Now VS. Then... PTSD VS. Non PTSD Days

[becvan]

I have noticed that many many of our members get on this before I had PTSD kick. Members will compare a good day to when they didn't have PTSD or their goal is to be like they were before they had PTSD or family and freinds moan about this stranger they now have and why can't things just go back to normal?

Now this rather alarms me. This is alarming because it's negative thinking at it's finest. Once you have PTSD you do not return to how you were before. You can not turn that clock back. Sufferers or supporters that get caught in this type of thinking are just causing themselves and everyone else more greif than is necessary.

Acceptance is the first step. There is no changing this and this is the diagnosis. Things have to change. Change is a constant in life.

Secondly, why is it that when a sufferer has a good day it's compared to non-PTSD days? Hmmm.. that denotes that a sufferer is incapable of having a good day with PTSD. Which is a load of crap! You have a great day, then you had a great day. You had a great PTSD day! Celebrate that!

Our lives may be changed, we may have to work hard at functioning and healing, we have to ensure we live as stress free as possible, it doesn't mean that we can't have a good quality of life just because we have PTSD.

Look at the negative thinking patterns in your life and the supporter's lives, and start inserting some positive thinking in there.

I, for one, would not go back and do not cringe from my PTSD. When I have a good day, even a good hour, I go.. I had a great PTSD moment just now!

bec

 

[Lisa]

I salute this!

Very good, new perspective there that I haven't yet thought of in that way. I sometimes fall into that trap of feeling as someone with PTSD, good days are not possible. However, when I do have a good day, I take full advantage of it (usually by studying since I do so little of it!).

But having things put that way, I am going to make a conscious effort to accept that I now have PTSD, and never again will I be pre-PTSD. I guess in one way, it's important to learn to embrace (perhaps wrong word but you get my point) it, rather than resist it. Learn with it.

Thanks bec !

 

[cookie]

you're right, bec. i'm guilty as charged. it's like i'm mourning the loss of my former self, and i should be working on getting this me into some kind of normal person, lol.

 

[mac]

I, for one, would not go back and do not cringe from my PTSD. bec

I, for one, would go back if I could, more specifically to January 2003.

 

[Linda]

I hardly remember myself before, since I have PTSD for 13 years> and I was 14 when survived an event. What about going back? Well, if the time would go back, I did just exactly the same thing which is now giving me so many troubles. Otherwise, I would regret even more.

 

[becvan]

Mac, You missed the entire point of this post/thread... the point is that if you are continually looking backwards, you will never go forwards.. also, if you would go back, then it shows that you haven't accepted your PTSD yet which means you have yet to begin healing...

bec

 

[reallydown]

You're right Bec...I do this a lot too...especially when it comes to school...always get frustrated by the fac tthat I can't do things the way I used to beofre this...just shows I still have a long way to go...*sighs*

 

[Deleted member 93]

Bec, you are officially back on the ball. Doing great and again moving forward. Wonderful post that I certainly need to keep looking at. Way to go.

 

[becvan]

LOL I have my moments V! Thanks

bec

 

[mac]

I don't don't think I missed the entire point of your post Bec,
I read most of your post and agreed with the message you were trying to get across, however, I wanted to expand my opinion on one of your last sentences, and that is IF I could go back in time, I damn sure would! ; )

 

[becvan]

LOL okay Mac, misunderstanding understood!

funny guy! lmao

bec

 

[Nam]

I might be a bit different here by thinking this, but I do think that there will be a day when the word PTSD won't even come into thinking when having a bad or good day. You're just having a good day because of something and having a bad day because of this...but not because of PTSD. This is where the "Is ptsd curable" topic starts to make me wonder. I think I've figured it out. PTSD is NOT curable in the fact that I have changed my life in order to adapt with life with PTSD. Kind of like a disability that can be lived with. But at the same time, when I have a bad day, it's not because of PTSD, or when I'm having a good day it's not in spite of PTSD. Does that make sense?

I truly believe that I'm a better person post trauma than before. Everyone is affected by life experiences and what we learn about life and ourselves through suffering can make us better people.