Poll How Do You Deal With Ptsd?

[smileysmile]

I would really like to know how people can deal with PTSD because I haven't dealt with it myself.

 

[Sandra]

It's hard taking that first step Smms0803 whichever road you decide to choose to deal with it. Whatever you choose I hope it helps you.

 

[The Albatross]

I do self care, I do peer support, I do education, I do stress reduction, I do reprocessing, I do or did until recently therapy, I do goal setting and personal challenges. I talked for many many years... but kept getting worse.

 

[Meadowsweet]

I put talk to people here because today Im ok. Another day I might have said I can't deal with it yet. And when I start, I really hope that therapy will help me cope with life better.

I'd like to add though, that I was struggling quite alot with everything over the past couple of weeks, including the label 'ptsd'. But as well as talking on here, I also went and read more about it, including the N.I.C.E guidelines that are aimed at professionals. Its not for everybody, and I can't take in all of the information. But I'm finding that the professional tone that these papers use enables me to seperate the reality of ptsd and therapy, from the psychological and emotional abuse that I've experienced. This seems to be helping.

 

[VDWngr1355]

I do have a therapist but still am having a hard time opening up about anything. So, really I am not dealing with it. I do a lot of self education on PTSD though, and visit the forum often.

 

[ClairBear226]

Well, I guess I started with trying really hard to ignore it and hoping it would go away. Which worked for quite awhile, but eventually came back to bite me. Then I started talking to a friend. I started seeing a therapist recently, but I can't say we really talk much yet. Just the superficial stuff mostly. I'm trying to get past the "bury it at all costs" mentality, but it's rough.

 

[Ted Moen]

I don't dwell on it, but I mention it to those I am involved in relationships or activities with. It gives them an explanation for the occasional bit of ptsd behavior that occurs. That's important. Mostly I focus on behaving the way I need to behave to get my current needs met in my current situation, on not letting the intense intrusive thoughts and feelings that are triggered by participating in my current situation generate inappropriate or counter-productive behavior.

Ted

 

[kimberley dawn]

I've been down this road before and had years of trauma therapy. This time it hit me even harder and first now, after almost a year, I'm seeking a new therapist. I haven't been able to turn to anyone for the last months and hope I keep my wits about me long enough to get help.

 

[AngelaMarie]

I have pretty much isolated for the last few years. Coming on the forum and sharing is the first step towards recovery for me.

 

[Lionheart]

My first attempts at dealing with PTSD led me to a lot of self-defeating behaviors, such as alcoholism, addiction and self-harm. I began therapy at the local universities Department for Family Studies where I would basically spin my wheels for the next 2 years and I didn't really make any progress, but one day I found a flyer on the wall that advertised a free 17 week cognitive processing program at the Department for Traumatic Stress Research and I took them up on it. It was there that I met my first therapist.

Since then I have had over a decade of therapy and all of my symptoms have improved greatly. (I have had group therapy, individual therapy, CBT, exposure therapy, medication management etc. etc.and these have been effective for me.)

 

[Anna]

I block it out, keep myself busy and try not to remember. I am dreading retiring. I think I will keep working as long as possible. I don't want to be sitting around remembering all that s***.

 

[Gamereign555]

I am surprised to see that more haven't tried the medication route yet. But it is never the the one and only answer anyway. Talking with a therapist and family works quite well.