Poll Do You See An End To The Symptoms In Your Life?

[anthony]

As I understand, there is no "cure" for PTSD. Having said that, how can you not have symptoms?

Because it also comes down to the severity level and whether or not you find yourself constantly stressed in daily life. People confuse "cure" with "healing" as well. They are different things. Think cancer. You can have cancer, yet be in remission. After a duration, it may not return and bother you. It may come back another 5 or 10 years later. It may never return, yet still be within your body in some form.

They both have significant contributions as to whether you will endure daily symptoms.

Whilst those barely meeting the diagnosis may recover fully, one more event may see them with daily symptoms.

 

[Loveneverfails]

I answered yes simply because although I may always have PTSD, I know that someday my symptoms will no longer control me.

 

[Zef]

To me, PTSD has already killed me or at least shortened my life span significantly. The stress it has created on my body over 40+ years has caused diabetes, thyroid failure, now my kidneys are showing signs of stress.

My goal is to managed all of these things well enough to live long enough to help my kids grow up, but I don't put money into retirement because it is a bad bet that I will live long enough to use it. Seems a much better bet to use it now to help give my kids the skills that will allow them to thrive in the worlds they want to thrive in. Really, it's not a martyr thing, just playing the probabilities.

 

[Hopeful+Healing]

After several years of EMDR & Brainspotting therapy my symptoms are greatly reduced and in some cases gone completely. I never would have thought it possible!! No depression in over a year, no panic attacks in over a year. Anxiety way way down.

 

[Girl3]

PTSD is like so many natural phenomena - it waxes and wanes - but there are things that make it so much better.

Cognitive therapies that focus on PTSD have shown to create changes in the brain as well as symptoms. Research is working on therapies that change the neurobiology of the brain such that sympmtoms may be rare or gone.

In the meantime - health is crucial, as it is harder to be healthy mentally unless you are healthy phsycially. Read as much as you can - real books - not crazy crap on the internet not backed up by real science.

And in my never-ending infomercial - get into a study. I have benefitted immensely from participating in the research that may someday lead to a cure.

Good healing to you - from an over 50 body....

 

[Lina]

I'll answer this for her research purposes. I don't see a life without any symptoms for me. I've had virtually no support until very recently, and that left me in a constant state of anxiety for a very long time. Even now. That's probably one of the most pervasive and longest lasting symptoms I have. Never feeling safe. Multiple retraumatizations has only made things much worse. I'm distrusting of people in general. Every morning, I awake to shaking and nausea, no matter the quality of sleep, or dream.

 

[mamachick]

zef-I can relate to what you are saying. It sounds like my own story. Some medical problems, but a sense of foreshortened future. Even though I may have had it for years, the symptoms exacerbated after several traumatic events. Then I came into some money as a result of one of those incident. Since I didnt believe that I would be alive long, I was extremely sloppy with it, giving to relatives and buying gifts, making myself comfortable for the time and taking vacations.

As I am healing some, I am now thinking that I might not die soon. Now I am going to have to figure out how to survive the retirement years. Im still not convinced that I will be here for it, but the sense of foreshortened future is not as strong as it was. I do realize that this thinking is very distorted. I have all kinds of physical problems, but nothing that makes an early death inevitable.

I hope you can find a way to think beyond just raising your children. It has been very difficult for me. It makes it difficult to be motivated or initiate things. There is a shadow like cloud that is part of me and says that nothing I do will matter. My kids are raised, the house clutter is cleaned out and the house is in the best shape, the files are in good shape. Its almost as though I have been preparing and Im only 53. Its as if I just know I will not be here so not to make any plans or committments. Now I am beginning to challenge that. Its like a sense of knowing, even stronger than a "belief".

Initially, I had anxiety about it, and eventually it became almost peaceful. Yet Im still here-with less money.

 

[therapybankrupt]

I am middle aged and I do not see an end to this state of ups and downs at this time.

 

[Britt.f7]

I answered no because I am 46, despite life long treatment, there are still behaviors that have lingered. Some of them got better over the years. Some are still as strong. I would like them to disappear.

 

[Invisible-Guy]

I see constant monitoring, but constant improvement as well. (hopefully) Don't want to feel like throwing up just because I'm in a crowded place anymore.

 

[Bernie's_mom]

Nope. Not a chance. Although I am very "high-functioning", I have been functioning pretty much exactly the same now for most of my 44 years. I am not even looking for a cure--if such a thing exists. I only see my therapist so that I can learn to MANAGE my symptoms.

 

[safenow]

I only see my therapist so that I can learn to MANAGE my symptoms.

I am in the same situation.

I don't believe there is a cure. In my 67 years, of which 65 have been involved in one type of trauma or bad situation after the next, I must say I have gone years with no symptoms. Then, some fool will invade my space and Bam! Triggers are opened that had been previously closed and I'm back to where I was. That is what happened to me last year, and I am barely back to being in my body 100%. It's that fear of being tortured again that triggers the most.