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I saw this on another forum...thoughts, discussion?
http://pro.psychcentral.com/exhausted-woman/2015/08/14-safeguards-for-therapists-working-with-personality-disorders/
Hi @ptsdwifenstuff, welcome to the forum. I think there are a couple of things that you are misunderstanding. It certainly sounds like your job loss was traumatic for you and that you experienced distressing symptoms. And there is no denying that your situation was stressful.
However, the...
All of this work can be scary. The thing is, as you work through it, you are changing the pathways in your brain. You have an advantage with this one - you've recognized it as a trigger. That's really the first step. For me, I am sometimes a step back from that - I have a reaction and then...
I will admit, I skimmed through a lot of your writing, but I think this sums up what you are saying, yes?
Coming out (as homo or bisexual) can be a deeply painful (and sometimes fatal) experience...however, I don't think it meets the criteria for PTSD. There are a ton of resources that can...
Hypervigilance / startle response - our clothes dryer has a buzzer (which I leave off) - but the boys will turn it on when they use the dryer. I damn near jump out of my skin when they do this...and then I end up being what my younger son calls "exploding mom".
I haven't thoroughly read all of the responses and apologize in advance if I repeat anything said earlier...although I think @shimmerz hit on what I think is most important. It sounds to me like you fully understand his needs and the difficulties those will entail...but you need to look long...
...and my "freeze" response...I hate that. Especially because, apparently, I don't look frozen, I look calm and collected, but my brain essentially seizes up...not quite dissociation, I don't think (or maybe it is).
Yes. I suppose this all fits under the category of "anxiety" - but I never thought I had "anxiety". Now that I know that it's anxiety, it seems to be around all the time. I also hate the exaggerated startle response, the inability to trust, the shame.
The one thing that I actually liked was...
I think you're referring here to "exiles", yes? I haven't really gotten to them in depth. I'm still getting to know some of the "managers" and "firefighters". It's the these parts that I'm trying to radically accept.
I've been reading Jay Earley's "Self-Therapy" and working from the associated workbook (surprisingly called "Self-Therapy Workbook") by Bonnie Weiss. I've also added a bit of soul collage to help me conceptualize my different "parts".
I struggled a long time with the idea of "parts" - most...
Well, having lived in the southern part of the US for a little over 6 years now (and granted, that doesn't make me a southerner), we get our peaches from Georgia...and they're big, round, furry and juicy...sounds nothing like either a European or that more rare English peach...and definitely not...
I've been doing some reading / work with the Internal Family Systems model - I like that this model empathizes that the parts we view as negative (the critic, the angry one, etc.) are actually trying to protect you (they are actually called Protectors). It has helped me to feel a lot more...
I recently experienced a very awkward situation where an acquaintance had met my estranged brother who lives almost 1000 miles away from me and whom I haven't spoken to in years (talk about a small world). She was going on and on about how great he was...and how great his fiancé was. It hit me...
This...
The thing that connects my glasses to my ear on my glasses is cracked and the crack looks like it's going to break very very soon. I know intellectually that this can be fixed immediately with some duct tape and long term with a short drive and drop off my glasses to have them fixed...
I have a very valid and healthy distrust of 12 step groups - but do not, in any way, discount how this program has resonated with others.
So, AA has "open" meetings...meaning you don't have to be an alcoholic (or at least admit it)...why don't you try one of those? I had a friend, who had...
I know I posted earlier - but some of the responses here have gotten me thinking a bit more. I do think that anti-depressants are overprescribed - especially here in the US. I think there are a number of factors involved in this - including the influence of pharmaceutical and insurance...
I am not currently taking any psychotropic medications (I do take medication for high blood pressure). Over the past 30 years or so, I've tried pretty much every antidepressant there is - some worked for a bit but then stopped. I'm thinking the initial efficacy may have been a placebo effect...
I suspect what's happening is that you are moving too quickly and quite possibly being re-traumatized. Is your therapist well versed in trauma? Have he/she helped you develop resources for grounding yourself, dealing with distress tolerance and emotional regulation? This is difficult work and...
@Chava, I did this. It almost killed me. My therapist was well intentioned but not trauma trained. I did not have the appropriate skills (grounding, distress tolerance, emotional regulation) on board and we (at my insistence) started working with the trauma. I would go home and drink and...
Currently? Just one - PTSD. In the past, there have been a number of them (probably more than 5 if I were to sit down and count them), including PTSD. I rejected most of them (including the PTSD) except the depression....which is really kind of interesting, because I've been hospitalized more...
I second this. I hope I didn't come across as being judgmental ...the whispering/crunchy/crinkling sounds made my body twitch - and not in a good way :confused:. I personally like the Tibetan singing bowls but have met people who would rather shoot themselves than listen to them.