As a ptsd sufferer, do you believe that meditation and mindfulness can actually help?

[Me Myself and I]

I was wondering if meditation, mindfulness and all these sort of things can actually help and somewhat improve PTSD!!

 

[Lucycat]

Yes, yes and yes!!

 

[Me Myself and I]

Thank you :)

 

[Lucycat]

Before diagnosis I was numb, mindfulness moved that on.

Meditation ... well that's not easy, but certainly helps with working out what you are feeling and gives you breathing space.

I have read 'Buddha's Brain', and got the App on my phone. It is great for emergency therapy - for me such times as in a waiting room waiting for an appointment. Brilliant.

 

[Meadowsweet]

Yes absolutely.

 

[timid_flower]

Someone on this forum mentioned mindfulness to me the other day, but I'm not sure what that is. I guess I have to look into it.

 

[Me Myself and I]

It's quite interesting, if you'd like to learn more about it, google (jon kabat-zinn)!!

 

[Thinkingman85]

Yes, but not a cure all. It helps me enjoy life even if I am suffering.

 

[Hashi]

Yes, very much.

I have to be careful with meditation, though. I have to do guided meditation (either my own visualisations or listening to an audio). I can't do quiet meditation where you simply let your mind go still and empty - too much scary stuff in there which can come up.

 

[Me Myself and I]

Well I guess we need more than just meditation to "totally" cure!!

But that is always better than nothing anyway!!

 

[Abstract]

I agree with the others. Yes!

I guess we have to actually process the trauma and this doesn't help that directly. Processing it is what helps the PTSD.

But we have to survive processing it somehow. :( And we have to learn to live with intense emotions and deal with them healthily. And we need to learn to keep our stress levels under control (see PTSD cup theory). And mindfullness and radical acceptance helps all those. Darn hard though. :confused:

 

[Me Myself and I]

I bet it is!!

Well we are strong enough anyway!! Aren't we??
I'm sure that with just a bit of time and a lot of patience we can go through this someday :)