Temporary Fix

[OneLife2Live]

I have not tried medications and do not want to try them. Of course, if all else fails and that is my only option then I will give it a try. Maybe meds will work, but I would rather stick with my herb. No matter what medicine or herb it is all just a temporary fix. Staying medicated is not living, is not being me, is not how I want to live my life.

But then again, without it living my life is just as difficult...as far as dealing with the PTSD. So what do I do? This sucks!

 

[Intrepid]

I agree that it's a temporary fix. I've taken meds for anxiety. Some worked. Some didn't.

The real solution is to work with a therapist to heal the trauma. That's a chore. I've used meds not as a crutch (or as a temporary crutch), but as a way to make the therapy more tolerable, and allow me to function while I heal.

 

[hodge]

Therapy is really the answer. It's not fun, but it's the best we can do for ourselves. Get at the root(s) of the PTSD and process it all.

 

[KwanYingirl]

I'm not opposed to meds or medical marijuana. I accept that PTSD changes structures in the brain and although therapy is the long term best treatment, adjuvant therapies help too. That includes energy therapies or really anything that alters the mind in a positive way.

 

[OneLife2Live]

I go back and forth on doing therapy. I went literally one time and it was my very first and so far last time. The therapist made me feel like a piece of crap and when I left I felt 1,000 times worse than when I went in. I also don't go to therapy because I cannot afford it. I will look into adjuvant therapies. I have been reading a book called Psycho-Pictography by Vernon Howard. It helps at times. It teaches you to retrain your thinking. At times I do fine, and other times not so much. I am all about finding positive mindful solutions.

 

[Chava]

I went literally one time and it was my very first and so far last time.

Well, it doesn't work like that.

Therapy is helping me with the deeper regulation that meds can't fix. That and a whole lot of turning things upside down sometimes. Meds haven't worked for me.

 

[Aylion]

Medications (prozac) were a temporary fix for me (I took during some months). But it takes its toll with side effects (In my case emotional flatness, loss of libido and not feeling like myself ). Now I am 2 months off it and I still have some remaining side effects, plus experiencing some withdrawal (brain zaps)

So they are there, and sometimes they work, but they are not free, and you will pay it back if you use them.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

So you're making snap judgments based on how a few vocal people have badmouthed medication? What about all of those other people out there who are on medication and have little to no side effects? I think you're shutting down modes of healing without giving them a try. With no personal experience with medication, how do you know what living would be like on medication? (The truth is, you don't, and you're making wild pie-in-the-sky assumptions!)

How about this? What if medication made your healing journey easier? Would you still say no to meds out of principle? Would you feel like they are a "crutch" and that you need to do this on your own? Sounds like you need to prove something to someone....but my question is why?

It doesn't matter HOW we heal, it only matters THAT we heal. And shutting off entire modes of help isn't going to get you anywhere in the long run. JMHO.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I went literally one time and it was my very first and so far last time.

It sounds like you're shut down to ALL modes of healing. So I ask you why you're here? Are you going to shut down all advice, too?

People who shut down everyone at every turn tend not to last very long here. Just my observation.

You'll get a lot farther by being OPEN to suggestions, even if you hate what is being said.

 

[Neverthesame]

@itsKismet Makes a very good point. I for one hate medication, but I will take it if I need to. When the pain of living outweighs the negative side effects of meds, it isn't so bad. No one says you have to remain on them forever, not to mention the fact that there are many, many different kinds of medication, that work in different ways. Odds are you will find one that you can live with.

As for therapy, therapists are people. Your not going to like every single one of them, but only going once then writing it off completely, is really not doing yourself any favours. The financial aspect of it I can understand, but even then, if you shop around you can usually find one that will work for surprisingly little.

The other thing I wanted to mention is, therapy is hard, even with a therapist that you like. You are going to have to dig into the stuff that you don't want to think about, so yes, it's going to get worse before it gets better. A good therapist will be able to help you not over do it, so you don't re-traumatise yourself. But it's still not going to be pleasant.