New To Forum

[Pink77]

Hi,
I was diagnosed in 2009 with PTSD and lately have been having a lot of triggers sending me into severe panic attacks. I don't understand why what is triggering me is triggering these panic attacks and I don't have tools yet to get myself under control. Does anyone have any tools that work for them or could recommend a good book so I can educate myself. My PTSD is caused by abusive relationships (one being a 20 yr marriage that ended May 2009. It was my choice to leave the marriage, but did it under severe circumstances).
I would greatly appreciate any suggestions, welcomes, empathy...my family doesn't "get" my flashbacks and reactions so I feel very alone with this.
Thanks a lot, Pink

 

[Pink77]

Hi Ron, I also have Bipolar I with rapid cycling and an anxiety disorder. Nice to meet you. Pink

 

[anthony]

Welcome to the forum Pink and Ron...

 

[AdamAnt]

Welcome both!

 

[Pink77]

Thanks Anthony. How do I add a picture and change the mood?

 

[anthony]

Top right, hover over your name... dropdown, then avatar.

Mood is an account upgrade... also in the same dropdown menu under account upgrades.

 

[Pink77]

Welcome both!

Hi and thanks for the Welcome!

 

[lovinbiker]

Welcome to the forum,
Hopefully after spending some time on here you wont feel so alone with it, as everybody on here is very understanding of how hard PTSD can be to cope with.
Take care
LB

 

[Pink77]

Thanks for your welcome LB. I'm hoping that the feeling alone will pass with time spent here and that I learn ways to cope. I'm looking forward to being on this forum and getting to know others. Pink

 

[Pink77]

Top right, hover over your name... dropdown, then avatar.

Mood is an account upgrade... also in the same dropdown menu under account upgrades.

Thanks for your help on this Anthony!

 

[anthony]

Your welcome... I am now launching video tutorials in the help forum... right down the bottom of the forum homepage.

 

[anni]

Hi Pink,

Abusive marraige also, with an 'ending' one would watch in the movies between your fingers, also. I'm sorry. for real. I'm really, really glad you're here. You have no idea yet how helpful it will be if you can manage to keep loggin in as you feel you can. That last sounded really sort of, I don't know, bossy? Know-it-all? I do not intend it that way, more like the eye-roll, boy, just wait, kind of way, you know?

I won't get into specifics, since hearing others stories if they're still being triggered all over the place can be retraumatizing, but please do know you're not alone. It's sometimes helpful enough to keep coming back here. Everyone is different with tools, but one of my oldest sounds SO silly, and also like it should not work I hesitate to offer it, you know? When all hell was breaking loose, literally, it seemed I used to just run some 'mantra through my head in an endless, endless loop. " I'mokI'mokI'mokI'mok" "Itsoverit'soverIt'sover" ( this one isn't meant to push religion on you- it just helped me personally, ok?) "GodishereGodishereGodishereGodishere". It's just probably the single oldest tool in the entire box, and at least did ( and does ) help. My T told me the various reasons why- I can't remember all of them. I know it distracts the head, for one thing and tends to break the anxiety cycle but it's also self-soothing. I used to say it out loud, too- who cares who hears you. Anyway, you asked for tools, so perhaps this is helpful? Everyone is so different so please do excuse if it is not.

Welcome to the forum, and as I said, I do hope you can keep logging in. I say this because we're reactive as heck. If you're getting triggered easily, you will here sometimes, or at least the adrenaline will get sent through the roof once in awhile. It's good then to just step back, process this or try to and come back later. Riding it through is a step towards being able to expose yourself slowly until it's not so awful anymore, you know? It works, too, given the chance. It's not the only reason it's SO helpful to be here. Every time I come up with what is MOST helpful, I go through some patch in life which makes me think something else is, if that makes any sense.

Welcome Ron Price, also! :) I don't have bi-polar, so of course have nothing helpful to add with this for you both. Anthony's articles on PTSD are certainly both clearly written and helpful as heck so would have to imagine the ones on bi-polar would be the same.

Take care,

Anni