I Believe PTSD Is Curable - An Anonymous Source

[Jline]

Thanks Cynthiatoo,

At first I was closing my eye but the patch I have sits out far enough to keep my eye open. Nice to know it's ok to do that. I will check out that site for sure. Hope all is well with you and your husband, fellow pirates lol Take care. j

 

[AdamAnt]

Interesting article Cynthiatoo. It actually recommends alternating which eye is patched in order to reach an equilibrium within the brain. Good scientific explaination there too.

 

[Cynthiatoo]

By the time I got to the bottom of the article I got confused about one thing. My sister (PTSD) is left handed. I could not work out which eye she needs to patch or is it saying everyone needs to patch the right eye.

This is aside from the alternating both eyes scenario. Gawd, I get so enthusiastic I'll end up patching both. My patch sits too close and until I get another my darling husband is going to cut up and egg carton for me to tape a cone over my eye. Now, thats love.

 

[Jline]

That made me giggle Cynthiatoo...That IS love haha. Patching both is what I do, it seems to be working. I am still free from panic attacks and flashback...so far so good.

 

[AdamAnt]

Well, after reading that article curiousity has gotten the better of me...I made me an eyepatch last night and will be doing both eyes for 20 minutes each per night while watching tv to see what happens! I've been stressing a bit lately for sure, but to be honest I'm just plain curious, and i figure if by chance my brain can work more efficiently with something as simple as this I'd better give it w whirl!! I'll keep ya posted for sure!!

 

[James B.]

My PTSD Survival Kit

My PTSD survival kit:
View attachment 3211
Had to mod my eye-patch with some black vinyl tape; the little seam let some light in. Patch was $2.99 at Rite Aid. Use it daily. Seems especially effective when doing things; walking, yard work etc. Got my note-book, keeing daily notes seems to help keep anxiety in check trying to remember stuff. Got water, oh yeah - so easy for me to be dehydrated and not know it - feeling agitated or overwhelmed, my strategy is to just sit down, slowly consume 24oz of cold water. Really helps. :smile:

That's it! My PTSD survival kit and yes, you could write left handed... :thumbs-up

Best wishes everyone.
James B.

 

[goingonhope]

Ptsd Survival Kit.......

This is great! Your post, your pic the whole thing! :smile:

 

[Cynthiatoo]

Hey guys, the PTSD survival kit cracked me up....Maybe I could take a photo of me with my egg carton cone.

The ADD ADHD article says that if a patch is put on when high anxiety is happening, it is impossible to continue to feel anxious. I tried it this afternoon for a bit of anxiety that was justified, and I did calm down.

My hubbie is doing it because he is an artist and works in a corporate company making computer games. He has a problem shutting off from that kind of world to our home life world which is old fashioned, low tech and the simple life. So we are hoping patching will help him switch. He uses his right brain all day and when he is at home, I need him to be able to use his left brain to bang a nail in etc.

I did find a website that has brain exercise specifically for PTSD but of course they want moola. I am thinking I will just keep up with the patching everyday.

 

[Cynthiatoo]

My husband and I have both been patching for an hour a day. My husband has been doing it mainly in the last week. The most obvious change so far is in our dreams. I have been having dreams that seem to be processing in a positive way every single person and trauma that I have. I had two great dreams last night. The first about having lots of fruit in the house and I said to myself in the dream, oh, thats why I have been wanting too much biscuits and bread the last two days, because I totally ran out of fruit. The other dream was a very sexual dream and as this has been an issue in my marriage in the last year or so because of my PTSD and my husbands stress dealing with it, it was like a reminder of different kinds of sexual expression. It was just like watching a huge movie of a party with all different rooms and all different kinds of closeness and intimacy possible inside these rooms.

What really amazed me is that my husband woke up (he patched for over an hour last night). He has to patch his left eye because he is an artist and finds it hard to switch to the use of words and doing practical things, he clams up and goes quiet (which used to make me want to whack him before i understood). He said he dreamed all night about mathematics and words. He was writing and performing equations in his dreams. He usually dreams of stories where he is a Ninja Turtle or in magical fantasy worlds. He has never had a practical dream like this.

The skeptics can think what they like, but I am convinced there is something in this. Wouldnt it be amazing to think that the answer to trauma and depression etc. could be as simple as our brain being trained to follow another track instead of the fast quick train that leads to fear, pain and awful memories.

I also intend to put up a ball or a shiny thing on a string from my ceiling and swing it and watch it (as in EMDR) when I go to bed at night.

 

[AdamAnt]

Wow...Was just gonna post really similar Cynthia! I've been patching for almost a week, and the biggest difference I can tell is my dreams also. I don't always remember them, but I always remember being "busy" and doing positive things. I'm patching both eyes 2 sometimes 3 times a day for approx. 20 min. each. Has anyone seen any research saying that patching too much is harmful?

 

[Cynthiatoo]

I have seen nothing to say this is harmful. We are doing it for at least one hour a day.

Its funny you say you cant remember your dreams because before patching my husband had total recall, today he couldnt remember detail at all, just the difference in the dreams. I could never remember a dream at all before this and now I rave for ages every morning and remember every tiny intricate detail. This is particularly interesting because he and I are patching opposite eyes. Me the right eye, because I am practical, methodical, anal retentive with PTSD, him the left eye because he is artistic, dreamy and easily distracted and lives in the moment.

I dont see how it could be harmful. My brother lost the sight in one eye at the age of 21.

I went to the Show three days ago. A huge busy exhibition with thousands and thousand of people there. I had one brief moment where I felt heat rising up in my head, which is a prelude to an anxiety attack. I put my hand over my eye and it went away. Six months ago I was racing home in terror from the supermarket because of the lights and noise and people.

 

[AdamAnt]

This should be interesting Cynthia, with you guys patching opposite eyes only and me doing both eyes. Hope this isn't how Marilyn Manson got his eyes to look that way! I'm an artist by trade and definately consider myself left brain dominant...(the dreamer from hell some would say! ha!