Is It Possible For Someone Whose Triggers Are Everything He Sees To Recover?

[Kashi]

Say this guy was bullied his whole life, and has a lifetime of bad memories. As a result anything and everything he does will trigger his PTSD. The only thing is, it only triggers sometimes. This might show that the sufferer's mind has gotten so used to trauma and stimulation that it's now second-nature. As a result, arousal could be thought of as an uncontrollable, unbreakable habit.

Is it possible for someone like this to recover?

 

[ill]

Yes and no.

I think it absolutely is the case that the sufferer's mind gets so used to trauma that it becomes second-nature. It sees trauma everywhere, and so everything feels like danger and everything activates the fight or flight system. For me, there were whole days that consisted of non-stop panic attacks. In those moments, I couldn't imagine things ever changing. But they did, very, very slowly and with a lot of hard and painful work.

To me, it is habitual - I have to do the hard work of taking care of my mental health over and over again but each time I do it, it gets a little easier and I get a little better at it. As I get a little bit better at it, my PTSD symptoms become a little more manageable. I still struggle now and I don't think I'll ever be the person I was pre-PTSD breakdown so in that sense, I don't feel like I'll ever recover, but I am recovering or building a sense of well-being and happiness that I never knew even before my breakdown (I have a lifetime of bad memories too) and that feels better than I knew I could feel.

 

[arfie]

The only thing gooder than internet diagnostics is third person diagnostics.

Anything is possible, Kashi, including irreparably damaged humans. Same for the healing of humans who have been declared irreparably damaged.

 

[bob12345]

Absolutely yes! It may take time if the problem has been severe but it can be eradicated if circumstances are changed, new habits are formed, some positive thoughts about the present and the future are shown, more knowledge about the problem can help the patient over come PTSD.
According to studies people who believe in God fight anxiety and depression quicker than those who don't. If somebody is suffering too much then I suggest finding a faith that is not nonsensical and asking for help. God solves all the problems, its not the medicine.

 

[Hashi]

I was traumatised from birth and I do think there's always going to be some permanent effect of that. Not just from the traumas but also from how my life was affected as a result.

To me, that's separate from recovery. It means I'm unlikely to ever feel like an innocent, carefree, high achieving person who grabs at everything. But I can get free of symptoms and have a peaceful and enjoyable enough life.

To do that, we have to break things down and address them, though. Otherwise, it's a bit like having constant headaches and as a result saying "Everything gives me a headache". Instead, we need to work out the things that cause the headaches and the things that make them worse. Then we have to address those, through things we do ourselves and getting appropriate treatment.

As a result anything and everything he does will trigger his PTSD.

I'm a bit confused by this and not sure of your meaning.

Personally, I find it helpful to break things down between triggers and stressors (ie something that goes back directly to trauma, like an object that was used at the time, versus more general things that provoke stress in various forms). Then there are intrusive memories, intrusive thoughts and negative thinking. They are all different, and although none of them is easy to deal with some are easier than others.

I also find it helpful to break things down into symptoms, such as anxiety, dissociation, sleep disturbance and so on, since "PTSD" is a whole group of symptoms and not one single thing.

If someone generalises to "everything" and "PTSD" I don't think they're giving themselves a way to recover. We have to work on the elements that go into this.

 

[bell]

It sees trauma everywhere, and so everything feels like danger and everything activates the fight or flight system. For me, there were whole days that consisted of non-stop panic attacks. In those moments, I couldn't imagine things ever changing. But they did, very, very slowly and with a lot of hard and painful work.

Yep, like @ill, there was a time when I thought that nothing would EVER change for the better, but it did... slowly.

Anything is possible, Kashi, including irreparably damaged humans. Same for the healing of humans who have been declared irreparably damaged.

Yes, @arfie is right, "anything is possible." We just have to believe that change is possible in order to start changing. (Or to see the changes.)

Absolutely yes!

I say you should just repeat @bob12345's "absolutely yes" to whomever you're speaking about whenever they say differently. :)

Instead, we need to work out the things that cause the headaches and the things that make them worse. Then we have to address those, through things we do ourselves and getting appropriate treatment.

@Hashi is right, "we need to work." Without working there is little gain, which seems to put us in a mindset that nothing will ever change.