Sufferer Hello :) Multiple Diagnoses

[safenow]

What do you do to control yours?

First, I had to learn what each of my triggers were. Then, find a way to ground for each one. When I've been triggered at home, I have to ground as soon as I get to work. That means going into the bathroom and doing the 5-4-3-2-1 game. If you don't know what that is, I can share it with you. It is basically making sure you are in the here and now. Using all 5 senses to where you are.

If I've been triggered at work, I have to stop, go to another room, and ground immediately. It's not always easy, but over time, and working with a good therapist, you can work through a specific trauma and lose many of those triggers. When I have more than one trigger open at the same time is when I end up in total immersion, and then I have to just wait for it to ride it's self out. Thank goodness, now they are rare and far between.

Fear is usually the thing that takes you full back. At least that has been my findings.

 

[Ncole]

Thank you so much for your response! I greatly appreciate you taking the time to write everything out.

I started a thread in one of the forums called "total immersion flashbacks" which explain a bit more about mine but this is very helpful. I have never heard of the 5-4-3-2-1 game but it seems similar to what I do. I think I should probably start doing it and being more tedious about going through each individual sense...I tend not to do that. I tend to get through the "feeling" sense, just making sure I feel some sort of pain and then try to move forward, perhaps trying to get through them all would be more effective.

I would agree, it does seem that fear is what typically triggers it. I tend to have memory flashes throughout the day which causes fear to start that my abusers will eventually find me and I'll be back in that situation. I am working hard on reducing the fear itself by reminding myself of truth.

 

[safenow]

In the 5-4-3-2-1 game you feel no pain. In fact, pain is what you are staying away from. I've posted it in several threads, you can do a search on it, or go to my diary, "how it began" page 1, Item #21. The object of the game is to get back fast. As soon as you have any sort of flash, you do it, and the flash is gone with everything that comes with it.

 

[Nicolette]

Never in my life have I had someone seriously edit a post to add an extra space and tell me that my abbreviations were not acceptable until I came here

Nicole you agreed to the rules upon registration. It is staff's role to uphold those for the benefit of all members. May I recommend you re-read the [DLMURL="https://www.ptsdforum.org/c/pages/help-site-rules/"]rules[/DLMURL] as paragraph breaks aide readability for those with a traumatised brain. You are not the first to carry on and I'm sure you wont be the last.

Others have adequately covered acronyms. Please read the following thread [DLMURL]https://www.ptsdforum.org/c/threads/use-of-text-speak-and-abbreviations-when-posting.30234/[/DLMURL]

 

[Ncole]

Nicolette, I have not responded any further to the other posts, negatively nor positively. They all made the point perfectly clear so please leave me alone.

Thanks!
Nicole

 

[anthony]

so please leave me alone.

You won't get a second warning from me, it will simply be banned permanently. Do not tell staff what they can, or cannot do, in regards to performing their role here in accordance with forum policy which you agreed to comply with upon registration and / or simply reading this website.

I have the least tolerance for new members, as new members seem to want to test staff patience the most. First and last warning from me.

 

[ms spock]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum Nicole!

I have body memories as well. It is a challenge.

I am pretty sick today but I thought I would try and explain a couple of things so you understand a little bit better.

With your background of such an abusive family you probably have never received guidance, positive instruction or been taught how to follow the guidelines and rules of a situation in a positive manner. I would suggest that you take a step back and just look at the forum as a whole. There is a lot of good stuff here for you Nicole.

We have many people of many different levels of ability - some people have English not as a second language but as a fourth or fifth language. Some people are quite illiterate so writing every thing out so people can understand what you are saying is good for them, but it is also good for you as well. Making the site accessible as possible is inclusive for a wide range of people.

There are reasons for all the rules, but as there are so many people here, and with the moderators kindly donating much of their time for all of us to be able to use this resource - well they can't explain the rules one on one to all of us. Thus it is our responsibility to read and understand the rules. Perhaps it would be more helpful not to dialogue back with the moderators until you have read and understood the rules. Then perhaps use the helpdesk to ask respectful questions, that is probably the place to go. They put a huge amount of time and effort in to making this place safe for all of us.

One of the ways to heal from PTSD is to have strong, clear boundaries in which to operate. This is one of the strenghts of this forum. So the rules are enforced as a type of compliment in a way - that we are worth being part of the forum. I, also, grew up in an abusive family of origin so I understand that you may not have had experience of this.

Once again Welcome Nicole I hope you get some interesting insight here.

 

[Tanishq]

Welcome to the forum Nicole, this is supportive place and you can post your questions. :)