Is It Possible To Overcome Ptsd Without Meds?

[Redfern]

Yes it is possible to treat PTSD without recourse to medication and by nutritional means. Most people wit PTSD have hypoglycemia, which causes them to overproduce stress hormones. Going on a hypoglycemic diet is the first step in the treatment of PTSD and any other anxiety disorders. Look up Internet and search for "PTSD and Hypoglycemia"

Hi

This is my first time on this site, I wish I had found it in the past when I was really struggling with it all. This is very interesting as since I've had PTSD (apparently severely) my sugar levels are all over the place and I respond remarkably quickly to food. I'm an ex athlete and still try to do sport (injury permitting) - I've always been sensitive but the problem has definitely worsened in the last 3years. And the drops seem so violent now. It is interesting to consider that it kicks in more now that my symptoms (i.e. flashbacks) are better. Or maybe that is because I'm better at acknowledging symptoms (flashbacks would just ride over me that I had no option not to notice)...Do you have any other tips...I'm going to google as above..

I'd also like to say to those who don't want to take meds, that yes PTSD can improve without them, but its very hard. They wanted to put me on all sorts of uppers and non angsty pills but I hate taking anything and wanted to be in control of my understanding of the disorder to gage if it were really improving or not...and now well I question it all, without pills your lifestyle needs to allow for you to have violent flashbacks, no sleep, and all the rest of those symptoms we share, apparently pills can help to calm the mind and allow it to process what its trying to process but I would say that in the last 4 years this is what helps me more than anything else..allow the flashbacks but be quick to come back to reality if possible cry if need to (I don't like it)
surround yourself with 'nice' things, do 'nice' things, be soft on yourself, the more you try to avoid the more wound up you become and it kicks it all off.

I've found myself to be exhausted, to have terrible ups and downs in energy but factor in little restbites during the day. On bad days let yourself have bad days feel it and do so whilst being kind to yourself, the next day you'll be better, it may be a little bit and it takes so much time, but keep going.

I had to quit work, and I returned to uni which was so challenging but the focus on something else helped with moral. But if you go back to uni do everything in bite sizes, and that's really the moto, the mind doesn't have the ability to concentrate, then don't try and let it do its thing, but try to keep going, small stages, steps, efforts...

DVDs/ radio at night when you can't sleep I found to be so helpful in switching off, relaxing, calming down even if the flashbacks flood over.

I also would suggest yoga, it can bring flashbacks on but you're safe doing it, and it does improve, it also helps your body to realise that you're in the here and now, try to breathe through the switching off, start slowly (again) and you'll improve..

I guess its such a strange phenomena to go through, I still have it and the symptoms are changing but the flashbacks aren't nearly as bad now as they were (they used to knock me over quite literally, so no driving for me), its now about waves of emotion, I still wish I had someone to share this with, the moods of feeling so flat and teary because you're so frightened both physically and emotionally..but hey..so you can do it...but I think the answer is to lower expectations and to feel the fight for yourself ...its hard work and utterly exhausting PTSD- for that I've no idea if it gets better under pills..

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[mamachick]

Welcome Redfern,
Glad you have found us. I have been here a few months and the experience here has been tremendously helpful in learning and in the support.
I think it can overflow to many kinds of physical symptoms/illness, but Juriann has been banned (see posts). Sounds like you have a good list of tools to help you make a go without meds-thats great.

I take an anti depressant but am considering a break from it. Anti deps can make us more complacent, and I think that it may have that effect on me, holding back from making more changes that I know I need. I am pretty anti meds but really needed it the past couple of years as I was sooo overwhelmed. However, I feel like the meds numb me a bit, and may slow recovery down since I feel so much less. I feel kind of like I dissociate alot, just kind of feel checked out and tired.
I do think a lot of sleep is required during these times, so I have just let my body have as much sleep as it wants. It feels very healing, unlike when depressed and want to sleep.

 

[Redfern]

Ah thank you - yes I know all those feelings..but face it, if you face it more its less scary, the flashbacks are merely you trying to work out what is going on ...I go numb and it was like I watched the world via a glass for months on end, I couldn't read or follow conversations and all sorts early on...now i get those days less frequently and more often than not after therapy..I have EMDR, you should try it, but the best is something gentle like yoga, a vinyasa class...a good teacher understands and its all about using breathe to act as a form of meditation, whilst doing something, so one foot in the now and one foot in calming the mind or resting it and bring the mind and body together which is what goes wrong for us PTSD sufferers..I think that's why yoga proves so popular for so many. I'm going to start a diet geared more towards hypoglycemic. (sp) because i get such energy ups and downs...I suspect you have those too by the sound of things...all I can say is get off the pills and go there, as you say sleep is great, there will be times when you have it and times when you don't...I also feel so checked out and exhausted but the times I slow down or add in breaks etc then I find that energy rises and mood too...so its about finding your tools..

 

[kimba]

Before I was diagnosed with PTSD I was having such bad depression and overwhelming anxiety attacks I couldn't believe it. I knew my childhood was bad and my family dysfunctional but thought because I survived it I was strong. I saw needing medication as being "weak" until using it was the only thing keeping me alive and I was diagnosed officially as having PTSD.
Any problems I may have had nutrition wise was due to my own poor eating habits indirectly caused by the PTSD and my poor coping skills and lack of self-care.

I have learned alot about PTSD since being diagnosed and resent the notion it is easily cured through changes in diet or by using heral remedies. They may help certain symptoms but are not a cure. The meds I am on are to control the more serious symptoms for the moment so I can get the most out of therapy. There is nothing wrong with needing them and whether they are "forever" depends upon individual circumstances. If I end up needing something "forever" to get through life, I'll just be grateful that medical science has created something that makes it easier.

 

[scaldedsheep]

I haven't been on medication for about 7 years now or therapy. I don't have health insurance. I don't want to sound heartless but you sort of learn to just start to cope with it on your own. I'm not saying that life becomes magical after so long and you're suddenly like the Dali Lama but it's better then some quack trying to shove pills down your throat because they just want you to shut up. I don't think PTSD or depression is really treatable. It's just something you learn to live with. It just becomes and annoyance but you start to battle it better with each day. I think maybe you're worrying too much about pills and you have a logical reason to but you can live without them. Their comes a point in time when you have to be honest with yourself and know you're going to have your good, bad, and terrible days.
I think it was Hemingway that said something along the lines of "I never knew a smart person who was happy." and I've never known a happy person on meds. Just saying but that's just my opinion.

 

[heidi]

I always felt very against medication. For many of the reasons you mentioned and also because most of these medications really aren't very targeted (ie certain medications being prescribed for everything) and there are a lot of side effects. You (OP) seem very determined and so I think for now resisting makes a lot of sense. I think it's more when you are at your wits end that you might as well try something that could be effective. At this point I'm willing to try different medications to see if I can find anything at all. Although looking through these pages I don't see a medication that stands out as being effective. If there were we would probably all be on it.