Do You Manage Ptsd As Chronic Illness?

[SeekingAfrica]

I was just wondering, because since I started to interntionally work on therapy, I've had months when I have a lot going on and I can finish more than people can do in few...But then I hit a rough spot in therapy, or something triggers me, and I am highly unproductive.

Until now I was trying to plan my calendar like a regular busy person, plan what I need to do, pay and so on...

But I am now wondering if I shouldn't add the PTSD factor into it. Because I might be better soon or likely, it will be a long journey of recovery and I want to be able to handle that.

Plus the worry about being behind on stuff and missing out on something that I should be doing always adds additional stress on me...

So I am thinking to start factoring things in my planner: like the possibility that after therapy I might need some hours for myself, or sort of an idea of how to take care of myself on a really bad triggering day when I'm unable to do anything else, or how to catch up to stuff on the days when I am able to do things...How to future-plan my finances to include the need for taking a day off or few days off when necessary without adding too much financial pressure and so on...

Is that kind of logical, or my need for crazy overplanning and micro-managing things?

 

[Silver.]

I think it's reasonable to add things to your calendar that take care of you. Self care plays a key role in our healing. Therapy can be really exhausting, so you definitely should be planning some time out of your day after you go to recover. ALso, give yourself a few "me" days, where nothing is demanded of you other than you doing things that are relaxing or enjoying x

 

[The Albatross]

Yes I do manage PTSD like it's a chronic illness. Chronic illness can be arrested and does not have to become acute or terminal.

 

[SeekingAfrica]

It's taken me a while to get to the point where I'm trying to really manage this, rather than think one day it will just be cured and I'll be better. Or thinking I'll get over it. So sometimes I can't decide if I'm overthinking something, or if it has a good reason.
Thank you for the responses.

Plus I never learned to entirely take care of myself well and consistently, so I guess it can't hurt to have some of the health stuff better scheduled.

 

[shimmerz]

Is that kind of logical, or my need for crazy overplanning and micro-managing things?

I was crazy stupid when it came to this. I was in total denial. I tried to live life as if nothing had ever happened. I made plans, promises, and really important ones. Ones where people relied on me. And I screwed these people over because I didn't plan for my little meltdowns.

I think this is a totally realistic line of thinking. Much smarter than the way I did it.

 

[Suzetig]

That's how I work too - I build in time for post therapy fog, I plan easier tasks for days when I know I need to work longer hours and harder stuff on shorter days. I plan naps at the weekend and work flexibly at home when I can. It means that I'm on the ball for things that just can't be moved or when I really need to be at the top of my game.

It took me a while but I now have a sense of my own rhythm with PTSD - the times that wipe me out and the things that seem manageable.

 

[Sideways]

I live my life right now, and plan my weeks, factoring in that yeah, I have a serious mental illness that I need to manage. At the moment.

I don't see it as giving in to the likelihood that I'll have it for years to come. It's just being realistic- I've had it for years, and recovery is taking a while. Having planned your time on the basis that maybe you need more self-care time than you've previously allowed for may help make things a lot more manageable. And if you find that you're doing better than expected, that you can achieve more with your time, then that's a bonus and you go right ahead and do what you can. Lowering your expectations doesn't mean you're doomed to achieve less forever, it just means you're being real with yourself, and setting yourself up to achieve what you've planned and possibly more, rather than constantly having to excuse yourself for failing to reach expectations that don't factor in your health situation.

If I had the flu, I'd change my expectations. If I found out it was pneumonia, I'd have to accept that my productivity is going to be lower for even longer than expected. But that doesn't mean I never plan on recovering, and it doesn't mean I can't change my plans back to my good old self once the pneumonia passes. It does mean that I'm being sensible about the fact that I have pneumonia right now, which changes the dynamic in my day to day, and that I'm increasing my prospects of recovery by giving myself time to heal.

 

[SeekingAfrica]

I was crazy stupid when it came to this. I was in total denial. I tried to live life as if nothing h...

That is how I've been with the exception of the last 6 months(finally started therapy). But even knowing therapy will be hard, I still never account for bad times.
I've learned to adjust to them, expect them...but never allow myself to plan for them...So I end up always feeling sick with guilt for loosing time. And I want to change that, rewire my brain, because I'm really harsh on myself and it's not helping me get better.

 

[SeekingAfrica]

I live my life right now, and plan my weeks, factoring in that yeah, I have a serious mental ill...

It's still hard for me to accept it as a serious illness. I was in denial for a long time. I'm trying to learn.
And to be fair, I haven't really been that good at managing flu either...for years I've just been pushing through being sick and still going about my day, unless I'm too bad to walk...So that's something I'm trying to learn too. How to take it easy when needed, how to take care of my health.

 

[theshadowoftheliving]

I'm struggling with this now, as my professional life if particularly intense and I seem to be melting down more than usual.

I try to use the good days to accomplish as much as I can and not leave things to the last minute, so there is buffer time if I end up not being able to get to something.

So yes, I manage it as a chronic illness. I actually tell other people that if I'm not keeping up - that I'm struggling with a chronic I'll was, but will be better soon.

 

[Sideways]

Unrelenting standards - urgh!

"Serious mental illness" too much? That's okay - break it down to your symptoms instead. Like, right now I know I get really fatigued after a therpay session, and it's not permanent, but it happens at the moment, so I need to factor that in...

 

[Panda Bear]

T codes for my insurance...."PTSD chronic"

And it is.......

It will always require maintaining and a second look when I'm building my days, weeks and months. Sometimes I take tasks one day at a time and try to work out my caleder in much smaller and manageable blocks.