Trying to figure out how flashbacks and symptoms relate to context/content.

[Hopeforlife]

I am really struggling how to relate any symptoms or flashbacks to my every day life. At the moment I can figure out how I become symptomatic sometimes. Like for instance when someone touches me. When I smell a specific smell which adds to my stress cup. But trying to figure out why I am having increased anxiety and relating this to what's happening in general to heighten it in my day to day life. I have to make some notes day to day for my therapist but I don't know where to start.

My day to day life is pretty hectic. Probably similar to many parents with 2 children and a full time job. So it is pretty hard to pin point the areas which cause problems when I feel like I don't have time to think in general. But the symptoms and 'triggers' seem to just come on out of no where.

Can anyone relate and have any ideas of how to break it down and figure out what makes my symptoms heighten?

 

[EveHarrington]

I think at least some of it is just general stressors. Kind of how nothing specific to our trauma can make our stress cups overflow, and viola! Symptoms galore.

I think if you go about it by thinking that symptoms spike just due to trauma specific triggers, you’ll overlook many ways that you can possibly improve your symptoms.

 

[flowerapple]

I think its going to take some time for you to figure it out. It's not going to be something you just realize like that, because it is going to to seem out of the blue. What I did was took note of it overtime. I noted when I felt low and when I felt better and I just kept doing that, when I felt scared and anxious and when I felt calm. For a long while it made no sense at all, it all seem random, and it seemed useless to track it. But overtime I started to notice that some stuff were repeated. For example, I found that in the spring and summer it would get really bad in the days. I found I would get really anxious when I went outside and would have flashbacks a lot of the times. But I had no clue why because it made no sense. I don't know when exactly I figured it out but it was a really long time after, that I noticed that it was the smell of freshly cut grass that was triggering me. I had no clue why but whenever I smelled grass it made me very nervous. I just knew I had to avoid it because I hated the feeling. After starting seeing my therapist though, I came to realize that it was a smell that I associated with my trauma. It's not something you're going to just notice. It takes time and try not to overthink it too. For me, a lot of the times when I realized those things was went I wasn't even thinking about it.

I don't know if this answers your question, but that is how it happened for me. There are still a lot more that I have that I haven't figured out yet though. I hope you find what you are looking for, and don't forget to also take note of when you feel calm and what might have been the cause of it, because that is also very important.

 

[Friday]

I break shit down like this

- Triggers
- Stressors
- Stresses / Life stuff
- No Reason / Pure PTSD

 

[Hopeforlife]

Thank you @Friday @flowerapple @EveHarrington for your kind replies.

All this makes sense! It’s so hard when I expect a quick fix :(

@Friday does this sound about right...
Triggers - stress cup over flowing. When I am physically touched or feel like I am in a vulnerable situation + other things

Stressors/stress/everyday life things- every day life things that build up to where I am struggling to cope and I go into PTSD mode.

PTSD - Unidentified things that set me off but have know knowledge where they come from.

Sounds a bit vague but trying to get my head around all this.

I am losing it! Sometimes it feels easier just to give in than to try work all this out. Feel like I am failing.....

 

[MamaHopeful]

I think at least some of it is just general stressors. Kind of how nothing specific to our trauma...

This, right here, is the single most valuable thing I have found regarding PTSD.

I had no idea that stress that has nothing to do with my trauma could cause my PTSD symptoms to flare up way out of control.

Woah. This means a lot. Thank you.

 

[Nessa7]

For me, the first step was to just start writing things down even if it didn't seem "right." There have been a lot of scribbles on napkins. Sometimes I would make a connection once I was focusing on it and putting my thoughts on paper, but I would also find myself having things occur to me randomly throughout the day. I would remind myself that if I was able to sort all this stuff out on my own, I wouldn't need a therapist.