Books Which Trigger-reading World And Ptsd World Collide.

[Jen93]

So, what do you guys do when you read books which trigger you? Sometimes I read stuff that I have to for school and research, and I don't necessarily want to avoid reading this material... but is there a good way to ground myself when reading- keeping in mind that I am an English Literature undergraduate student, reading is my passion, and I get immersed into a book.

The only thing I have found that works is taking breaks when I find it gets too much, but that breaks my pace of reading and it's irritating to have to start it again.

Basically, I'm trying to say- we have our "PTSD world" which are flashbacks- that's what I think of it as for the purpose of explaining this. Then we have our real world where we are now. Finally we have the "reading world". The goal of the author is to get you into the reading world, where everything around you doesn't seem to matter because you are completely invested in the book.

I like the "reading world" but how do I stay in it if the "PTSD world" wants to keep intruding, without having to go back to the "real world"? Does anybody have any suggestions?

I hope this makes sense.

 

[Ice_Fire]

Jen,

I'm struggling with this so much right now! It's so incredibly frustrating. I understand totally what you mean about the 'PTSD World' intruding into the 'Reading World'. How to stay in the 'Reading World' when PTSD kicks in, without having to ground and leave the book completely for a while...sadly I've not got the answer. My approach to deal with it has been similar to yours, often more extreme. Avoid reading.

My course has extremely triggering texts in it and basically, last year I didn't take the exam because I couldn't stay in the 'Real World' or engage in the 'Reading World'; I was immersed in PTSD stuff.

This year, my strategy is to read a portion a day of the books, and if there's something triggering, to simply highlight it and scribble down what it triggers, promising to help myself deal with it later, but right now I'm reading and continue on with the story. Not sure how well it will work because I'm pushing my deadlines- have only just started reading! But it is the only new way of tackling the problem I can think of.

 

[Resilientbibliophile]

Greetings,

Perhaps no strict answers in this reply, but empathy nevertheless felt. To ponder matters, it is important to accept that outside formal conceptions of psych., faith, philosophy, etc. that reading fiction, myth, folklore, etc. was the means for those so-driven to informally engage topics of psychological import prior to psychology being established as a formal discipline. It just goes with the territory, whereas analysis of fiction facilitates the sharing of impressions gleaned with regards to theme and motives of those lives examined.

About triggering - what to do, etc. Hmmm - there will be times when I will quite deliberately mix my intake across titles with care exercised to not wholly immerse myself in the predictably dark. Too much predictably dark and reinforcing spells debilitation no question. One can of course invite the most electic brew to bubble up within one's mind for mixing titles, whereas sometimes too I'll start to develop an impression consistent with feeling ill-at-ease and dive onto Amazon.com to skim reader reviews to establish if my sense of something isn't strictly off. What needs to be avoided is subconscious stirring of traumatic memories consistent with feeling destabalized and ill for 'forced embrace' of thematical material unknowing fated to 'take you there'.

Although just the experience of one, if I'm at all conscious of the dynamic at work I'll keep separate notes consistent with what thematic material is prompting recall of specific uncharted territory within. In short, one notebook dedicated to formal analysis of the work in hand, and one private notebook dedicated to affording due consideration to valid assessment and analysis of what almost too personally stirs you. 'PTSD' people are called upon to juggle with greater dexterity to maintain focus and to be as productive as they ought, and hence means have to be hashed out to cope effectively even as other may not be strictly called upon to fashion such strategies.

In short, the first note is for the public performance, the second, to honor your personal need to validate impressions of much for meshing the contents to your specific subjective experience of life. Splitting out these impressions is a skill, whereas if discreet and consistent with larger themes identified and built upon, aspects of the private journal can fortify and expand upon points in your public journal consistent with supplimenting points made short of overwhelming your presentation. Yes - a discipline, but an art too! Kind regards...


M.

 

[Jen93]

Um.... It sounds like something that makes sense... but could you use explain it in a way that doesn't require the dictionary and a headache-free reader? That'd be helpful. Thanks.

 

[Resilientbibliophile]

I'll try(!),

For long fiction study WAS psych. study!

Akin to what Ice_Fire relates, maintain two notebooks as you proceed through a work with one containing material you'd share in class and write about, the second to validate PTSD-tinged impressions that you might not desire to strictly share or have overwhelm your formal presentation. The second notebook may constitute an aspect of what some term 'mesearch'; i.e. what life and art prompt us to learn about ourselves via independent psych. study.

In sum, I suppose traumatic recall can't be strictly avoided, hence a means articulated here to channel it in directions that will allow you to get the job done in class, but also explore and grow on your own time. Sorry - hardly better for the language used I'm afraid!

M.

 

[Jen93]

Thanks!

 

[Hashi]

'mesearch'

Like this very much! Also, the whole two-notebooks idea.