PTSD and Me

[reilli]

Fury - Not sure how I missed this thread all this time but thank you for sharing with us. Sharing like this can be very therapeutic. It seems like you have figured out for the most part how to manage your PTSD although I understand there are times when we have no control and no matter how we try our brain defies us.

Sending positive thoughts your way and wishing you many pretty sunrises & walks around the lake.

[Furyan66]

Fury - Not sure how I missed this thread all this time but thank you for sharing with us. Sharing like this can be very therapeutic. It seems like you have figured out for the most part how to manage your PTSD although I understand there are times when we have no control and no matter how we try our brain defies us.

Sending positive thoughts your way and wishing you many pretty sunrises & walks around the lake.

Hey reilli

Thanks for reading through all my problems. It is therapeutic getting them out in the open. Hell a lot of what I posted on here my family and friends either don't know or don't understand.

I have learned to pretty much manage my PTSD but it was a LONG road learning what worked and what did not. A lot of it is just learning mental discipline. The anxiety, stress and panic attacks (THE WORST) I can usually feel the panic attacks coming on and then its just concentrate on breathing, meditation and a few other things this little oriental doctor taught me to "keep mental focus". I worked with my psychologist and psychiatrist and got off pretty much all the 15 different pills they had me on at the time and now it's just an anti anxiety medication I take.

Just gotta keep putting up the good fight cause this iz not gonna get the best of me although I still do have months at a time where I get so depressed I don't leave the house. It's a constant fight

Peace All

[Stealth38]

This is the kind of thread where we all should come together. I was carrying this with me for many years before I was diagnosed. I have a military background as well as rescue service which can be pretty testing on the soul. 
I see medication as a prison that I must accept and can't shake. Therapy is a must for anyone in this thread if you want to try and go that little bit further in copeing. 
I feel for me one of the first steps was realising I was not alone, with ptsd as well as anxiety. Its important to read and see other peoples experiences. I find it helps us to start to internally look at our own in a different way, or even be able to look at it for some cases.

I feel I got dealt a bad hand with some things, then I have to remember I made choices so I have to accept some responsibility. I prefer to blame it all on nature, but then I ask myself am I doing myself service?. 

I am curious has anyone made more than an 80% recovery? or even close. I feel the need to gain inside information into this ( not just what I am told by medical professionals who don't have the condition ) 

[Popster]

Interesting and quite relevant:


EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.  Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal.  EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.  When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound.  If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes.  The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health.  If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.

More than 30 positive controlled outcome studies have been done on EMDR therapy.  Some of the studies show that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions.  Another study, funded by the HMO Kaiser Permanente, found that 100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions. There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense. Given the worldwide recognition as an effective treatment of trauma, you can easily see how EMDR therapy would be effective in treating the “everyday” memories that are the reason people have low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, and all the myriad problems that bring them in for therapy. Over 100,000 clinicians throughout the world use the therapy.  Millions of people have been treated successfully over the past 25 years.

EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment.  Eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session.  After the clinician has determined which memory to target first, he asks the client to hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind and to use his eyes to track the therapist’s hand as it moves back and forth across the client’s field of vision.  As this happens, for reasons believed by a Harvard researcher to be connected with the biological mechanisms involved in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, internal associations arise and the clients begin to process the memory and disturbing feelings. In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level.  For instance, a rape victim shifts from feeling horror and self-disgust to holding the firm belief that, “I survived it and I am strong.”  Unlike talk therapy, the insights clients gain in EMDR therapy result not so much from clinician interpretation, but from the client’s own accelerated intellectual and emotional processes.  The net effect is that clients conclude EMDR therapy feeling empowered by the very experiences that once debased them.  Their wounds have not just closed, they have transformed. As a natural outcome of the EMDR therapeutic process, the clients’ thoughts, feelings and behavior are all robust indicators of emotional health and resolution—all without speaking in detail or doing homework used in other therapies.

[Stealth38]

Interesting and quite relevant:


EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.  Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal.  EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.  When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound.  If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes.  The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health.  If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.

