How Do You Heal From PTSD?

[Monarch]

I am glad that I am here, I have found more understanding and knowledge here than anywhere else. That is really great and I feel good about it and for the first time in a very long time I feel accepted. I want to be a happy healthy person, for my husband and kids for my career and I want to work on forming other relationships. It is going to be a hard road but it is the best one to take, I see that now.

 

[kdm]

I'm with cookie on this one...it's something you have to make a committment to, a promise to yourself, what ever you want to call it. Dealing with each and every trauma, and all of the other things that tend to hide behind the traumas (i.e. things that have hurt you before in life that haven't been dealt with-just stuffed down), being honest with yourself, having others be honest with you. It's not easy, it's not pretty, it will make your symptoms worse for a while...but it's worth it because you get to have your life back.

There's no cure, there's no magic pill...PTSD will be with you for life. It's a matter of learning to manage your symptoms AFTER you've dealt with your traumas. Otherwise, like you said, you're right back where you started.

I'm coming up on my one year anniversary of my symptoms going out of control (even though I've had PTSD most of my life and didn't know). It's been a hell of a year. But I know I'm healing-it's been hard, hard work. No matter how long it takes, I'll keep fighting because I want it that badly.

Wow! This is what is happening to me now for the first time; my learning I have had PTSD my whole life, and I am just now experiencing it full blown for the first time ever these past 6 weeks. What has been happening to me I have only learned by the internet as well as so many answers on this forum. The info I learned about PTSD on the internet gave me an answer to things I never knew there was a title for. Now, I learn there is someone else out there that I may be able to identify with. I keep thinking I will be ok any moment now, but am experiencing instead a whole new ball game. But now I may see that I too may be saying I will have a year anniversary to this in the upcoming future. I saw the doctor in March and disintegrated immensely ever since, and I have called for help but there is none and no one is here. But I handled it myself and used my intellect as my guide. I have made it through. This is a good resource and I am grateful to have found this forum. Good luck to all!

 

[WarHippy1%]

Welcome Monarch

I have to agree with Anthony, therapists have to watch how they treat us, but we also need to watch out for the therapist whose curiosity about PTSD overloads their good sense. I encountered a therapist while in relationship counseling, who thought she could make a breakthrough with my PTSD. She had me close my eyes and try to remember holding a friend as he died, trying to help me remember his name (that was a BIG issue with me). She caused one of the worst flashbacks I've ever experienced, and I don't think she cared much for the demons she unleashed that day either. All that just made me feel more hopeless, but the good news is, you may never recover, but you can learn to live with it, and even be happy. So, buck up Lady, you can learn if I can learn, suicide is a rotten permanent solution to a temporary problem. You can't take it back, and it causes Loved one's way more pain than you're enduring.
WarHippy1%

 

[Monarch]

yup, I have learned suicide isnt' the answer now. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't go down that path anymore. I feel good about it, I think part of those feelings I have are wanting to avoid dealing with the pain and hurt, avoidance if you wish and now that it is out the open after hiding it for so long it is harder to avoid. Anyway, thanks.