When will i become more functional?

[Happyplace76]

I am a single mom of one boy and in the throes of acute PTSD. Hyperarousal, hypervigilance, freezing, panic attacks, physical symptoms, prazosin is starting to help the dreams... I was just wondering when I might start feeling even remotely like myself again? Function like an adult again? Be able to work? How long did it take for all of you?

 

[Virtues]

results will vary... depends on the individual, depends on the amount and how receptive the individual is to therapy, depends on meds, depends on the number of stuck points the individual has to work through, depends on the number of traumas, depends on the other stressors going on in the individual's life, depends on exposure... there are so many different variables

I have been out of work for 4 years, inpatient twice, two other residential programs (non-clinical), part of an intense 5 day/week outpatient program for the last 2 years, equine therapy for the last 2 years, on top of psychiatric and individual treatment. But I have 5 (my therapist would argue 6) major traumas in my life over the last 2 decades.

I know other people who returned to work after a 3 week residential program and medication stabilization; it all depends on the person.

 

[littleoc]

I started therapy when I was 13. I'm obviously still being effected daily by PTSD, but I'm doing my best.

And, to be fair, I was retraumatized constantly during my teen years and had several more traumas even into last year (when I was 22).

However, once I started going to therapy, I was able to work on managing my symptoms effectively. I consider myself to be stable, because I can socialize, manage symptoms with coping mechanisms, recognize when I'm about to have a meltdown and prevent it completely, go in public without major problems, have days where I can enjoy life, make plans to avoid problems, and feel okay in day to day life.

I hear that most people do recover from PTSD and move on. At least, their symptoms become managable enough to barely notice. :)

So, I'd say with practice and keeping good goals and your already good motivation (and working through even if you have no motivation) that you can have this at-least-minimal symptoms state pretty soon :)

I don't want to give a time for you because it's not a linear thing, and no one could predict when you'll be better/recovered.

At age 13 I was doing well after a year of therapy. New trauma got in my way, but I continued to do well with the coping strategies I had learned.

I relapsed (due to a new trauma) in 2015 but have been doing well since then, in my opinion.

You'll likely have ups and downs. But overall, it does get better!

 

[Happyplace76]

results will vary... depends on the individual, depends on the amount and how receptive the individ...

@Florian7051 thank you for your open and honest reply.

 

[Happyplace76]

I started therapy when I was 13. I'm obviously still being effected daily by PTSD, but I'm doing my be...

Thank you @littleoc ! I still feel like a shell of who I used to be. Multiple traumas, the primary childhood trauma never fully dealt with. Continuous traumas as well. Lots of outside stressors that are stressing me to wanting to be able to function when still feeling sick. Thanks

 

[anonymous]

Thank you @littleoc ! I still feel like a shell of who I used to be. Multiple...

I'm in the same boat as you, only different. Last year tipped me into the most ever debilitated; the trauma cup and too many ongoing stressors landslid into a bunch of bedridden, heightened and debilitating symptoms. I've been in hospital earlier this year for three weeks, unfortunately more extreme stresses since getting out have added much more to my "cup" and I'm still not great.
I do music therapy (choir the last few years but I've also done a lot of actual music therapy and music work as a musical artist)
Yoga
NIA
Dance (a major therapy of mine for many many years, but I've not been so well the last few years so unfortunately I don't dance as much)
Group therapy
TRE
Lots and lots of counselling
Study
Journaling, poetry writing, songwriting
Zentangling and art (painting and colouring) for therapy
I used to walk a lot and swim and gym but too unsafe in my environment now but I'm working to move to return to that as well.
Lots of body work; massage, acupuncture and other chinese stuff.
Energy work (not sure about this but I tried it)
Loads of peer support and some advocacy and training.
So yeah, work in progress.
Latest research shows that creating a sense of safety is key in stabilization.
Good luck!
Part of my problem was putting up with too much, working too hard for too long and not getting cognitive therapeutic help for way too many years.
I've also got too many children to a too bad man, (but I wouldn't regret them, they are my major reason for doing so much recovery-oriented stuff).
Oh, I'm back to hospital in July, but it's a very good program that those in recovery not those acutely symptomatic, so I guess all my recovery work is paying off.
It takes as long as it takes.

