Poll Do You Believe That PTSD Affects You Physically and Mentally? If so, How?

[Deleted member 34424]

I mean, yes to both... It's been scientifically proven thousands upon thousands of times.

 

[trying2movefwd]

My body goes into an automatic freeze zone, it doesn't move, and I feel numb...before this though, I panic... heart races, palms sweat, I start to shake, tears come to the surface just to be pressed back down, thats when the freeze mode kicks in. Im also very jumpy almost all the time.

 

[trying2movefwd]

Sometimes it is as though another part of me is actually outside of my body as well.

 

[Deleted member 29920]

Physically, especially by using up the vitamins in my body, making me tired, weak, breathless, prone to infections..

 

[Unknown Victim]

I have to put it in two categories because I'm sooooo complex. One directly, I get more cold and autoimmune sickness. I get sinus attacks where I get mucous in my ears causing tinnitus. I use to think this was stress related and it is but with the PTSD issues as well.

Indirectly. I got my PTSD thru medical and I almost died. I try not to go to the hospital until it is too late. Recently, I crashed my bike broke my collarbone and ribs. I haven't been to the hospital for this and its healed up now. But I can feel the shoulder pain when I left something up. Several years ago I had a terrible gallstone attack and the doctors wanted to remove my gallbladder. I didn't want it removed and I thought I was going to die during surgery, I also didn't trust the doctors opinion, and I have to live with the pain in my gallbladder. I'm going thru therapy and I'm thinking about getting it removed.

 

[Enaila]

Not being able to sleep, due to PTSD affects many areas of my life like weight issues, attention span, concentration, moods, etc.

 

[SGT1209]

ptsd is both mental and physical for me. In short same as Anthony at top of page; long version: The physical effects include uncontrollable shaking, easily startled, increased heart rate, fast shallow breathing or fast heavy breathing (this happened recent and I had only walked about 100m total -incl back to my front door, i dared to venture outside - lasted about 10mins outside had to get back indoors - that fear and hypervigilance came across me- sat on bed told self not to lie down - so i did and spent the next hour with the fast heavy breathing and exhaustion; it felt like i had run a marathon), nausea, dry wretching, vomiting, headaches (they are so bad - last for days think they are migraines - keep me immobile and in the dark, neck and back pain, dreams, insomnia (lucky to get 1-3hrs sleep - doubt it is restful too; recently spent 40hrs awake - i did lie down to sleep so i rested just didnt fall asleep at any stage - mind too busy), and the projector on continuously in my head - re-runs of others words behaviours and actions, memories, self-talk. The worst of which would be for me are the insomnia and the continuous projector playing. I am not on any medication - i would prefer not to knowing how meds mess with your body. Rarely I relent and take paracetamol for the headpain but it doesnt really have much effect. I have tried sleeping tablets however I see "spiders" crawling down from the ceiling and I have woken up in places i know i did not go to bed in ie. outside..

 

[Lola Nocheprieta]

The hyperarousal, hypervigilance and insomnia are linked pretty clearly to adverse physical effects. Personally, I feel pain more acutely, my self-care is hard to maintain, self-harm impacts me physically (mildly, nothing permanent since I was a teenager, fortunately), and notably, I somaticize (sp?) everything.

 

[Dannyuk78]

i agree there are alot of connections between the both an the more i look into it the more i realise the deep connection they all have.

Physically i suffer with:
Aching musscles - due to constantly being tenced
bad teeth - due to constant pressure or grinding
fatigue - this is unbelivable constantly tired and exhausted but if i push myself to go for a run i feel so alive until 30 min after then its back or worse
weight - no matter what i do i just cant seem to shift it even with all the running
High blood preassure

mentally:
consentration
ability to focus for periods of time
shakes in my hands and twitching of my arm/leg
hyper vigilace
mood - this can swing from being fully enganged to wanting to hide in a corner somewhere


I have found that mindfullness has really started to help me balance myself, as its teachings are all about being in the present moment. Dont get me wrong its hard work with trying to maintain focus or break those bounderies but constant perservierance has slowly started to make the difference.

 

[SophiaWisdom]

I have found that mindfullness has really started to help me balance myself,

This has also been recommended to me so many times particularly to help with the insomnia and the way PTSD affects our brain structures, that even though I've tried years of meditation and found it didn't "work", I'm going back to it now. I'm going to keep trying until I find a type of mindfulness/meditation that works.

I'm an active person typically who feels healthiest when I'm moving and walking and dancing, so lying down and listening to something isn't great for me, but I'm trying to find ways to be mindful or steady or measured that works for my disposition.

I too shake, which is incredibly annoying, since I'm not used to being so out of control of my body.

I have mood swings as well, and when stressed I curse like a sailor trying to kill somebody. I like cursing anyway, but I can usually control it, since I'm in a church setting a lot lol. But when I'm triggered I cannot control it for the life of me. The native NYer comes out and itjust feels TOO good lol.

 

[Dannyuk78]

I'm going to keep trying until I find a type of mindfulness/meditation that works.

There are so many different types but have a go at mindful walking, its a small thing you can start to do in everyday life and as you like being outside and active like me then you might find it useful.