How do you distinguish a gut feeling from a ptsd response?

[desiderata310]

Right now because of things happening in my world my hyper vigilance is spiking.
I have a very ugly feeling of being trapped. (I broke my leg) When I was in therapy a couple of days ago I jumped at every low frequency rumble of trucks passing by outside. Hell my therapist couldn't even hear them but I could and I was tuned into them and the anxiety I have connected to them.

THAT's hyper vigilance. AND I KNEW IT. I knew sitting there that my ex was not driving the truck that he used to own down the street next to my therapist's office. That knowledge didn't make my jumpiness, my anxiety that spiked and the tears that followed go away.

Intuition is something different.

I DO NOT believe in hocus-pocus bullshit BUT I can't count the number of times, I've picked up my phone CONVINCED that something was wrong and texted or called one of my kids just to find out that they were about to call me or that they had a problem and were thinking about me. It's weird. It's spooky. It's that damn gut feeling that goes along with being a mom. In fact, I can't think of a time that I've ever done that when I wasn't right.

It's the same thing that makes me think. Something aint right and the fine hairs stand up on the back of my neck when I see something that doesn't quite fit but I can't put my finger on it. I attribute that to gut feelings. I've more than once walked away from situations, people, places, etc because it just didn't feel right. Nothing "oh my god shit's about to explode" anxiety. Just that little nagging feeling that I should put distance between me and...whatever. I listen to that, it's served me well enough.

I turned down a job once because of it. Turns out that 3 months later the organization filed bankruptcy and there was a scandal surrounding the management of the organization. I couldn't have seen that but something felt 'off'. It would have been a great opportunity.
go figure.:bored:

I think hyper vigilance is more immediate attached to anxiety and 'gut' feelings or intuition seems to be more subtle and quiet but insistent.

Not sure if that makes sense.

Also: in everything I've read empaths simply are more observant. It's more to do with sitting back and observing things as a whole. I don't attach new age bull-shit to the term. That would make me puke. BUT I've been told by my therapist, who also doesn't stand for bullshit that I am an HSP Highly Sensitive Person. That seems to fit well enough. I pick up on things that others might not percieve and am more bothered by changes in the environment. That's all true enough about me without making me want to gag at the thought of "vibrations" and "energies" blah blah blah.
That's my $1.02.

 

[Klo]

To me they are one and the same. There is no difference between a gut feeling and a PTSD response at a base level.

People with PTSD have had traumatic experience(s) in which their brain learned to identify certain factors as a threat.

This is how the human brain learns to identify threats in general, through a combination of social modeling (witnessing others reactions to stimuli) and from having firsthand bad experiences with stimuli.

The "disorder" in PTSD is in part having a fight/flight/freeze mechanism that responds at full-throttle at even a hint of certain stimuli, but do the freeze (dissociation) mechanism in the mix, it can be very difficult to tell when a severe response is having vs a lesser response that might be categorized as a "gut feeling."

But that something is amiss, again on the base level, is the same in both cases.

For example, if I go to see a doctor and find myself feeling really uncomfortable while the doctor is speaking to me, it means that something about the situation is wrong. It could be a "gut feeling" but it could also be a severe trigger response in which dissociation is blunting it. In either case, something is wrong.

The more pertinent factor IMO in such a situation is how I am going to respond to the response itself.

As a hypothetical example, a doctor explains to me that they are going to do some sort of procedure, and I explain that I don't feel comfortable with that. A professional response from the doctor would be to acknowledge that I have the right to refuse any type of procedure and that they won't do anything without my permission, but also ask me if I am willing to explain why I don't feel comfortable with it, to see if perhaps there is anything they could do or change to alleviate that discomfort. But instead, the doctor dismisses my experience with, "Oh there's nothing to worry about, it's really not a big deal."

Something like that would probably set off a PTSD-related response in my brain. Yet it should also give most people the "gut feeling" that this hypothetical doctor is being disrespectful, which is never okay in such a profession.