 

[Sahron]

Little bits at a time. Often I don't notice the progress until I look back and think about where I was 6mos., a year...or two ago. It does get better...slowly. Trusting that it will get better and trusting my healing process has helped me to endure some of the worst days, hours, minutes. I made a Decision to trust my therapist, (after about 6mos.) and then a decision to trust the process. I was desperate and felt that it was my only way out. I had lived 45 years in silence. As I spoke little tiny truths, things improved little tiny bits. Now, although I still struggle...a lot and will always carry these scars

, I look back at how I was 4 years ago, and I am so thankful that so much has changed. I do not live in constant fear and self-hatred- I can do my job well most of the time. I can be the mother that I want to be for my kids most of the time. I may get hijacked and triggered occasionally, but I can use my resources to escape from the worst of the ptsd. I am no longer a blind captive.

 

[Happyplace76]

I'm in the same boat as you, only different. Last year tipped me into the most ever debilitated; the...

Part of my problem was putting up with too much, working too hard for too long and not getting cognitive therapeutic help for way too many years

Thank you, that part struck me as I was working hard to get my son out of a traumatic physical assault on our street last year, and it's really just seemed like a literal year from hell, non stop stressors and then the new traumas for me. That is a lot that you are doing, I'm finding that I'm all over the place in this recovery. Still feeling pretty debilitated, knowing like you said, it takes as long as it takes, and having the outside pressures lurking around me to want to speed this up, which knowing me, will likely prolong it. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Freida]

Part of my problem was putting up with too much, working too hard for too long and not getting cognitive therapeutic help for way too many years.

I used work as a distraction from both past and ongoing trauma and finally had to admit I was an addict. Yep, some do drugs, some do booze, some do 70-90 hour work weeks. I pushed myself so hard that my body gave out (all hail fibromyalgia) and ended up going out on disability. I've been off work for 7 months and it has been amazing and horrible. Amazing because I'm learning to relax, horrible because I'm all about trying to dig out of this hole.

therapy - one reg T and one EMDR one. EMDR T says I have at least one more year with her
service dog
natropath
massage
just started equine therapy
starting trauma yoga in a couple weeks
This site (yep I count it as part of my counseling)

it takes as long as it takes --- but it does get easier along the way. Or at least not as hard....

 

[mumstheword]

Thank you, that part struck me as I was working hard to get my son out of a traumatic physical ass...

That was me, I must have accidentally tapped the anonymous function.
Yeah those subsequent stresses really take their toll.

Among mine, in the last while, have been.

One son becoming psychotically ill (due to father really, and it was up to me to get him well again, me and thankfully some great services)
Suicidal children/ young adults (again, Dad related abuse and drug related, chuck in my illness though, also a factor)
A, then estranged, daughter getting in an abusive relationship of her own (she's out and we are no longer estranged :))
My partner being assaulted by a very mentally unwell neighbor who then tried to get him charged for her crime.
3 miscarriages (5 weeks, 4 months & 3 months)
Pet deaths at the hands of the same mentally ill neighbor and her vicious dogs
Dog attack by her dogs on my partner.
A friend suiciding who also happens to be my best friends partner

Those are just some of the things.

It's all recoverable from though.
It just takes focus on said recovery as your new lifestyle for a while, is all.

 

[EveHarrington]

In a few months to....maybe never?

Everyone is different!

 

[Suzetig]

Functional, as in able to work, manage personal hygiene, keep house, not go crazy at the kids? That took about 3 months of time at home and work in therapy. Functional being less symptomatic time took about 2 years. Functional as in putting trauma behind me and knowing who I want to be now? Still working on that after 4 years but it’s much easier now and I bounce back more easily.

Basically it depends on what you consider functioning to mean.