Looking For Advice - Lost Control Today In A Big Way.

[blarneystone]

I'm fairly new to the diagnosis, and panic attacks in general. I'd spent my entire life disassociating the trauma's I suffered as a youth and repressed them into a nice little box that I hid from everyone.

Last November, something huge happened, I'll go into detail if I have to; but I'm still not super comfortable talking to anyone about it at this point.

I've been a completely different person, all these ancient anxieties, worries, and other symptoms as well as a general inability to control my own emotions, balance, thoughts with any regularity.

My triggers are all car related, as my trauma (November trauma, not childhood traumas) is car related. I witnessed another crash today, and I've been absolutely useless, I can't sleep, I can't rest, I can't get control again and the med's are not working. I'm hoping someone whose been in my shoes can give me some advice even just for the next few nights. Insomnia has always been an issue, and this anxiety is driving me to multiple nights without sleep.

How do you start coming down from one of these attacks? I can't hear a car without wanting to throw up, and I've got therapy in the morning and I'm not sure I can even get in the car to go.

Help? Advice? Recipes for tasty food?

 

[midi]

The anxious energy has to be expelled some how. Can you walk? run? dance? stretch? If you can't get physical, can you write about it, over and over? When I freak out, I walk until I can't physically do it, and I do it everyday until I start to calm down.

I rarely ever get into a car and when I do, I keep my eyes closed for most of it. I'd rather walk 500 miles than go for a 5 min car ride.

How about breathing exercises? Can you focus on your breath, as it goes in and out of your body? Maybe you can focus on your heart beat, counting each one as it passes? Wiggle your toes and feel them touching the floor?

You can also try a video game or mind puzzles to distract your brain long enough so that you can calm down...

 

[Deleted member 541]

My advice, would be to talk to your therapist about exposure therapy. Actually facing the very thing that is causing you so much anxiety......

 

[anni]

Yes, I agree, and the thing is our entire society is one big trigger for you because it's all about cars! One can't realistically avoid the things so you're under constant bombardment. How incredibly stressful that must be! At least working with a therapist, you'll be able to be using some kind of contained, controlled dynamic with the exposure. Oh my yes, it is hard but it does work.

I had a certain building as a hugeee trigger, one of the biggest ones, and could easily avoid it for a couple of decades. I shouldn't have, in point of fact but I can't imagine how stressfull it would have been to have had thousands of these to deal with.

These retraumatizing events can be nothing less than awful , I know. I do hope you're able to find some peace soon, and possibly someone who can work with you on an ASAP basis. Given the pervasiness of your trigger, it would seem a good reason for a therapist to arrange their scedule on somewhat of an emergency basis.

Take care,

Anni

 

[blarneystone]

I'm doing martial arts and gym work five days a week, the only problem is that I have to get into a car to do them. I talked to my shrink about exposure therapy, and she said that it will be an option down the line some. Right now, I just got into see a psych this up coming week who is going to do some medication balancing and naturopathy so we'll see if that won't help me some. I am just exhausted, everytime I come in or out of a car I feel like I ran the entire distance that I was driven (Mind you, I don't/can't drive. I have wonderful people in my life able to drive me around like my personal chauffeurs...)

 

[anni]

Oh my, it probably doesn't seem to make much difference whether you're driving or being driven if cars are the trigger, right? At least you have that great incentive at the other end to force yourself into that car. There is something about not re-traumatizing yourself to too great an extent while doing the exposure therapy, so hopefully you're being really kind to yourself while all this transpires!

It's always seemed to me that martial arts would be an incredibly empowering thing to be a part of for a sufferer! it's one of those things I keep meaning to look into, also, because it just must be terrible helpful by way of knowing you can solidly protect yourself. What a great outlet! It seems to trump my method of keeping a riding crop over the mirror by my front door, and taking it with me evry time I leave the house. :) You've given me the resolve to perhaps put the crop into retirement and go get some real training!

Thanks for that! :)

Anni

 

[Tinyflame]

Hi blarneystone, -I love your name,

This may not be effective for you, but I have found this helpful for myself:

When I am able to identify what specific part of a trigger eally gets to me the most, for example, as anni above said aboout a building (for me it was the carpet, etc), or perhaps for you the 'sound' of an accident/ silence after etc (whatever)- and even just if I am aware of a (potential trigger in general), I cognitively think: "I know that is a trigger, and the SOB (that trigger) isn't going to get me to the same degree, now that I know, if I can help it", and boy- sometimes it doesn't barely bother me. Sometimes it eradicates it almost completely.

Similarly, I try to focus on what is "positive" instead of negative as regards the trigger: for example the 'negative' part about getting in your car is obvious; perhaps you can associate it (also) with what brings you some happiness (for example, getting in to drive to the beach/ go see a good friend, etc. Things that even the thought of which you associate with relaxing/ looking forward to/ things you want to do). Keep your goal in mind and recognize if you feel lousy it will pass).

Very good luck to you, "practise" helps but it's tiring. Mind you, it's better than the alternative.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I don't have any advice...I just wanted to say that you sound like me.

I have spent my whole life repressing my memories about the abuse. I thought "hey, I'm ok! What happened was no big deal," Simply because I had no feelings associated with the abuse. Then in November a year ago, I was triggered in a big way. I had two or three panic attacks a day for months on end. And, I was finally diagnosed with PTSD. In retrospect, I've had PTSD since at least the age of 13. That is the earliest I can remember having emotional flashbacks.