Taking Longer To Decompress

[Kefira]

I was wondering if this is a common trend among sufferers. I was in a car wreck yesterday. I was a passenger and my friend was driving, and her husband and four year old were also in the car. No one was seriously injured, but we hydroplaned and spun out and hit the barrier several times. I took the majority of the first impact and it was really difficult to tell in those couple seconds how bad it was going to end up being. Both bumpers were ripped off, one tire was completely gone and there was significant structural damage, so I'm amazed everyone (including a toddler in his car seat) is more or less okay.

I'm very good immediately after crisis- I sat and talked with the toddler and kept him calm while his parents dealt with emergency response, etc. However I seem to be taking much longer to shake this off than the other adults involved. I know logically that no one was hurt and it will all be okay. But I don't seem to be processing well and feel very stuck in a low grade fear response.

Does anyone else have experience dealing with potentially dangerous events and feeling as though it somehow loops in with the PTSD symptoms? I've been really symptomatic anyway because I've had a lot of changes and new stress, so it seems like it was already just under the surface and I can't quite get everything stowed away in the box again even though I know and have seen that everyone is okay.

 

[Silver.]

After events like this, our body goes into shock. It can take hours or even days to come down out of it, only then do we really start to process this event we went through.
(also makes me think of Acute Stress Reactions, I am sure they have something on Wikipedia regarding those)
Keep yourself present, use mindfulness, meditation, yoga etc, to allow yourself time to process what you have gone through.
I am glad that everyone, including you, were not hurt in the accident and are all okay now x

 

[Ann Barry]

I was wondering if this is a common trend among sufferers. I was in a car wreck yesterday. I was a passe...

I always have a delayed reaction to scary events/stress. Wonder if this is normal/common for PTSD people? Or anybody.

 

[Kefira]

I always have a delayed reaction to scary events/stress. Wonder if this is normal/common for PTSD people?

I don't know. I've noticed lately I seem to have a delayed physiological response to a lot of bodily/mental stress. Obviously in the case of a car accident you don't really expect to be able to assess injuries well right away because of the adrenaline. But I've also noticed with blood draws (I have a pretty awful phobia of needles) for some medical stuff lately that I have really delayed reaction, once almost passing out a good minute after an IV was already set. The nurse said it was the most severe delayed response he'd seen and I should really be careful to ensure extra time to make sure I'm alright in the future.

So I do wonder if it's common to process more slowly or at least noticeably 'differently'.

 

[Friday]

Woot! Yes! So glad you're okay!!!

<( _ _ <) <( ^ ^ )> (> _ _ )>

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Happy Dancing Victory Guy

Alright. That said... Yes. I am fantastic in a crisis. It's afterwards that I fall apart.

 

[scout86]

Also glad you're ok! And, I have have that happen too. I've honestly never questioned whether or not it was normal before. I'm nearly always the calmest person at the scene. At some point later, when things have settled down on the outside, "I could have been killed" or something like it, gets stirred up on the inside. And, depending on what happened, if it somehow resonates with something from the past, the effects can hang around awhile, for sure. (I've missed you around here!)

 

[Kefira]

Yes. I am fantastic in a crisis. It's afterwards that I fall apart.

Right? I was beating myself up for screaming/not being stoic and my friend finally had to tell me that was an appropriate response to being slammed into a brick wall and to seriously just leave it be. But a few seconds after we stopped sliding as they got out to check on things/let people who were stopping know we were okay I was chatting with the kid about physics in an accident while he played with his toy car making it hydroplane and spin around.

Then I went home and fell completely apart and haven't been able to get myself calmed down.

"I could have been killed"

Pretty much. Also this kid is one of the only kids I feel any motherly impulse for at all. So there's probably some of that factored in too even though I know he's okay and she's been keeping me up to date with their Dr. checks today (mine's tonight).

The funny thing is it's not at all related to my trauma, but I've been really symptomatic, and things are going really well with these people who are basically like family, and that's created a lot of weirdness and waiting for them to turn on me/abandon me. And it hasn't happened. But my brain will totally try to justify that a car wreck is just a sign I can't have comfort and love and a family, particularly since we were all out in the rain trying to take care of something I need to do and would have had trouble with on my own.

@scout86 I missed you guys too. I've been popping in and reading, I just haven't had much to post yet this year- everything was either boring or so overwhelming I couldn't figure out how to verbalize it and not much in between.

 

[scout86]

But my brain will totally try to justify that a car wreck is just a sign I can't have comfort and love and a family,

Tell your brain it's wrong. It's ok to be wrong, but your brain would be wrong in thinking that way. You not only CAN have all that, you deserve it and I hope you get it too.

Yeah, being attached to the people you were with, to me, would make it harder. I kind of think what you're experiencing is 'normal' all things considered. (I'll bet the kid thinks you're pretty cool! Talking physics was a great thing to do.) From what my T tells me, it will probably help you to keep talking about this for awhile. (This is one of the areas where I keep thinking 'he must be joking!" or that I've completely misunderstood. LOL But, chances are he's right about that too.)

 

[Kefira]

Tell your brain it's wrong

I've been trying to for weeks. My friend and I have actually been laughing some because the two of them got married a couple weeks ago and were gone for a week for the honeymoon and I knew better but was convinced they'd come back and decide they were done with me. And it's been okay, but now the first day we really got to spend time together this happens.

I told her last night: I know the brain weasels are really dumb, but I keep giving them eviction notices and they just keep eating them. :)

 

[scout86]

the brain weasels

I LIKE that! "Brain weasels".....

I totally understand. I'm currently 'sure' my T is going to fire me as a client any day now, but I have no rational reason for thinking that. Maybe a good way to handle brain weasels IS with humor. :)

 

[Deleted member 541]

I have always been very good in a crisis. I do everything right, make sure everything is done and taken care of, and everyone is ok... Then I fall on my face, fall apart, and turn to shit. Takes awhile to get back up and going again. You will too, just give your mind and body some well needed rest and be kind to yourself....

 

[EveHarrington]

Completely normal IMHO.

PTSD messes up our stress response for life.

It is immaterial that the stressor is unrelated to the other trauma. Otherwise sex abuse victims could just stop having sex and be back to normal. We all know it doesn't work that way.