Physical Symptoms Of Ptsd

[lostforgottensoul]

I would love to hear your experiences of physical PTSD symptoms.

To just name a few (all possible medical causes ruled out and all on both medical and mental health records as a mental symptom):

• I had one PNES, Psychogenic nonepileptic seizure, at work
• Severe, head on lap, everyone thinks im a herion addict, exhaustion...after 5 cups of coffee
• Out of the blue I hear what sounds like a crowded lunch room. They stopped after 7 yrs in therapy during the 6 months of my huge steps of healing but have came back since I heard one of my main abusers, my mom, was dying (dont have schizophrenia nor hear specific voices)
• Cant seem to eat anything, forget to eat and when i try i throw it up
• Pain is worse
• Have pain in private area for no reason that only time helps
• Have numbess is areas that last days or more

There is more, thats just off the top of my head.

 

[pixel]

Thanks for sharing @lostforgottensoul :)

How did you feel when you put it in a list?
It's surprising what we daily deal with!

Do you dissociate? Because the complete, utter exhaustion hits me after a dissociative episode, or the opposite will occur — absolutely starrrrrving!
Maybe dissociation consumes alot of energy

 

[lostforgottensoul]

How did you feel when you put it in a list?

Actually it seems way smaller of a list than i deal with daily. I suppose its because its missing the mental symptoms but they are listed on a transcript on my medical records so ive seen them before.

When i first saw the entire list it did seem suprising and maybe more real. Like "this really isnt all on my head"

One big thing i missed was headaches & stuttered speech.

Due to the seizure (PNES), headaches/migranes, and anxiety that cause half of my face to go numb causing slurred speech; they did all of the work ups medically and thought I was having a stroke. Sigh!

Do you dissociate?

I do. Not 100% like DID but I have gone deep enough to loose memory twice and didnt know how I got from point A to point B (one being on a train track...that was scary).

Most times im in my own world, like one would be lost in their thoughts, just gone.

I also walk in my sleep often but not sure thats a physical or mental symptom. Actually this is making me think im way less functional and way more messed up then i thought...

 

[pixel]

I don't think I'm ready to write a list

It sort of just becomes LIFE, doesn't it?

Interested in your lists people! It is very validating to me

 

[Lionheart]

I was told that I had suffered so much severe, prolonged stress that my body was in effect "Shutting Down" in order to protect itself from further stress....however, the official diagnosis is ME/CFS, (myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome). I have also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and sensory sensitivity, (to chemicals, sounds, temperature, etc.).

One problem I have noticed is the tendency to block out the things people say as a form of protection so that I will miss a lot of what is said...I zone out or simply black out those moments in time.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I don't think I'm ready to write a list

It actually helps to know what is medical and what is mental symptoms (get all medical tests first) as now i can name it and it helps the symptom. Most are now traced back to a single event and it helps to know why. It helps that symptom to stop or not be so intense for me.

But listing them can be scary. Do it at your own pace.

 

[pixel]

Thanks @lostforgottensoul :)

I don't have any separate medical issues, so I know all of my 'colourful quirkiness' is due to Mr. PTSD sweeping me off my feet and entrapping me in his realm.
:roflmao:

I understand what you're saying, I imagine in that sense it would be very important to distinguish between the two.

Do you have any clue as to why your body goes numb?

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Do you have any clue as to why your body goes numb?

A few punishments in my trauma caused numbess but other than that, nope.

 

[Friday]

All my shit is pretty easily traced back to anxiety / fight-flight / et cetera. I just know a lil too much about the central nervous system. From my voice roughening to overly acute senses to paradoxical undressing, and soooo many other things. :p The brain is pretty damn cool.

@pixel, the incon. issue is -most likely- because the the changeover from autonomic to somatic (unconscious control to conscious control) is never really "complete". Under stress the autonomic yanks back control of various systems, including that one. Piss scared & so scared I shit myself, aren't just expressions, under extreme duress the body voids itself as part of the fight flight response, but even if it doesn't progress that far? Once the autonomic nervous system has the reins it sometimes doesn't hand them all the way back. A way to trick it into relinquishing control back to the somatic? Drink TONS. Not enough to get water drunk, but enough to be needing to void about once an hour. Hitting those sensorimotor nerves? As hard as possible? (Aka full bladder as often as possible) helps with the changeover. Be prepared for a lot of accidents for 2-3 days and then voila! back under conscious control :) It's one of those backwards things about the brain. What makes sense is to limit fluids so it happens less often, but the way the brain works, the harder the signal? The more it pays attention to stuff. Full bladder = strong signals. Half empty bladder = weak signals. So when potty training kids, or retraining our own selves? Hit the brain with strong signals, instead of weak ones! :D

Won't always work, when someone's anxiety is just running hot? Puking, incon, & the shits just happen because anxiety is running around taking symptoms we usually control and handing them over to autopilot so we don't have to waste the energy paying attention to them :rolleyes: The brain has it's own priorities. Outrunning the bear is pretty high up on them. Clean pants? (Or digesting) Low. So it takes the energy those systems use, and reroute it to systems it deems necessary for survival. But once you've got your anxiety levels down? Smacking the sensory motor nerves back to "Yo! This is your job!" "Oh. Right. On that!" Really helps.

Nuffink' to be embarrassed about. Just bodies doing their thing! :p

 

[Ka-9]

This thread is an awesome idea by the way...thanks.

* I find the inability to enjoy- nearly anything is huge. I used to ice climb and enjoy it immensely, even after initial diagnosis... now I'll drive 1/2 way..feel nothing and just turn around. Same with reading, sports, outdoors. Most of my time is committed to working this aspect- I'm not sure why it's morphed this way- but specialists think it's destroyed seratonin receptors- like burnt permanently.

*Definitely immediate, defensive, aggressive outbursts, and only when some idiot provokes or threatens...but zero to 160, very embarassing. Otherwise I try to avoid everyone. I think its pure heightened defensive stuff.

*For unusual, Im now super obsessive compulsive, like all my jeans have to be identical, all my t-shirts have to be blue or gray, even numbers of hangers, superstitous stuff, can't go right or it's bad luck. I had issues buying/trading my used cars, like every year...couldn't stop it. Obsessive note writing, planning things. I think it's an extreme to prepare, to be able to survive no money, hard times, maybe even missing a uniform, or order?

Oh yeah...my spelling sucks. I have hard time seeing letter, words.

 

[Rebecca Hart]

Panic Attacks
- My heart feels like it's racing out of my chest.
- My throat feels stuck.
- Getti...

I hate the night terrors and nightmares they are awful. I also feel like I can't move and I am unable to scream (like I'm screaming but nothings coming out).

 

[Gs172003]

All my shit is pretty easily traced back to anxiety / fight-flight / et cetera. I just know a lil t...

That explains so much. I drink a lot of water. ALOT. Most of my symptoms are before 12. Maybe this is why?