More than 30 positive controlled outcome studies have been done on EMDR therapy.  Some of the studies show that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions.  Another study, funded by the HMO Kaiser Permanente, found that 100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions. There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense. Given the worldwide recognition as an effective treatment of trauma, you can easily see how EMDR therapy would be effective in treating the “everyday” memories that are the reason people have low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, and all the myriad problems that bring them in for therapy. Over 100,000 clinicians throughout the world use the therapy.  Millions of people have been treated successfully over the past 25 years.

EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment.  Eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session.  After the clinician has determined which memory to target first, he asks the client to hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind and to use his eyes to track the therapist’s hand as it moves back and forth across the client’s field of vision.  As this happens, for reasons believed by a Harvard researcher to be connected with the biological mechanisms involved in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, internal associations arise and the clients begin to process the memory and disturbing feelings. In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level.  For instance, a rape victim shifts from feeling horror and self-disgust to holding the firm belief that, “I survived it and I am strong.”  Unlike talk therapy, the insights clients gain in EMDR therapy result not so much from clinician interpretation, but from the client’s own accelerated intellectual and emotional processes.  The net effect is that clients conclude EMDR therapy feeling empowered by the very experiences that once debased them.  Their wounds have not just closed, they have transformed. As a natural outcome of the EMDR therapeutic process, the clients’ thoughts, feelings and behavior are all robust indicators of emotional health and resolution—all without speaking in detail or doing homework used in other therapies.

Great posting.
I have heard about EMDR and its positive attributes before I was diagnosed with ptsd. I was being treated for anxiety which was crushing me, as well as ocd. 
I think I may make a move to this EMDR treatment, from what I knew from the past when in hospital, it helps you process the trauma. 

May I ask, this treatment you have recieved? If so could you give it a score so that a rough estimate of its effectiveness can be measured? 
Thanks for the detailed information.

[Popster]

I have no personal experience with EMDR...I found out about it through another therapeutic method.
The institute is only a 1/2 hour drive from my home and the astonishing results and technique peaked my interest.

"In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions. There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense"


For more info........      http://www.emdr.com

[Stealth38]

I have no personal experience with EMDR...I found out about it through another therapeutic method.
The institute is only a 1/2 hour drive from my home and the astonishing results and technique peaked my interest.

"In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions. There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense"


For more info........      http://www.emdr.com

That is a very good result 77% effective. I forgot about the treatment as I heard of it before my diagnosis. The thing that worries me is the rapid eye movements, me being a bit of a sucker for picking up bad habits (ocd).... I envisage myself walking around after treatment zipping my eyes everywhere with a new ocd!
Thanks for the info on this

[Popster]

it's kinda easy to induce REM.....but the EMDR therapy is only "related" to REM and is much more than that.

REM usually occurs during sleep.....but sometimes it comes to me naturally during a conscious nap.

you are welcome for the info

[Furyan66]

Interesting and quite relevant:


EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.  Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal.  EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.  When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound.  If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes.  The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health.  If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.

More than 30 positive controlled outcome studies have been done on EMDR therapy.  Some of the studies show that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions.  Another study, funded by the HMO Kaiser Permanente, found that 100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions. There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense. Given the worldwide recognition as an effective treatment of trauma, you can easily see how EMDR therapy would be effective in treating the “everyday” memories that are the reason people have low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, and all the myriad problems that bring them in for therapy. Over 100,000 clinicians throughout the world use the therapy.  Millions of people have been treated successfully over the past 25 years.

EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment.  Eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session.  After the clinician has determined which memory to target first, he asks the client to hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind and to use his eyes to track the therapist’s hand as it moves back and forth across the client’s field of vision.  As this happens, for reasons believed by a Harvard researcher to be connected with the biological mechanisms involved in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, internal associations arise and the clients begin to process the memory and disturbing feelings. In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level.  For instance, a rape victim shifts from feeling horror and self-disgust to holding the firm belief that, “I survived it and I am strong.”  Unlike talk therapy, the insights clients gain in EMDR therapy result not so much from clinician interpretation, but from the client’s own accelerated intellectual and emotional processes.  The net effect is that clients conclude EMDR therapy feeling empowered by the very experiences that once debased them.  Their wounds have not just closed, they have transformed. As a natural outcome of the EMDR therapeutic process, the clients’ thoughts, feelings and behavior are all robust indicators of emotional health and resolution—all without speaking in detail or doing homework used in other therapies.

Great information Popster. I am going to have to make some inquiries as to EMDR.
Even right now my psychologist says with the PTSD everyone is different and people have to find their own ways to manage it and that there is not really much he can do anymore except listen as we pretty much talk about the same things. All the cards have already been placed on the table and now it's just finding the best way to manage it. I just know PTSD is no joke and can really mess with your head with the mood swings and depression.
Still one of the hardest consequences of PTSD for me anyway has caused me to loose so many old friends I grew up with just because they don't understand why I don't want to go out all the time like I used too and they start to take it personally when it is anything but personal. I do have friends and family that do understand so I guess the ones who cannot or wont understand are not worth it.
The battle continues. Just taking things one day at a time and when it starts acting up it's take it one hour at a time and sometimes even one minute at a time when things get bad.

Peace All

Fury

[Stealth38]

Interesting and quite relevant:


EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.  Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal.  EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.  When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound.  If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes.  The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health.  If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.

More than 30 positive controlled outcome studies have been done on EMDR therapy.  Some of the studies show that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions.  Another study, funded by the HMO Kaiser Permanente, found that 100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions. There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense. Given the worldwide recognition as an effective treatment of trauma, you can easily see how EMDR therapy would be effective in treating the “everyday” memories that are the reason people have low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, and all the myriad problems that bring them in for therapy. Over 100,000 clinicians throughout the world use the therapy.  Millions of people have been treated successfully over the past 25 years.

EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment.  Eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session.  After the clinician has determined which memory to target first, he asks the client to hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind and to use his eyes to track the therapist’s hand as it moves back and forth across the client’s field of vision.  As this happens, for reasons believed by a Harvard researcher to be connected with the biological mechanisms involved in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, internal associations arise and the clients begin to process the memory and disturbing feelings. In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level.  For instance, a rape victim shifts from feeling horror and self-disgust to holding the firm belief that, “I survived it and I am strong.”  Unlike talk therapy, the insights clients gain in EMDR therapy result not so much from clinician interpretation, but from the client’s own accelerated intellectual and emotional processes.  The net effect is that clients conclude EMDR therapy feeling empowered by the very experiences that once debased them.  Their wounds have not just closed, they have transformed. As a natural outcome of the EMDR therapeutic process, the clients’ thoughts, feelings and behavior are all robust indicators of emotional health and resolution—all without speaking in detail or doing homework used in other therapies.

Great information Popster. I am going to have to make some inquiries as to EMDR.
Even right now my psychologist says with the PTSD everyone is different and people have to find their own ways to manage it and that there is not really much he can do anymore except listen as we pretty much talk about the same things. All the cards have already been placed on the table and now it's just finding the best way to manage it. I just know PTSD is no joke and can really mess with your head with the mood swings and depression.
Still one of the hardest consequences of PTSD for me anyway has caused me to loose so many old friends I grew up with just because they don't understand why I don't want to go out all the time like I used too and they start to take it personally when it is anything but personal. I do have friends and family that do understand so I guess the ones who cannot or wont understand are not worth it.
The battle continues. Just taking things one day at a time and when it starts acting up it's take it one hour at a time and sometimes even one minute at a time when things get bad.

Peace All

Fury

I found that going over certain events with a psychologist really helped me with some of it. Obviously, need a good psychologist (I have had a few dud ones).
But talking it through which is really uncomfortable, along with relaxation at the end of a session did/does work for me.  Not fixed, but definitely helped to process events.