I went shooting today for the first time since the trauma ended!

[Sweetleaf]

So my trauma involved guns, like a lot.

Naturally, I wound up having them be a huge trigger (no pun intended) for my PTSD, especially handguns.

Many months ago I took a step forward and got a pistol again. Mainly just for exposure.

Simply looking at, or holding my gun, would make me nauseous and extremely anxious within minutes, if not less.

But today marks the end of that, as far as I'm aware.

I went shooting - and I didnt get nauseous at all, and I didnt get very anxious. I was even excited and enjoying myself. Huge progress!

I was a little shakey at first, and my aim wasnt as good as it used to be, but I did it. I put like 300 rounds downrange (with a gun that has a 9 round magazine), and as I got deeper into the shooting, it got easier and easier. By the end I wasnt shakey at all.

This isnt something I would have been able to do just months ago. But now, it's both easy and fun.

My accuracy wasnt as good as it used to be, but it's also a new gun to me and I'm very out of practice.

This pic is from the last set of shooting that I did. Proof I did it!

I'm also feeling safer with my gun around. It didnt have a single malfunction, and I was satisfied with my accuracy even though it's not what it used to be.

But yeah. Yay! Go me!

 

[Friday]

Well done, you :)

 

[Neverthesame]

Looks like you were getting some decent groups. It's always nice to get one of those rare instances when therapy is also fun.

 

[Sweetleaf]

It's always nice to get one of those rare instances when therapy is also fun.

For sure! The funny thing is this was my therapy homework. My therapist told me to go shooting just to see if I was still triggered by guns, lol.

 

[WillyKat]

That's some real progress. I often found shooting, despite the noise, somewhat therapeutic. It's a way of focusing the mind on one goal (or at least trying to), which if you do it right keeps your mind of troubling things.

Archers and rock climbers experience the same thing.

 

[Freida]

That is awesome!!!!!

 

[Sweetleaf]

@WillyKat - thinking back on it, it was very grounding, kept me very in the present.

Also there is plenty of stimulation to the senses. Sight, sound, feel (recoil is pretty grounding haha), even smell (which I find pleasant lmao), and there are a lot of things to focus on. Reloading magazines is grounding too - also counting how many rounds you've fired.

I'd be way too scared to do rock climbing lol, I'm scared to shit of heights.