That’s very much like wanting a cure for diabetes. There might be one someday, but there isn’t one now.
I use diabetes as an example, because it parallels really well.
- Both PTSD & Diabetes are incurable, but extremely manageable. That doesn’t mean either are easy to manage, although over time it becomes 2nd nature to do what needs doing, as it need doing.
- Both PTSD & Diabetes are potentially lethal, and when unmanaged can be ticking along “fine” until KABOOM the effects over time suddenly come crashing down all at once.
- Both, even when well managed, will have the occasional symptom spike for no reason whatsoever... or for durn good reason, that you’d thought you’d accounted for, aaaaand? Nope. Or that, even with exquisite management, are just surprised by something you “should” have accounted for, usually do, and just messed this one up.
- Both are extremely sensitive to outside sources (stress or sugar), and the art of living WELL with both of them is very much an art; and requires a lot of careful attention and adjustment both daily as well as paying attention to what’s going on in the overall arc. As you have a special needs kid that 2nd one, which confuses a lot of people, will make perfect sense. Day to day can be totally normal, but day AFTER day starts building up a toll, and you’ll need time periodically to recharge your reserves in addition to the smaller day to day moments... if you want to not lose your ever lovin mind. Most parents experience rhat when kids are young, but the special needs community is looking at both a radically different timeline and different pressures. Same sort of thing.
- Both PTSD & Diabetes have to use a combo of treatments in order to best manage. Some diabetics can manage with diet & exercise alone, others need to add insulin (but the meds aren’t a get out of jail free, card. If your diet and exercise sucks, you’re going to be a hurtin’ puppy). Ditto, meds help SOME people with PTSD (there are no meds specifically FOR PTSD, instead one may choose to medicate the worst of some symptoms) but meds alone, without stress management &/or therapy will leave you a hurtin’ puppy).
- Both conditions drive loved ones craaaaaaaazy as the management of their condition is something only they can do... and sometimes? They’re crap at it. And you just want to shake them, or use TheForce to MAKE them do what will help them. But noooooooooo. Argh. Brick wall. Bang head.
The following 2 articles are a reeeally good place to start in learning the ins & outs of PTSD, but I’d even more strongly recommend the 3rd, targeted specifically at supporters FOR supporters. Because, just like a special needs child is going to have different challenges than a special needs parent? The parent still has challenges, up to their freaking eyeballs. They’re simply different than their kid’s challenges.
The ptsd cup explanation
Understanding post traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
General - Important Supporter Information
^^^^ Is also pinned to the top of the Supporter Discussion Forum
