What Is Ptsd Like?

[Anarchy]

Personally, the DNA bit sounds confusing.

Only a part of our genetic inheritance is fixed.

There are large parts which can be switched on and off, and turned up and down by the environment. It is the emerging field of "epigenetics", in which before and even after birth, individuals bodies are optimised for the environment that they are going to be living in.

In the case of experiments with rats, even stressing the male, then, once he'd mated, removing him from the experiment, resulted in more stress susceptible pups, which passed that stress susceptibility on to their pups.

In humans, there has been a lot of work done on the people who were in the third trimester of gestation during the "Dutch Hunger Winter" where retreating Axis forces removed all of the food from the Dutch population (is it any wonder that so many of the Traumatologists come from the tiny country that is Holland?).

Those individuals bodies are very prone to low blood sugar, to laying down fat, they have a disproportionately high rate of heart disease,of diabetes, and of psychoses, and so do their children.

Probably a good intro for anyone who is interested, would be to find some of Robert Sapolsky's lectures on epigenetics on youtube.

 

[Weemie]

i tend to describe it like having a brain that can't tolerate stress. most people react proportionately to things, but my brain hits the strength gong to 100% over every minor incursion.

 

[littlelostchild]

It's like looking at myself through carnival side show mirrors - they distort reality and I have a hard time knowing which mirror is the plain one that can be trusted. I believe the lies that the distortions tell me unless I am very disciplined and challenge the distorted thoughts in a methodical manner. Even then, I may only modify the distortion into a less wobbly mirror, but some days, that's progress.

 

[Neverthesame]

Purgatory, feeling as if you died all those years ago. Now left to wander the world you no longer feel a part of, in the vein pursuit of absolving the sin that was never yours in the first place. Hoping to one day to experience the peace denied you, by some other sinner.

 

[Justmehere]

For me, PTSD feels like being chased by a hungry tiger, while someone is screaming horrible insults through a megaphone at me about my most embarrassing shameful secrets, and being completely numbed out, as if coming out of anesthesia - all at the same time ... combined with grief that is equal to suddenly losing everyone you have known and loved.

Something like that.

 

[RussH]

being caught in a vortex of grief and dispair with a healthy dose of worthlessness.

 

[Truthful_Whispers]

If I had a choice of living in hell or having PTSD..I would turn down the PTSD and live in hell.

 

[Pakadlangitok]

Purgatory, feeling as if you died all those years ago. Now left to wander the world you no longer f...

OMG. This is really good in that scary way. YES , and that is just the tip of the iceberg. That is how you feel on a GOOD day with PTSD!!!

 

[Pakadlangitok]

My mother is coming to visit. She arrives tomorrow, and the next day she is going to come to therapy w...

For me it is like those parasites that get into the rat brain to make it do things it never would, like walk in front of a cat. I can be yelling expletives at my family member because I get pissed off because all night I was in pain because of an accident that was caused because I had to move because there was construction going on I could not handle because of the PTSD I got because when I was young because I was targeted by a pedafile preacher in my church because I was born sick with a disability because some doctor gave my mom a shot she should not have had!!!! And none of it Resolves before the next wham hits!!!! F%$&CK!!!!!!! You live with this! I would say........I dare you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Deleted member 34535]

Gadgie is spot on when she says it is almost impossible to describe to someone who does not have what it is really like. Then take to heart the fact that we are all unique individuals with our own unique chemistry. It would be like walking over to a CY Young Award Winner and have him tell you how to do what he does. All we could do is just sit there and nod our heads like dingbats acting like we even have a clue what he is talking about.
I know you mentioned the word normal. I am getting ready to start year 3 of Psychiatric care. And you know something, the more I see of people out there, the more I sometimes feel like the author of a book, How to Be Normal. I have to come to see through my observations that those of us who know we have our challenges and fight hard every day to tackle them are far and above ahead of those who think they are God's Gift to normalcy. I know you mentioned having your mother join in on one of your therapy sessions. Yes it is probably none of my business, but in my world, my Psychiatry and Therapy are mine and not to be shared with anyone. If I want to talk to someone about it afterwards, that is a different thing. But my time with my professionals is strictly between us and that is cherished time.