We Don't Get Better Do We?

[Abrasky]

I believe you can get better a lot if you find the therapy that is meant for you. When I was diagnosed, I was agoraphobic and couldn't move from my couch the whole day and hyperventilated and had all day panic attacks. It took me 3 years to get diagnosed with PTSD, 5 years to get the right therapy (my therapist called it psycodynamnic therapy it was just plain therapy that involved me getting memories back every 3 sesssions), 5 years to stop having agoraphobia and go outside a lot, 7 years to get fully off anti-deppressants and stop having all day panic attacks and 12 years to fully remember my trauma (trauma and trauma events with a duration of four years). I am now a mum I survived newborn (worked without a break for the first 4 months with diabetes type 1, with kidney failure(not known until a test 1 months later) and accompanying hypos and still managed to breastfeed fully for 3 months.) I think it is amazing what you can do with PTSD.

It is very possible to improve PTSD symptoms.

 

[AliveInside]

PTSD isn't curable. Anyone who says they are cured is either lying or didn't have PTSD in the first place.

I like this post alot, in essence we can control the speed and height of the roller coaster.

 

[just me here]

My T has me "noticing the effects" of being in stressful events, or reminded of past events. I guess we are going to set a benchmark that we can look back at someday and say "wow, I am sure doing better now!" Thats the plan. Maybe I will be measuring the duration of my jaw clenches with a stopwatch, the time it takes for my heart rate to drop below a threshold we are going to establish, I don't know. Right now it feels like measuring the distance between the deck chairs on the titanic, but I am in this for improvement and if thats what we are going to do, thats what I am doing.
Let the healing begin.

 

[TLight]

I don't know. Doesn't seem to be getting better, I'm just getting better at hiding from people. I hate them, capital H.

 

[Gamereign555]

Our coping skills can get better and we can lessen the impact of trigger objects. But the way symptoms arise probably won't change much. For example, when I get anxious, I am probably always going to have the chest tightness,breathing issues and chest pain.
By learning to be comfortable with things I find uncomfortable I can limit sudden onset anxiety, I will be able to tolerate for awhile at least before panic would set in. In some cases I have become comfortable enough to where I am not effected by some situations.

 

[a3a2]

I'm a lot better. Cured? No. But so much better.

 

[drgnfl2078]

I like to be optomistic about it...maybe it is not curable...but I like to think yeah I have PTSD...PTSD doesn't have me.

 

[Seneca]

When you're in the thick of it, all you can think about is a "cure." But at the same time, when all you've ever been is terrified, or numb, or wishing for death, any amount of relief can feel almost like a cure.

This doesn't mean you should lower your standards or become complacent, but accepting the condition makes you appreciate things that most people take for granted, like those little moments of peace and sanity.

 

[712xx]

@just me here -- This post was a over year ago, has your life progressed to a better, same, or worse place then you were last year? I'm sorry if this opens a bad spot in your life; although, these posts don't seem crisis filled -- mainly sadness and longing. Have you found a way to conduct your days with more optimism?

Rather than 'cure' (as far as I know, there isn't even a cure for a common cold), but maybe we can have alleviation, mitigation, and desensitization of the bulk of our symptoms for a good stretch of time. They come back, but we get re-occuring colds and things as well.

What is wellness anyway? It seems to be a false sense of health -- bacteria & viruses are all around us by the trillions; invisible little pathogens waiting till our defenses are down to make us sick. Given that we don't get sick everyday is a freakin' miracle given their shear numbers. We also have spots of cancer cells in all our bodies right now; everyone of us. The only reason people must treat these rogue cell masses is when they start causing problems. Wellness is a misnomer -- we have hidden sickness (everyone) waiting to bring all of us down. We start dying the minute we are born. Unless you want a cure for life ... the only alternative to that is symptom management.

Symptom management is all NT (neurotypical) people can do as well. We are all on the sinking ship waiting for our turn to jump.

 

[bethinhfx]

@712xx: Ah, the titanic approach to life. Love it! :)

 

[712xx]

I hear it came out again in 3D theaters. I'm not going to see that mess again though, lol. It was depressing enough the first time I saw (rented) it.

 

[Hashi]

I think there's a difference between curing something, managing it and healing from it. I don't think PTSD is "curable" and I don't think managing it is all we can do. I think we can heal, which is different.

We have a concept of "cure" for physical illnesses but really what we have are management (alleviating symptoms etc) and treatments (in some cases, very successful, in some cases not) which help people to heal. That's as true for things like TB and cancer as it is for the common cold. I think we forget that the treatments help us but they don't cure us. In the end, what makes us better is our own healing process being given the conditions where it can take it's course.

I'm not saying it's easy, pretty or quick - my experience is far from that. But I don't believe we have to live forever with PTSD. Whatever our experiences, I believe we can heal.