General Tackle Hypervigilance Club

[holdenmonty]

It looks like the Lord of Chaos is/going to be a really good movie. The only thing I could find was a video saying what the movie will be.

 

[Deleted member 28812]

You can find "Lord of Chaos" on Vimeo... but like I said I have been told that it is "drastic". I have no idea if this is true and if yes how drastic it is. Just want to warn you.

I was to chicken to watch it until now.

 

[Deleted member 28812]

I am still working on my list and still searching for books on this topic. Still no book recommendations for me?

 

[holdenmonty]

I honestly haven't looked up for any books on it. I usually just google what I'm wondering like how PTSD effects the brain. My therapist and I have talked about how to tackle hyper vigilance a bit. When it gets out of hand I start asking myself if the threat is real or perceived, and I remind myself where I am and usually try to find something to distract myself with like if my family is with me. I try to focus on the kids and having some fun with them.

 

[Deleted member 28812]

No problem! I did not want to pester you foor books, buddy :)

I was just talking to everybody who might read this.I like books a lot and have found many useful books on how to deal with hubbys OCD symptoms. He is doing CBT and there are many books on what a sufferer or supporter can do at home to support the therapy.... but I am not sure if there arfe so many good books on PTSD symptoms like fear of crowds.

The PTSD books I do know are more across-the-board.


I think having me and the kids with him makes it worse for my hubby because he feels "hyper protective" which is also a form of hypervigilance for him.

 

[holdenmonty]

What are some of the names of the books that you know of? It is kind of a funny thing sometimes they cause me to relax but other times it's that hyper protective. But I have noticed the hyper protective is if it's a place that we don't go to very often and I don't know the layout or if it's someplace that I feel is way to crowded to bring our boys to.

 

[Deleted member 28812]

@holdenmonty: Question: Which languages do you read? Are you looking for PTSD books or also OCD?

 

[holdenmonty]

I read in English, and looking for books on PTSD from both perspectives.

 

[Deleted member 28812]

The English book I liked most is called "Once a Warrior - Always A Warrior" by Charles Hoge.

It explains how one can build immunity to stuff like crowded malls by exposing oneself to it in small doses. It's pretty hands on - but I am looking for a book that is even more hands on. Explaining not only what to do when everything goes according to plan but also what to do when he panics a lot and cannot stay.

Anyway pretty good book and pretty good chapter on rating triggers and going to crowded places.

What you do is rate how bad a crowded place is on a scale from 1 to 10. Now say the mall is a 10. Then you don't go to the mall but to a place that is a 7. Then you stay there until the anxiety get's less.
Most important is not to get distracted. My hubby for example starts to play with his cell phone when he is nervous. That's not good because the "immunization" does not work then. The book explains this a whole lot better than I can do it.

 

[holdenmonty]

yeah sounds like what my therapist had me do when I got counseling the first time. My problem now is that when I have the wife and kids with me the anxiety doesn't really get less and less, and in all honestly I don't really want to do a lot of that type of stuff with the kids because if it gets to be to much I don't want the kids to be having fun and then have to leave because it's to much for me.

My therapist said to go into an area where I feel anxious like the mall where it's crowded and focus on my thoughts and what my subconscious is thinking and challenge any incorrect thoughts and if it gets to be to much that it's ok to step get out of the situation for a little bit but I have to come back to the same situation so I don't avoid the situation because then feeling the need to avoid will get worse and worse. It's very challenging with a three year old and a one year old... My three year old asked me what I take every morning and told him it was my meds and he goes are you sick? And I said not really they are more like my vitamins that help me ever day, and our one year old is just starting to use his words a lot so I know he won't understand anything.

I think I'm going to do some research on how to tell kids about PTSD.

 

[Todo pasa]

My ptsd isn't combat related so I hope nobody minds me posting on here .

One of my biggest concerns Is hypervigilence . In my previous Job I was involved in numerous violent confrontations & they've taken their toll . I almost plan how I'll deal with any situation if it gets out of hand , basically like that Sherlock holmes movie . I think /plan my actions "I'll pop his knee , punch him" Etc... And it's incredibly real go me .

I do find chewing gum helpful although I've no idea why and also to move my eyes around square/rectangluar objects like windows and mirrors that seems to calm and distract me by regulating my breathing.

 

[Deleted member 28812]

My three year old asked me what I take every morning and told him it was my meds and he goes are you sick? And I said not really they are more like my vitamins that help me ever day, and our one year old is just starting to use his words a lot so I know he won't understand anything.

To be honest I wouldn't do it like this. I went to a first aid course for children and they told us about the most common dangers to avoid and one thing they stressed was never to call medication "vitamins" or "sweets" because the children might want to eat it. Of course you store it away from the children anyway and it's your choice. They just said that this was a very common source of accidents/poisonings.

I don't know how to tell a child about PTSD. I had the same question. You can find it in the Supporter Relationships Forum and it's called "Did you explain PTSD to your Toddler?". Maybe some of the answers are helpful to you. Other people have lately started threads with the same topic.
My husband and me talked about this and we thought that maybe one could explain PTSD and hypervigilance in special talking about the German shepard (or another similiar dog that is common where you are from). My parents, his grandparents have one and he is a very watchful dog, loves "his family" a lot and always wants to protect them... but he wants to protect them so much that he sometimes sees dangers when there are none. It's actually the same analogy "American Sniper" uses - a movie we have not watched so far but @Santa_Laurie has and I think it was him who said it had this analogy.

but I have to come back to the same situation so I don't avoid the situation because then feeling the need to avoid will get worse and worse.

Maybe this is a bit like smoking??? When I used to smoke I gave up... and then I had stress and told myself "Just one cigarette because one cigarette is really nothing"... and I a bit later I told myself "Just another cigarette"... until I realized I started smoking again... and if you tell yourself to avoid it is like "Just this one time" until you realize you avoid it always.
Unfortunately my husbands avoids stuff and "flees" from stuff and I don't know what to do about it. Stop him? Try to make him stay?

I will take a vacation from this boards for a week or so because I realized the sad stories about rape and so on drag me down. I don't have to read them but I do.