Acute Stress --->ptsd?

[Chosen]

hey all,

So I was dxd with PTSD years ago....my symptoms lessened greatly in the last 2 years.

However, I spent April 1-June 14th living in my car, and it was one of the most stressful times of my life. I'm female, and you can imagine how that makes it worse. While I was homeless, I was in survival mode and I just endured....still had symptoms, but they were manageable.

Now, it's been 3 weeks since I moved back into a house, and my body is going crazy. I'm exhausted all the time; I've got stomach issues up the kazoo; I'm also hungry more; my concussion symptoms have increased (had a concussion from motor vehicle accident in March 2015), and PTSD symptoms have been steadily increasing.

I'm pretty sure I'm having acute stress reaction/response to the homelessness....but I don't know if it's just automatically turned into PTSD because I already have PTSD, or how the two interact with each other, or if it's possible to have PTSD from two different events (because symptoms are different; one side gives more nightmares, the other more triggers, etc).

Any thoughts?

And if anyone knows how to recover from homelessness, please let me know! It's brutal!

 

[SoSadGuilty]

hey all,

So I was dxd with PTSD years ago....my symptoms lessened greatly in the last 2 years.

However...

I'm so sorry that you endured homelessness :( I've no wisdom to share with you I'm afraid but I wanted to sympathise and to say I'm glad you are in a house again. This question may be a bit too nosey but I'm curious as to how you ended up homeless in the first place. It is one of my big fears at the moment......

 

[Chosen]

Lease ended & I couldn't find a safe/affordable housing...plus I was likely to move out of state within 6 months, so I couldn't really sign a new lease. My situation has changed somewhat, but it'll still be hard to find housing come Sept.

 

[SoSadGuilty]

Lease ended & I couldn't find a safe/affordable housing...plus I was likely to move out of state within 6...

I hope you do find affordable and safe housing before you have to move again. Sorry I can't be of any help to you.

 

[Chem Lady]

I have no experience with homelessness, so I'm sorry I can't help in that exact area.
I can say though, that I have noticed a great decrease in my health (mental, physical, emotional) each time I have an experience of great stress (ex mother-in-law dying of cancer), discrimination at my job, needing open-heart surgery, etc.). I have always felt like my symptoms were PTSD stuff, but my therapist never think so because I'm not having flashbacks or intrusive memories. However, I strongly believe that the fatigue, headaches, ADHD-type symptoms, etc are very much related to my PTSD. I don't think I would respond that way to those stressful times if I didn't have PTSD. I find I need to keep on top of working through those stressful situations to keep my symptoms down.
Hope this helps a little.

 

[shimmerz]

Noah, I am so sorry for your recent circumstances. It was nice to see your posting with your name.... but I didn't realize you had gone through the pain of car living.

I lived in my car for upwards of 5 years in between stints where friends would offer me their couches. It is dangerous, it is scary, it is dehumanizing.

I am now in what I consider to be a permanent 'home'. Have been for about 6 months now. I am living with my SO who is constantly reassuring me that I am here to stay..... that I am safe now. I am still struggling with the concept of trusting that.

I am not certain what your reactions are now that you are safe. For me, it is walking out the front door.... I seem to have this residual feeling that I won't be allowed back in again. So I tend to panic or need great encouragement to leave the house. There are many other things as well - too much to go into detail with.

Can you be a bit more specific as to what your reactions are? Perhaps I can help. Feel free to PM me if you feel up to that.

Well done in getting yourself to safety btw. It is not easy.

 

[Silver.]

I think multiple events can add to the existing ptsd. Mine was created from a series of events that all happened within a short time span. Then events over the years added to it, magnified it in a way. I wouldn't say that I have two forms of it, it's just compounded, if that makes sense.
I am very sorry for what you have gone through, that must have been very hard for you indeed. I can understand how living in a car would have made it more stressful for you. The good news is that you are in a better situation and are looking for something even more concrete. Do you have a therapist that you can talk things out with? They might be able to help teach you some techniques to help you cope with the big adjustment that you are physically and mentally going through. I wish you the best x

 

[illusionist]

I was homeless on the streets, and like you, found it extremely stressful and basic survival mode kicked in......it was either sink or swim....so I swam hard. When I did get myself out of the situation it felt like delayed reaction.....I was safe to collapse and react....basically my Ptsd symptoms soared through the roof. It took me maybe four months before I was reasonably functional again, and even then I feared the same happening...so I worked hard at securing work, and a place to live....this laid the foundations to a new start. The fear kept me focused, though I must say that I seemed on the very edge for a long time.

My previous history involved being destitute which could very well have made my dealing with things harder than it needed to have been.

I stayed with a friend, then moved into a shared house as soon as I saved my deposit.

Hope yours is an easier journey.....stay focused in securing your own security, and accept help wherever you can...that's my advice.

 

[shimmerz]

I was safe to collapse and react....

Yes, this. I know I am actually safe when I fall to pieces. Otherwise I am too busy trying to stay alive.

 

[SoSadGuilty]

I was homeless on the streets, and like you, found it extremely stressful and basic survival mode k...

@illusionist you are schamazing do you know that? A lot of people once on the streets never get off them again and most people aren't also battling PTSD. Schamazing hero I tells ya :)

@shimmerz you are also schamazing, I can't imagine how you survived living in a car for so long. I am so glad you now have somewhere safe.

 

[shimmerz]

Yes, illusionist is 'schamazing'. She helped me keep my grounding a TON when I was 'out there'. Keep reaching out Noah. It is important to keep connected.

 

[Just Sayin']

@Noah,

I'm glad you have somewhere to stay now. I'm also glad you feel secure enough to "fall apart" instead of being in basic survival mode.

My situation and stressors are/have been different, but I can tell you that acute stress does trigger my PTSD. Prolonged severe stress does lead to "survival mode" for me. When I'm in fight or flight survival mode, I'm far less trusting, even of people I know care for me. Less trusting in this sense is really just a euphemism for paranoid. When I get paranoid about other people's intentions I panic because I feel like I'm losing touch with reality and have no clue about or control over what's happening. That leads to feeling vulnerable. That leads to more paranoia. At a certain point it becomes a death spiral ... the flashbacks, dissociation and other PTSD symptoms kick into full gear.

After the last death spiral, I wrote notes to myself from "the other side" that I've pulled out when I've felt it starting again.

- We've felt this way before. We made it - YOU wrote this from the other side.
- I know you're afraid of X, but when you're not where you are you also know that Y and Z means you don't have to be afraid of X. YOU are writing this to you because you DO believe Y and Z, even though you know you're not sure of that right now. Hang in there.
- I know it feels hopeless and you feel helpless and powerless, but you've done X and you've been through Y and the feelings of powerlessness have more to do with your childhood than with anything happening right now. Now, you're bigger, you know more, and you have freedom and options and resources you did not have then. You're not that child anymore, and we can get through this.
- I know you feel X. But you wrote this when you felt Y. Y is possible, and you'll get there again soon. Don't give up.

I have about 25 of them on index cards. I have about three sets, so they're always handy. I randomly switch between I, you and we depending on what I need to hear.

Not sure if that'll help you, but if acute stress does spiral or tigger you ... maybe it's worth a shot. It really has helped ground me.

Regardless, please know you're not alone. My experience is similar.

My thoughts are with you. Be good to yourself -- you're important.

Hugs if you accept.