I saw a car crash and i've been like frozen all day...

[SeekingAfrica]

Not sure why. Even typing this feels like I'm daydreaming. I have PTSD but it's never been in any way related to car crash...But it was chaotic and there were so many different sirens and fire and people taking pictures and I just froze. Getting home was like daydreaming or sleepwalking. And it's been a while since I felt this bad.

My day has been these tidal waves of laying in bed trying to do...anything, and feeling like I'm floating or dreaming and I just can't get out of it. And then then if I manage being present for a bit I start crying like crazy and panicking...

 

[Virtues]

This happened to me a while back. I was on my way out to the ranch I use to ride at and I came across a bad roll over with casualties. This is the first time Acceptance and Commitment Therapy made sense to me. I was displacing my distress and burying it and it was coming out later once I got up to the ranch; I could see my stress reflecting through the temperament of the horses. It's like I had an AH-HA moment. I was like holy smokes; I can't believe even after the situation, after I calmed down (or so I thought) the situation was still affecting me. I learned that day that I needed to experience my emotions in the moment I was having them and to sit with them, and not suppress them; to not view my emotions as "good" or "bad" just recognize them for what they were and allow myself to feel them. It's a lot harder than it sounds, and to be honest it's actually a lot harder for me to do with joy than it is with sadness or anger. Anyway, not sure what my point is other than ACT has been helpful in my recovery. I don't know if this helps you or not.