Maybe my "gut feeling" response is stronger than the norm in some types of situation, but either way it's not what matters. What would matter is that the doctor is being disrespectful to me as a patient, and so I would announce that I am leaving and then do so.

 

[Lionheart]

I am a HSP Highly Sensitive Person and an *universal empath (possessing all of the traits of the different types of empaths) so I always go with my gut feeling.

Thoughts however are less trust-worthy as there are so many variables to consider and I think this is where I can make mistakes. Over-thinking, cognitive distortions, hypervigilance, etc.

However, having said that, if I pick up 'bad vibes' from someone I don't know, I trust that information completely. It has never steered me wrong. Not in 56 years!

The only time my intuition (gut instinct) led me wrong is when I didn't listen to it."

 

[Friday]

Are you getting support for these symptoms?

I don't really know how to answer that. They're not really things other people can do anything about.

 

[Nessa7]

I sniff it. Most of my PTSD responses that don't occur because of something real or at least reasonable are because of scent triggers.

 

[Deleted member 41318]

To me gut is different than doubt, or fear, it's a strong feeling/ thought, not my 'mind' 's cognitions...

My past was clouded with amnesia for a good many years and the secrecy of perpetrators. The only way to forgive myself for not tying in my screw ups to the ordeal was my gut feelings. The way the assault went down, had I known at the time, would have a reaction
far more serious from my quarter. This is decades later, and peoples' reactions didn't fit the lies to hide their misdeeds. By people, I mean friends, school officials, an attorney, police,
and a judge. All the institutions subscribed for our well being. The offense was under played,
and the only place I was aware were gut feelings. Normally I am forgiving, but this is besides
the matter.

 

[Roslie22]

I don't really know how to answer that. They're not really things other people can do anything about.[/Q...

May I ask what made you came to this conclusion?

 

[The Albatross]

Intuition v.s. PTSD response? PTSD response is fight/flee/freeze, disassociate, depersonalize, fireworks going off in the brain/reactivity or flashback due to any trigger for a time that require management or maintenance.

Intuition? None of the above.

 

[Friday]

what made you came to this conclusion?

I'll bite. :) What do you think other people could do?

 

[Roslie22]

I'll bite. :) What do you think other people could do?

That depends on the person and-or their speciality-profession!
The question was though what made you came to the conclusion " They're not really things other people can do anything about."?

 

[Netsy]

Hey everyone!

I was wondering for all of you, how do YOU distinguish a legitimate gut feeling from a...

I have read your comments for a few days now and havent had time to put my response on but it has been niggling me. So here goes !... I thought my Gut feeling was a sixth sense that noone understood for the last few years. It is scary because when things happen and you think they wont ... but you know they might.. then that is scary//// ...so in my opinion it is our way of protection because of the past and what has happened in our past. So definately always go with your gut feeling, no matter how hard it is, if you cant accept what is happening, remember it may so when in doubt then go with gut feeling because it is your way of self mechanism of protection. If you are wrong at any way at least you are safe and that is the main thing. A lot of our friends more than family will listen to us and not know what to say but usually it is... oh you will be okey you are dramatising the situation, but in fact you know in your heart what is right and what is wrong... somewhere we have the seed inside each and everyone of us that says no... so go with your gut feeling... I hope find its okey and find happiness :-)

 

[DanielAC]

Hey everyone!

I was wondering for all of you, how do YOU distinguish a legitimate gut feeling from a...

Honestly if it is with people, I try to first watch how they react to other people. Sometimes I ask my friends.
Generally though, if the feeling persists and I cannot push it away or find reasons as to why it would relate to ptsd, I stick too it. This is especially true for me bc I have multiple traumas and I've kinda come to realize that certain bad people all give off the same vibe? Its like they have this aura of confidence that is just a little bit too much? Like its just a little bit overwhelming. So they may remind me of trauma, but they may remind me of that because they're the kind of person to cause that.