Trusting Fight Or Flight

[GunnerZulu]

I often find myself wondering if because of my PTSD, when I am in grave danger in the future, is my fight or flight response going to work properly? Am I going to Freeze when I should have fought, or fought when I should have run? I mean PTSD affects this very primitive mechanism in our brains, so is it unreasonable to believe that it might malfunction when we need it most?

PTSD does affect this mechanism, it affects it but doesnt damage it. Feeling Helpless is your fight or flight system in your brain operating, like a computer that turns on when you press the button. But when your in a safe environment that alarm system is inappropriate and not needed, it is only needed in mortally dangerous situations. I dont mean to give you a anatomy lesson, because I do have a point I promise.

So unfortunately with PTSD this system is out of whack, as we all know. Our fight and flights are pretty much always on to a degree, and I know pretty much every person that reads this will agree to that effect.

But the secret to keeping these alarms in check is trusting that when the time comes and you are faced with another morally dangerous situation, your fight or flight system WILL work. It will work because like I have said before the fight or flight system is only changed, not damaged. Learn to trust your god given ability to react to danger, and quell the false alarms in your mind. Do not prepare for danger because your body has NATURAL mechanisms to prepare you for danger IN THE MOMENT. Use your past experiences just as what they are, memories and memories alone. Learn the critical lessons from those experiences, and with therapy put the emotions that follow those memories on the shelf where they belong.

We are not damaged! We are just changed. Change doesn't mean bad, change means adaptation, and adaptation means progress!

You all are beautiful human beings with FUNCTIONAL brains, tried and proven.

Love ya my freak bitches

GunnerZulu

 

[OldDoorGunner]

GunnerZulu, well said........Yes we are indeed changed and I think for most of us, this is one of the hard parts in dealing with the Beast.......It's when we accept the fact that we are changed and as you said, doesn't mean bad. That we can start to TRUST ourselves and move forward.......A big part of the Beast for us is TRUST, of ourselves!!! Deep down inside we know what we are capable of doing when needed....That can be f*cking scary for all of us. That is some of the fear we must learn to live with. When we accept and TRUST our training and ourselves, then that part of the fear will be a lot less or even gone.....

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I believe we are better because of the change...Given a choice, I would rather have 10 brothers (that I do not know) with combat PTSD behind me when needed, than 50 or more people that have not been in combat........Us 10 Brothers are one!!! Always will be!!! Some of us are just getting old and can't run, carry much of a load......But we can adapt and still f*cking fight!!!!

J R.....Just one of your freak bitches, that Loves you as well Brother......

 

[atilla]

Same here Brothers. I trust none other than my ptsd bros. We been there, we know, deadliest weapon ever created by our government. They better straighten up.

 

[atilla]

You wont freeze.

 

[atilla]

With all the training, all the time in the shit, you know how to address situations. Thats something that never leaves us, situational awareness. The fact that we are not in jail right now proves it.

 

[RTO]

Hippocampus hip-hop...The limbic mambo...Let's dance!

 

[JarHed]

Hey GZ

I wouldn't worry about it. Actually, I think the worry part is worse than if you're in an actual situation where fight or flight comes into it. We trained to do that which 'ordinary' people can't do because they don't have the training. I think that's all there is to it. Trust yourself to know what is the right thing at the right time. Pretty much an echo of what everyone is saying.

Jar

 

[vikingr24]

Sometimes I get solace when I just accept I am going to die one day. I just hope it's the right way. When I was getting my ass shot at, the first time, I thought jokingly, these guys are serious about trying to kill me. I was bound and determined to use all the training I had to live through it but if I failed, there's not much I can do about it.

The memories of those great guys I patched up, flew with, and helped back to the hootch we called home...are hard to let go but I have to do it. Just let go and live in the here and now.

 

[atilla]

Right on Brother. Letting go of the past is stiil the hardest thing for me to do at this point. It takes time. We can never forget, but we cant let it consume us. Drive on Bro!

 

[JarHed]

As is often said, 'time heals all wounds'. It's pretty much true, you don't want to and can't escape your past. But it is the past, not the present. I try to remind myself of that as it helps when, like everyone, I have intrusive thoughts.

I was sure I was going to die in 'Nam, the surprise was that I survived. Still a mystery why, when the odds were so stacked against me. So, today, meaning the present, I'm glad I did. It takes a long time to get to this point and it's only in the last few years of really working on things that I did. So, keep the faith.

The only analogy I can give is like this; people often ask how it is that I've been married as long as I have (43 years in a couple of months) My reply is luck and working at it. I think that kinda' works for PTSD, luck; that I found a great therapist at the right time that it would actually help and working at it, as hard as I could.

Everyone has problems that are hard for them, ours just makes it much more complex. Warriors since the beginning of time have had this struggle. Guess we just fall in line and march on. Hope ya'll have a great weekend.

Jar

 

[atilla]

Thanks for that Brother.