Poll How Do You Self Medicate?

[Silver.]

@LostInCPTSD I don't use Kratom, it is illegal here. My friends in Florida that do use it, they capsule it using vegan capsules, as they say the taste is wretched, it works better for pain in capsule form.
You won't get a high from it, you will get pain relief, it might mellow you out, but not in the way of marijuana. You can search ways to consume it, dosage etc as I don't know much more about it. Just be careful because as of the end of the month, owning it will be considered illegal.
Take Care

edited: CBT is cognitive behavioural therapy, verbally talking things out (the way you think during situations, your reactions etc), retraining you to turn your negative thoughts into positive thoughts (are you confusing that with EDMR?)

 

[Gs172003]

Exercise. Lots and lots of exercise.

 

[LostInCPTSD]

@LostInCPTSD I don't use Kratom, it is illegal here. My friends in Florida that do...

Yeah, that's about all I learned about Kratom thus far, just did some light research before my purchase. I learned @4 days ago it was being banned, so I looked it up. The benefits seem unreal. One thing I know is that if a natural remedy people have been using for decades with great success is suddenly being banned for being 'dangerous' you should buy it, use it for its intended purpose.. you may just end up becomming healthier, stronger, sick less often, and have more money in your bank account...! haha.. There are organizations & a few petitions out there gaining momentum that are working to stop this ban before Sept 30th due to all its medicinal and healing properties, so crossing fingers for that even if doesn't work for me after I try it. It has recovered persons from heroin addiction and allowed many to stop taking prescription opioids completely. In meantime I will just be sure to keep my receipt reflecting my purchase date & quantity and leave the rest up to the Gods.

EMDR was the therapy I was searching for when first looking for a therapist, but unfortunately none were available at the time. I believe everything happens for a reason, but EMDR is on my list along with trying Organic Bigalow Green Tea and Grapefruit Juice. lol I'm so beyond determined to conquer this, really, to a detriment.

CBT just wasn't effective for me, and from reading other threads in this forum it wasn't working for some others either. It seemed to make us worse, but didn't really think to question it - I just trusted my T till I read that thread on CBT. She was an amazing trauma specialist who uses various therapies, and CBT was one we used a couple times a month. Well, thanks for the response !! Be well!!

 

[EveHarrington]

Yes, sugar. I find it grounding. Lol.

 

[SGT1209]

CBT? It seemed to make me worse - no matter how many times I did it I would cry cry cry cry and be...

I sit with my T and talk..and shake intensively and uncontrollably for the duration of the session, crying occasionally. I am exhausted after and take the week to recover for the next session. Recent, I have questioned my T whether it was CBT. My T says it's CPT and it is the 'umbrella' over all the other treatments..CBT etc, and is now recommended and used for war vet's. (Center for Deployment Psychology has a brief overview of this treatment). (Obviously my results in their initial questionnaires and discussions with them have resulted in me being assessed as suitable for this treatment therapy; I actually have two T's - they work alongside one another - one for ptsd - CPT - weekly, and the other for the Depression - I see fortnightly).

I looked up EFT on youtube (thankyou) as you indicated and recall that ten+ years back I learned EFT out of interest (had no idea it would be helpful for ptsd, so will see if I can do this again myself); and a few years back, during a MH placement I met an EMDR therapist who did an initial session with me (just after my most severe trauma/s...and she said then that the trauma still needed to be worked upon, I completed the placement and moved away)....I was already attending with a psychologist, group talk therapy, group mindfulness therapy for months...eventually tiring of them all...thought I could manage on my own and got on with life and work...I had no idea ptsd symptoms remain (I wish I had been advised of this)..obviously I was coping well enough...yet, here I am...my T has said to me convincingly that I am fixable...so I am doing the CPT weekly (12 sessions- I have been hopeful to do two sessions a week (my idea to get it over with sooner), and this is able to be done...however as you have indicated it is the exhaustion and time needed to get over the session that is making my sessions weekly, and the depression, and the long drive 3hours to get to my session. I have just researched EMDR therapists for my location and there are three available, I would like to do the EMDR with or without CPT.

Over the years I have seen a chiropractor for pain (I haven't been for near a year now); I phoned them this afternoon, asking whether chiro treatment was effective for ptsd....they said it was beneficial for the nervous system....which I feel would be helpful to my ptsd - because of the cycling thoughts, memories and flashbacks, the what if's and questioning I do..... (overstimulated nervous system - something which I read upon here in an article in the last day or two).

I hope you are able to try the EMDR and with good effect.

Thank you for your suggestions....Take care :)

 

[Glo809]

Greetings

A massage every other week, walking with a pipe filled with sand to mimic rifle movements, slower dog walking ( he's part hound and has to smell everything).

And beer, within normal limits.

G

Ps and two books, when the laughter dies by Paul Barnes, and Bulletproof Spirit by Dan Willis

I an a unique former first responder, and now recently have to deal with all of this..

 

[Unknown Victim]

Weed and Alcohol, with some Meth.

 

[Kallisti]

Have tried everything (in abundance), apart from heroin and injecting. Am happy to say that was in my teens and twenties, and nowadays I watch too many series and I will take any form of nicotine I can get my hands on, and I drink some alcohol, but not a lot. I have tried to be a workaholic (worked quite well for me, but not my loved ones), and now it's really mostly therapy, nicotine, coffee and not much else.

 

[Friday]

Recent, I have questioned my T whether it was CBT. My T says it's CPT and it is the 'umbrella' over all the other treatments..CBT etc,

Slight correction here :)

CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - is the umbrella term for all types of therapies used in (or originating in) Cognitive Behavioral Psychology, of which CPT is one.

CPT - Cognitive Processing Therapy. Is what people generally think of when they say CBT, but it's only one of the therapies CBT uses.

CPT is one specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy. It is a 12-session psychotherapy for PTSD. CPT teaches you how to evaluate and change the upsetting thoughts you have had since your trauma. By changing your thoughts, you can change how you feel.

Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD - PTSD: National Center for PTSD

CPT - Cognitive Processing Therapy
PE - Prolonged Exposure
DBT - Dialectal Behavior Therapy
^^^
All 3 are forms of CBT

Or more simply FlowChartStyle

CB (Cognitive Behavioral Psych)
CBT (all the therapies used inside of that branch of psychology)
TF-CBT (TraumaFocused-CBT ... CB therapies that are specific to trauma)
- CPT
- PE
- et cetera

Really super slight correction. It's just acronym and definitions make it look long!

 

[PaintedTurtle]

I use Native medicine. It's part of my culture and it works better. Sweatlodge. Smudging (cedar, tobacco, sage, sweetgrass), meditating (I learned this from a Buddhist friend). Sweet grass tea can help with not sleeping especially if you take melatonin with it. St. John's wart helps but can cancel your birth control out (for the girls). Doing things for others. It helps me to think less about things I don't want to think about, less about myself and my problems and changes the way the mind works. Neurons are built in the brain by what we focus on. So I decided I would focus on the positive. Starve out the negative as much as I can and build strength and resiliency for positive thinking and weaken fear thoughts, unexplained sudden anger, panic etc.

 

[Littlebirdy44]

Does anyone else have a substance abuse problem? "/

Vyvanse unfortunately :( haven't told my T but I need to.

 

[Glo809]

Greetings
When you think it's time to come clean, you are already late.

But it never a lost cause, so long as you fight to get better.

Been there and doing that on my many facets of ptsd.

G