Nearly a decade ago (2006) I wrote The PTSD Cup Explanation, a simple view of how PTSD causes symptoms in day-to-day life. This article is an update to that original piece. Regardless of the type of trauma endured, the PTSD Cup does not change, deviate or apply differently to your circumstance...
www.myptsd.com
^^^ One of the best / most useful things I’ve ever come across
Hi, thank you for this, I've only had a quick scan through so will read it properly later but it made perfect sense - that's exactly what I experience. I'm fine, as long as - and then there's a long list of things I need to do to keep myself well (normal healthy living stuff, nothing that isn't just recommended to pretty much everyone for health and fitness but for me the effects of not doing it are quick to show themselves) and then a long list of things I need to avoid and/or I know I can't deal with. It's not always possible to avoid stress and I think this is where I really struggle - I find it hard to manage and maintain my health and live my life - work, family, friends etc. Thank you. It really rang a bell, I'll have a proper read through later on :)
Hi, thank you, glad to have found you! A lot of useful information and experience here, I'm looking foward to understanding more.
Hi, welcome, what physical symptoms are you experiencing?
Hi Teasel, thank you for the welcome :) At the moment, what happens when I get very stressed (which can be from something quite small and 'not stressful' to most people) is a feeling I can only describe as prickly heat - it kind of rushes up over my whole body and I get very hot and sweaty very quickly, and it kind of prickles? A bit like pins and needles but not as severe, like a tingling but quite unpleasant. I feel very sick very quickly and will often be sick, sometimes for several days. I quickly get a very bad headache which can also take days to shift and I get a lot of tension in my neck, shoulders and jaw (which I think is what causes the headache). I find that hard to shake off as well. I get a sense of disconnection (my therapist thinks I disassociate at times), an awful lot of anger which can make me kind of irrational (everyone's out to get me, everyone wants to see me struggle, no-one helps me, everyone thinks I'm scum) which isn't true and I don't think like that under 'normal' circumstances - but it kind of goes on a loop and it's very difficult to stop that once it starts as well. I shake physically which almost feels like an adrenalin thing, it feels the way you do if you have to do something nerve wracking like an interview or speaking in public (if that sort of things makes you nervous, it does me :) ).
It's not like that all the time, there are times something can happen and it's a bit annoying, I might feel a bit shaky but it passes quickly and I'm fine. But then other times (and it is usually when there's other stress and/or I'm tired) it comes on so fast and it can take me a week to recover from it. I find it hard to do anything now because I'm looking at what might set me off and I find it easiest to manage if I just stay at home and avoid people but I don't think that's a nice way to live and I'd really love to find a way to improve things. It's hard picking all the different pieces apart. As an aside, I do also think there's a hormonal element to it, I'm a middle aged lady and I've recently started on HRT which has improved my general anxiety a little already so I'm hoping that might help me be a bit less reactive. Anyway that's my essay! There seems to be a lot of information on here so I'm going to have a good read around and see what other tips I can try :)
