Ptsd Recovery

[heyheyhey]

Hi everyone :)! I have a few questions about PTSD that I wondered if you lovely, knowledgeable people would be kind enough to answer.

Firstly, I know PTSD is permanent. But I have some questions on what this means exactly. Firstly, if you seriously work through a lot of your trauma - and heal it in a sense, what does this mean for recurrence of symptoms? Would it mean that if your symptoms are re-triggered they will be less serve? Can you also live permanently symptom free, if you manage your lifestyle well - so as to avoid stress and take care of yourself mentally and physically as much as possible? Or is this unlikely?

What does it mean to manage it or to be symptom free? I'm confused as to how this may effect your life in practical terms? I guess my question is - what is the best we can hope for :)?

 

[Bloomy]

Very good post and Ill follow eagerly :)

I havent healed - obviously - but I do belive its possible. I also belive that we have the luggage or rather rugsack we have and we will always have. But we can replace hot heavy stones with flowers and seeds of growth is what Im thinking.

Speaking for my self I think I can heal better if I have a meaningful life such as meaaningful job and income, stabile economy and control over what is possible to control,. being active and healthy. Hopefully have some aquitances atleast. And thanks God my daughter. Maybe if Im really blessed I can have a true loving relationship to once upon a time. Being able to travel. Be at peace with what became my life and being able to live most days content and present.

 

[heyheyhey]

That is beautiful Bloomy!!

I hope so :)!! I feel like I am personally managing my symptoms well with the right support but I just hope the monster doesn't come back full-blown again!! I guess if it does... then we can go back for treatment :). I hope we can live a mostly symptom free life :).

 

[EveHarrington]

If you're re-triggered in the future by another event, there are three outcomes-----

1) symptoms are less severe
2) symptoms are equally severe
3) symptoms are more severe

Healing now doesn't automatically make future events more tolerable, unfortunately. :-(

Some are able to live symptom free permanently. However I personally believe that we don't have 100% control over this. What I mean is that some people may do everything under the sun to heal, but their bodies may have sustained so much damage as to prevent a full regression of symptoms.

All we can do is keep on pushing forward with healing and not get so focused on predicting just how much we will actually heal. (Something that's impossible to predict.)

 

[Bloomy]

Symptom free life is what we are aiming for :) But also as Eve says manage if it should come up again for what ever reason.

 

[heyheyhey]

If you're re-triggered in the future by another event, there are three outcomes-----

1) symptoms...

Thanks a lot Eve!! Is that if another trauma happens? I guess it's just a matter of seeing how it goes and getting the right treatment if the symptoms re-arise. I was reading with somatic experiencing, they say that you can get yourself symptom free or almost totally symptom free, but it can be re-triggered by a new event, in which case you can go back for more treatment...

 

[Bloomy]

Another trauma can be so many things. Not necesarily the same as happend the first time. In my case is the feeling of others having the control over my life or me that is retraumatising. Like that Im now on social welfare. I belive I would be fairly symptom free in many ways if I had a meaningful job to go to with decent normal pay.

 

[Tinyflame]

'Symptom' free forever, my experience is not a chance ('ve been t this for 33 years). But some times can be greatly improved. Dismantling triggers (recognizing them) works wonders, (though we bring our mind & body with us everywhere), & I think reducing stress plus adding positives , supportive people/ safety, would be the best environment, maximum relief/ peace.

Funny, don't know if my dad had undiagnosed ptsd, he was aiming for that, for him a little piece of land in nature, with my mom.

100% agree with @EveHarrington .

 

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

(though we bring our mind & body with us everywhere

I love this line. It stood out to me because I sometimes wish I could escape some triggers, but know it's impossible because my body comes with me everywhere!

I have lost hope in a symptom free life, but I have great hope in being able to have a more stable life, one in which I know the skills and can implement them. I know tons of skills, but I don't know all of my triggers and I don't know all of my traumas. It's a journey towards "better" not "perfection" for me.

 

[Gaining-clarity]

Permanent? Seriously? I didn't know this. I had no idea ptsd is permanent. This changes everything.

 

[Friday]

@Gaining-clarity <grin> It really does, doesn't it? Means we can plan for things, and make safety nets, and build a life that takes into account all this stuff so that it doesn't spin all out of control again, but has checks and balances built into it :D

PTSD is a very cyclic disorder. Which is exciting as f*ck. It's not random. It reacts and responds to things in very predictable ways.

Predictable is Preventable.

 

[EveHarrington]

Permanent? Seriously? I didn't know this. I had no idea ptsd is permanent.

"Permanent" in that there is no cure, but full remission is indeed possible for some. Don't lose hope. :hug: