Ptsd Affecting Physical Health

[MissMacD]

I have found it helpful to have more than one professional involved. I have a CBT therapist, a CBT social worker, a family doctor and hopefully soon a dietitian all helping me to manage my symptoms. I may need a psychiatrist too if they can find a medication to help with my symptoms that doesn't amplify things.

The past 2 weeks I have been lucky to get 3 hours sleep per night which has meant taking care of myself has been compromised. I just started CBT therapy 2 weeks ago so I know that not sleeping is related to that. My brain runs 100 miles an hour 24 hours a day, even when I am sleeping. At the moment I only sleep out of exhaustion. I have a lot hanging over my head. I am out of money and haven't worked in almost 5 months. I can't work right now which is making me feel really out of control because I have held down a job since I was a teenager and have always paid my way.

If I have someone like a dietitian giving me goals I will meet them. I succeed with direction from others but not alone. I have a lot of big fish right now and too many to sort through to decide what to fry first.

 

[Tanishq]

My brain runs 100 miles an hour 24 hours a day, even when I am sleeping. At the moment I only sleep out of exhaustion.

I know this feeling. It's our stress which makes us go crazy.

MissMacD, May I share something with you? I have seen you asking the question from where you should start first or what are new things you may not have tried yet. I do feel this way. Still I have not found its answer. But randomly I pick a point and start meditating on it. I believe PTSD has increased some of our abilities, from there we can start. We will find out something.

Know you're not alone in this.

 

[intothelight]

Find a sleep aid. I used to avoid them and then the last bought of insomnia brought me to calling a suicide hotline. My doctor gave me sleeping pills and after a few good night's of rest, I found the racing mind quieted as did the suicidal ideation. Lack of sleep can completely destabilize anyone, even those without PTSD.

Keep making self-care a priority. :)

 

[MissMacD]

CBT was really tough yesterday. We talked about my relationship with my bio family - who I do not talk to at all right now and how I try to outrun my trauma by making myself busy with overtime at work and too many activities. It always ends badly. I cry a lot in her office which says a lot because I am not a crying type of person.

I finally was able to refill my Ativan prescription last night and it allowed me to get 6-7 hours of sleep. I went to sleep around 9pm and am now awake at 4 am with my dog. We are hanging out in the kitchen and she is keeping my lap warm while I make coffee. Dogs are amazing creatures. Mine gives me comfort that most humans can't.We sleep together every night and we always have contact. Many times when I wake up she has a paw on me or has her face snuggled into my neck. My avatar picture is actually my dog :p

I am going to my favorite health food store today - with a budget of course - to get some staple healthy things for me. I still feel really run down. My boyfriend's mom is coming to stay with us for a few weeks so she will be cooking and taking a lot of strain off of me which is just what I need to bounce back.


*sigh* getting better is so much work and I will never give up on myself no matter how low my rock bottom may seem.

 

[MissMacD]

Can't wait to see my doctor on Thursday. I can't get through another week without medication. There is no where safe in my head despite doing all of the right things - eating well, exercising regularly. I am so exhausted that doing the simplest things leaves me feeling like I am going to collapse.

There is something very wrong.

 

[SevenWolves]

I haven't had any problems with my immune system. In fact that's probably the strongest part of me. My problem is muscle weakness. It's gotten to the point where I have to walk with a cane sometimes. I've also lost use of my arms a couple of times. I've had numerous tests done and there's no medical reason for it.

The messed up thing is I can't even pinpoint what I'm anxious about most of the time. It just happens out of the blue. I don't know. Sometimes I think I'm a lost cause.

 

[Ricanoland]

They were going to send me to a doctor for my back pain, neck pain, the pain I have when I walk, but my doctor stopped before they were going to refer me, because he said, my body looks and acts normally, so he says its psychosomatic pain from my ptsd.

Not much you can do when the pain is not real, but feels real.

Pain reduces for me when I don't deal with trigger for an extended period of time, which is rare, but the pain can leave, the sick feeling can leave, but it will always come back. It's the condition.