Return Of Ptsd After Years Of No Ptsd? This Happen To Anyone?

[Whitneys story]

I keep getting the feeling that a a concept brought out in the early 80's is now backfiring! "Don't sweat the small stuff". Add the generalization of abuse and trauma invalidation, having the situations ignored.

The small stuff is now unleashing as it really has to be processed. JMHO

 

[SevenWolves]

It's interesting that I found this, as I was just getting ready to ask this question. From 2001 to 2007 my PTSD was extremely bad and then it stopped or got better - not sure of the correct way of saying it. I was in denial for awhile as well so maybe stuffed is the right term.

In 2009 it returned as psychosomatic symptoms. As of a couple months ago the nightmares returned and now I'm having both the anxiety and psychosomatic symptoms.

I saw my therapist the other day and we were talking about how it went away and then came back and I thought that was strange. I never even thought of a new traumatic experience bringing it on until I read through this thread.

In December of 2008 my mom passed from breast cancer. When we returned home, our house was flooded and we instantly had to start packing up and looking for a new place to live. That's when the pain and weakness started and may have been what brought everything up again.

Like everything else, I buried my emotions when my mom passed. I got a lot of work to do but this thread was helpful in getting me to pinpoint some things.

 

[LaurieJ]

I too thought that my PTSD went away then 7 years later a massive trauma hit and it resurfaced. I know that PTSD will always be with me to some degree even after EMDR therapy. Right now I'm making major changes in my life and it's flaring up again and putting my coping skills to the test. I agree that unprocessed stuff tends to come back up again. And hope that all of you find comfort for and coping strategies in dealing with your PTSD.

 

[Ian Shiel]

Hi whirleygurl


I have my PTSD from the Australian firestorms in 2009 I am a firefighter and it is my belief that PTSD is the release of energy by the body that was gained during a Traumatic Stress Overload event TSOE, in your case the earthquake . I also believe that we can plot the emotional shock waves in ourselves in a similar way to the seismic waves of an earth quake. The more intense the emotional reaction is the more the line of stability is effected, When we are in a Traumatic Stress Overload event the line is very erratic.

This would also lead to applying the rules of after shocks to the Traumatic Stress Overload event , the small emotional release of stress called a panic attack or after shock . These aftershocks are the PTSD, and can be brought on by both memories of the TSOE , just thinking about it, which I call self induced after shocks the second is a minor event as small as a smell or a sound , even some words, that trigger the memories of the TSOE , I call a spontaneous after shock. Both are the release of emotional energy and many go on for many years after the TSOE .

We can also have a second or third TSOE which can build the pressure on the first and so on . I believe soldiers have many TSOEs while on active duty and have little relief until they stand down or have a severe aftershock that forces others to act by removing them before harming themselves or others. Sadly not always in time.

I have found that by learning the signs of these aftershocks I can control the amount of damage each one will do to my well being.

Breathing is an important way to control the level of the aftershock .

Long deep breaths as soon as you can once the after shock has started should slow the reaction and help return the line of stability back to a more relaxed wave .

Crying also helps the body to relax and chemicals are released that help you to sleep while crying and true sleep is full relaxation .

I also meditate so that I can release any thought that may build up pressure on my emotional state that may lead to increasing the waves in the line of stability.

I’m sure you already know this but as your live gets back to the full on stress of living you have forgotten some of it .

Learning to relax “de-stress” is vital .

Ian

Firestorm fighter

 

[mamachick]

Yes, after abusive marraige, I had symptoms of ptsd as told by my therapist. They symptoms became worse during calm time and diagnosed with cfid/fibro. By 1994, symptoms subsided and life became very good. After an accident in 2006, I began having depression and some anxiety. Then assaulted in 2008 resulted in full blown ptsd.

I know that you cannot run from your problems, but I do not think that I can recover as long as I live in the house that I was assaulted in. Even this city-while there is many established relationships, I would prefer to move away. I feel like I could recover better elsewhere but that is also a fearful thought.

 

[garden]

In 1989, there was a major earthquake in the San Francisco area where I live. I was driving home and a two tiered bridge collapsed and I was on the bottom tier. I was knocked unconscious when a large piece of concrete landed directly in front of my car and I ran into it. I got off the broken bridge by myself, spent 11 days in the hospital, had a bad bump to the head, and had to have a pin put in my right ankle. I had problems driving, being in small rooms or confined places, I would panic. Back then, I was told by a counselor that I had PTSD, had a few meetings with a counselor, but it didn't help much and basically I just got over it myself. I was back to work, driving, etc., within 3 months. I just made myself drive. I told myself how ridiculous it all was and just white knuckled it all.

I have lived several years without the really debilitating symptoms, and they only recently resurfaced. I actually began to think that it's possible I was misdiagnosed. There is a part of me that's always denied the ptsd, but I think that's a result of feeling so good for so long. How can it be true when I'm fine now....but now that I'm going thru this again, I realize that it's something that's always there, it's just better controlled sometimes.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I think this is happening to me. My last remaining member of my family of origin is sick and dying. I am coming out of denial concerning her, and I am beginning to remember things I never remembered before. I have anxiety and have had it for along time. I cannot cry and do not get release. I hate that this is happening to me now. I was doing so well.

 

[garden]

I find that when I can be kind to myself and accept that I'm not doing so well right now, and remind myself that it's only temporary, I can scrape out a bit of comfort....
Denial keeps us from fully addressing any of it, then it feels like a downward spiral...but acceptance is easier said than done, one day it works, others not so much....

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I have been very kind to myself and it has made a huge difference. Things are shifting around inside of me. I have realized that I do not like my sister, and I have been making excuses for her. I am not doing that anymore. She is so much like my abusive dad. I have been seeing him with the eyes of an adult and not a child anymore. I am blaming him and putting the burden back on him instead of carrying it around. These are new things for me. I have started to have nightmares again. I do not want to go through this again. I have wasted so much life on unresolved grief. I want to be done. Mabe I am simply integrating the information now. That would be nice.

 

[garden]

I have wasted so much life on unresolved grief. I want to be done.

I can relate to feeling like you've wasted a lot of time...I feel the same way about most of my life. I can also relate to "seeing him with the eyes of an adult and not a child anymore". I felt a huge shift inside myself when I began to see my perpetrators as flawed humans instead of "my stepdad" or my "aunt". Those titles imply a connection, they are family, elders, our only caretakers....they cannot possibly hurt us...but the truth is, they're screwed up people, not responsible, loving adults who insure our wellbeing....

When I realized this, they had less power over me, they were no longer on that pedestal.....thanks for sharing gizmo.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

You are welcome Lewa. I am glad that you said they had less power over you. Mabe I am just being needlessly afraid. I do not want to go through what I did. Mabe I am right where I am supposed to be and doing what I am supposed to be doing. Thank you for sharing what you did. It helped me alot. I appreciate it so much. Mabe I do not have a reason to fear it starting all over again.

Mabe this is an unexpected bonus. I sure hope so.

 

[garden]

Gizmo, I think the fear ebbs and flows, and that we will struggle with it throughout our lives, but we can get better at it, and it can make us stronger in the end. What you went through has made you stronger, you just don't always believe that about yourself. We can't believe everything our minds tell us, so it helps to bounce it off of someone else, even if it's only through this forum, it can even help others, as you probably have done without knowing.