD and Me

[Blockhead59]

I want to write to say something but i do not know wht to say.

Hi Melissa, thanks for being honest and letting others in. Sometimes I do not know what to say either and do not want to come across as a phony or someone who's trying too hard, or just someone pathetic. But, if I don't try, I'm all of those things anyway. I read a book called Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, a while back, and kind of use that as my mantra now. 

Sometimes it works, like now. Other times, I'm still stuck in a holding pattern. I just keep trying. I'm sure you have things to share that would be beneficial to others and to yourself .
Thanks again.

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Greeting All and a Merry Christmas to Everyone..

I haven't posted here in  a while but wanted to bump this back up to the top for new members who might have similar issues.

The last few months for me I thought would be bad around the holidays but this year I have had to focus my attention elsewhere. I have another thread going about Killer Fentanyl and my first hand experience. I have been Trying to help out my girlfriend as much as posible who lost her son 6 weeks or so back due to this killer fentanyl has made me realize that even with PTSD, I HAVE NO PROBLEMS compared to what she is going through now especially during the holidays..

Peace All and have a safe holiday

Fury

Such a heartbreaking post to read of yours regarding the Fentanyl. 

I think many of us in this family are carrying many diagnoses such as PTSD. My diagnosis for this came in 2014, I wasn't expecting it, I was already carrying other diagnoses of mental health issues. 

I have come to the conclusion that this is more widespread than people think. I was listening to a radio station where they were discussing the tragic fire outbreak at Grenfield Tower in the United Kingdom where approx 80 people lost there lives this year. The mental health services were explaining that they have been working extensively in the community to offer support to all, survivors as well as residents of the area. 

I was taken back by the figure of 70% of those with whom they worked with have been diagnosed with PTSD. This clearly shows that many people in life must be out there with traumas that are undiagnosed and without help on there own. 

I hope that there will be a big push in support as well as a plan of action around the world to reach out more to all sufferers of mental health issues.

Hey slipmat... Thanks again for reading..

PTSD is no joke. I consider myself a pretty mentally strong person and if 15 years ago you would have told me I'd be suffering from PTSD I would have laughed. It is a problem I fight everyday but I have learned to fight it on my terms with medication, meditation and other relaxing and mind focusing techniques.

STRESS WILL KILL YOU FASTER THAN ANYTHING IF YOU LET IT!!!

Not going to get the best of me and  will power through the bad days.

Life is a gift and I am not going to waste it..

Peace All

Fury

Hello Fury, 

First let me express my deepest sympathies for your and your girlfriend's loss of her son. I cannot imagine the pain, the shock, the emptiness, the fullness and the torture of such pain. I am so sorry. 

As to PTSD, somebody, like yourself, can experience PTSD simply by witnessing the grief that your girlfriend is going through, as well as your own grieving process. Trauma doesn't care about your event, it just wants to gaslight you into thinking you don't have it or you can handle it yourself. I was diagnosed with PTSD about 30 years after my Dad died. I was a little child. But, no one told me he had died. I eventually just figured it out. And, so, I just cruzed on until one day a therapist said you have never dealt with the trauma you experienced. She also informed me how PTSD is sometimes physically so draining, that your body/muscles are constantly fatigued, making your body hurt. Also, many with PTSD are on hyperdrive, always waiting to pounce or waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because of this constant state of arousal, the adrenal gland is producing so much cortisol that it becomes depleted (hence the GNCs of the world pushing adrenal supplement like mad). I had and still have occassionally bouts of severe flu-like body pain that are still a "mystery" to me. For instance, if I spend a lot of time with sibs and step-sibs, I am physically sick for two days after. I finally figured out they were triggering my same response mechanisms I was using back in the day to deal with my trauma. It's all a learning process.

I hope this was helpful in someway and am sending prayers, thoughts, energy, light and love to you and your girlfriend's families.