Poll Do You See An End To The Symptoms In Your Life?

[Ravenn]

The up side to this website is that it provides its members with people to share life with who understand their feelings. The down side is that I am not finding any posts that say "I survived PTSD." I suppose those who are able to make that statement don't have a need for this website, however for someone who is desperately trying to be "normal" (whatever that is) it can be a bit disheartening. I myself still have a lot of hope that one day I will live symptom free. I know I have not lived through as much trauma as some others and their struggle is more difficult, but I am determined. I just wonder what it will cost me in the long run...

 

[midi]

Ravenn,

One of the worst things I used to do was compare myself to others. I'm not being beaten to death in Iraq, I'm not living in *insert extremely poor district here*, I'm not paralyzed, I'm not... We have to stop minimalizing our own experiences. We are all valid and our experiences, both good and bad, are valid and different. I remember the first couple years of recovery - I was in physio and massage therapy, and patients talk about their experiences - oh, I was in a car and hit by another car, this girl said, and I'd say, yeah, I was in an accident too, walking, hit by a truck--oh, she immediately said, my accident is Nothing in Comparison to yours. The whole "it could be worse" just dismisses ourselves.

Sorry for rambling - all our struggles are difficult adn valid.

 

[tardis]

Techincally speaking, I do not believe anyone can say they have survived PTSD. PTSD has no cure as of this writing therefore that statement would only make sense with curable conditions. I do believe though symptoms improve. My symptoms are lessened since having therapy. And to use my girlfriend as an example; she is diagnosed with severe PTSD. She used to be incapacitated by the PTSD but now has few symptoms. Those she does have she manages. I envy her in some ways. Though it is up to me if I want to be as well as her. She worked fantastically hard and deserves the results she now enjoys.

 

[Robyn]

Hi all,

Quote from Ravenn

I am not finding any posts that say "I survived PTSD."

Saying you have survived PTSD is much like saying you have survived life. Would it really be possible for a PTSD sufferer to say they've survived PTSD? By looking for "survivors" you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. From all I have learned about PTSD (Anthony and others can correct me if I am wrong), it is a brain disorder.

Being "uncurable" at the present time, it's not something one can survive from, much like life, death, and paying taxes. Start looking for the posts from those that have "overcome". There are thousands of them here. People who have overcome and been successfully treated and have learned to adjust to the symptoms of PTSD. People who have come face-to-face with a trigger and backed it down without the severe symptoms it used to cause them. These are your "survivors".

Don't get me wrong...I can understand your impatience and desire to put PTSD behind you and move on with a "normal life." But in most cases, PTSD doesn't suddenly appear one day without warning. It has a snowball like effect in that it may start small for some, and then increase in intensity over time if left untreated and unacknowledged.

Seeking treatment and accepting the disorder is the first step to reversing that process. PTSD will never truly go away (at the present time) but can be rolled back to a point where the symptoms were easily managed and you are more aware of the alarms that tell you when to prepare yourself and take measures to ward off an impending "severe" symptom from occurring. Thus leading that "normal life" that EVERYONE (normal or not) is searching to find.

IMO, there is no such thing as "normal" - there's only varying degrees of experiencing life.

You're on the right track, Ravenn. Reach for your degree of "normal" but keep one eye on the present. It may take just as long for you to reach your ideal life as it took for PTSD to disrupt your current one.

Hugs and support to you on your journey!
May you reach your destination safely and stronger than you ever felt possible!

Robyn

 

[dirtgirl42]

I have hope. When I feel safe, and I am constructing my life to feel that way, appear that way, BE that way, I'm okay. I mean, no one likes to go to a crowded grocery store, right. How far off from that am I? Well, maybe people don't sob in their car, but there are times when I don't sob. That's hope right? And, instead of fighting with people, I have learned to just listen quietly so they go away instead of fighting. Though I haven't figured out how to deal with people yelling at me... Also, people don't like crowds, I just am specially aware of where I can and cannot go, most people have those parameters, mine are just more specific... someone out there help, I'm not sure I'm making a good point.

 

[Tinyflame]

I don't see an end to symptoms in my life, but I am hoping that the way I view and manage my symptoms will improve for the better as I try to "peel this onion", as they have described it.

I have had periods in my life when the symptoms were virtually non-existent, but then after much prolonged stress and several other "traumas" I fell apart, totally unexpected by me, but it is forcing me to acknowledge it. Funny thing was, the last "trauma" that seemed to do it was by no means the worst!

I don't know what the future will hold for me.

 

[skyp56]

No, I do not see an end to the symptoms in my life. My poor husband thinks I am just being overly negative when I say I feel hopeless that life will ever get better. But, being newly diagnosed with PTSD, at least I now have a reason for feeling I will ever get better. My therapist says that it can be cured, but I haven't been able to believe him. Good thing, too, sounds like I'd be heading for disappointment down the road. But, I do know that working with him will help me learn to manage the symptoms better. Having a name for my illness, finally, and a plan to get feeling better helps a lot. Plus I am very grateful for this forum. All of you on here help me to feel better, at least I'm not just a worthless self-pitying whiner, like I have been called in the past. I had a reason to feel bad, and now can work on dealing with the symptoms.
skyp

 

[TLight]

Geez......can't believe people called you a worthless self-pitying whiner Sky.

It's been done to me to. People have no idea what this suffering is like.

 

[Anonymoose]

No. I wish that I did but I don't think that would be a realistic hope.

 

[pandora]

Raven keep reading on the forum and it will teach you. It has helped me more than I can even explain, along with talk therapy, CBT and EMDR. We are grieving the person we once were..we all are. We are learning the tools to learn to live wiith this disorder in a healthy way.

When a person grieves there are five stages-denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.....and REALLY acceptance does come.

If you agree with this (I am also a registered nurse) what part of the grieving process do you think you are experiencing right nowÉ...If I am being too forward, please let me know,
Take Care
pand

 

[midi]

Padora,

Thanks for that list, eh. I wrote it down to remind me how far I've come since initial the diagnosis.

 

[pandora]

Your welcome! Ii forgot to add that there is no specific sequence at all and you can go back and forth between them. That is the really hard part with the ups and downs..denial, sadness, acceptance..then anger and bargaining..acceptance. It is a long process to work through to feel completely healed.