Hopefully, Finally Getting Help?

[Chavah]

Hi I'm new here, I'm Chavah. I need a support group, but there is no support group for PTSD in my area, so I found my way here. I need help from others who are further down the path to recovery than I am.

I am not sure how to navigate postings, how to find help on this site, etc. I have not looked at anyone else's posting, because although I NEED help and support, I am VERY afraid of being re-traumatized by postings I may stumble across. I have been re-traumatized by movies, books, witnessing things, etc.

Not sure what else to add right now without writing a novel about my experiences, where I'm at right now, and why after MORE than 3 decades I am finally, hopefully getting the help I need.
Thank you.

 

[Tinyflame]

Hi Chavah, welcome.

It doesn't matter how long it's been, what counts is that you're here now.

Take your time until you're comfortable. You might even want to start with reading some of the information (starting with the Home page), and go to the posts eventually. I think that you will find many people who feel exactly as you are describing you feel now, but there is much support on this site. No one is here to judge, just to learn and heal.

Best wishes.

 

[Chavah]

Thanks for directing me back to the home page with its information. I was so terrified, yet relieved, to be finally admitting, coming out, coming clean about the PTSD, that yesterday I wasn't quite able to make heads or tails of the information the site has to offer. I think I will start with the PTSD workbook. I know that sharing support in this type of forum is very helpful. My experience with AA, still sober, showed me that.
I would like to red other posts, share my experiences as well...but re-traumatization is something I CAN NOT handle. I believe and , I have read that some psychologists think, there is no need to re-live the trauma; we start from where we are now, with the effects of PTSD on our life, and start working on healing from this point. I am ABSOLUTELY terrified to read anyone else's post which may describe their traumatic experiences.
Is there a way for me to know if someone has posted a retelling of their traumatic experiences so that I may avoid those posts and find the posts which focus more on how the effects of PTSD "screw up" our lives and tools we need, or are using, to heal?
Thanks so much

 

[Deleted member 541]

I wish you luck on healing your PTSD from* Now* and working from there. I seriously doubt that you will succeed, but I will give you credit for trying.

As far as this site, not triggering you or re-traumatizing you, we don't put *Trigger Warnings* on our threads or postings.....Desensitizing yourself from triggers is how we learn to deal with triggers, and to deal with triggers we face them over and over again.....

 

[Llama]

Chavah, I'm glad that you were able to find this forum as a support group, but I hope that you are also in therapy as well. Doing this on your own, especially given how sensitive you are to being triggered, is not a good idea and can very likely toss you into a worse place than when you started.

It is certainly possible to begin therapy without addressing the trauma, and in some cases (mine as example) it is important to do so, because learning coping techniques to be able to just have a normal life take precedence over everything else. If you don't deal with your trauma, however, your triggers will never go away, and you can't have a normal life if you are going to be triggered by every white car that passes you on a street (heh again example me). So there are two ways to deal with triggers, exposure therapy, or by removing the root cause. If you know of another way then I'd love for you to share it.

If you want to avoid trauma details then I'd say avoid the introduction material in here completely. Again, though, if you are as sensitive as you are telling us, then you may have a lot of difficulty with this forum if you are unwilling to face triggers and walk yourself through the feelings, anxieties and all the other goodies in the bag that come with PTSD.