What Symptoms Have Improved Since You Have Been Working On Your Ptsd?

[Seasounds]

There are probably others, than myself, who have seen a decrease in some of their symptoms over time. It would be interesting and inspiring to hear what got better, and what seemed to make it better?

My surprise improvement was that as I let go of friends who had anger problems I slept a better and my asthma decreased.

What improved for you? What helped?

 

[Nikki Carter]

This is a great idea!

I have found that I sleep better now, I never wake up fully rested but it's much better than before. I run between 5 to 10km a day, I find that if I'm both physically and mentally tired, I have an easier time falling asleep than had it been just one or the other.

Three out of four weeks I handle my fight response and dissociating well. But for one week I'm a mess. I find that actively monitoring my breathing and doing thought records as situations arise helped me.

 

[Friday]

Time
Between last year & this year my symptoms have generally been cut in half, time-wise. Which is huge. Gone from roughly 10-20 hours a day to roughly 5-10 hours a day. There are still days/weeks/months that kick into the old pattern, but the newer pattern is dominant.

Intensity
Running in 3rd & 4th gear far more often than 4th & 5th gears.

DAS
I take a Depression Anxiety & Stress snapshot test every few months, because the thing is startlingly accurate for me / as the individual results between the 3 shift about I'm usually able to see ooooooooh, yeah, I HAVE been a little more this a little less that, haven't I? And take steps to work on those areas.

Gone from
36-42 last year
24-33 this year

That's still -in theory- Extremely Severe in all 3 areas, but it's a massive improvement! :D

 

[jaccat]

My anxiety over driving has almost disappeared. I'm almost at the point where I can just jump in a car and go anywhere whenever I feel like it. I'm also more willing to get involved in social sitiations, though I haven't got to the enjoyment stage yet. And I'm actually beginning to feel emotions now, which my T would say is an improvement, anyway (personally, the jury's still out!).

 

[Changing4Best]

Anxiety has lessened in intensity when it occurs and also fewer episodes of it as well. Sleeping better and longer hours, though this is being helped by the proper medicines. Therapy is helping me to be less willing to be taken advantage of. I'm working on that right now, so it is still happening somewhat, but I am more willing to speak up for myself and repeat my requests for help when they are being ignored. My faith in God has increase a lot too.

 

[The Albatross]

• Obsessive compulsive thoughts and overthinking are pretty much gone.

• Some increased confidence due to new experiences that over-wrote the old self defeating ones.

• Not as much disassociative tendencies - very little though still a couple to a few this year.

• Not as much accident prone, still some however - most often linked to not being "present" in the moment.

• Better stress/anxiety/depression coping tools and skills.

• Better support system (connection to PTSD peers), but need better face to face connections.

• No real significant random suicidal thoughts anymore (just an odd one now and again).

• No longer High or Moderate risk for suicide or ideation.

• Not as prone to depression.

• Better boundaries and am able to say "no" when it's best to.

• Better ability to assess people/places/situations and can travel or be reasonably reliable (even if very uncomfortable at times) wherever I want to with a reasonable sense of confidence/capableness and safety.

• Was able to go back to and maintain full time work (though not at the moment but that was situational and not due to my PTSD)

• Got over the shame/blame/guilt

• Much less hypervigilance, though still some and don't mind cuz at times it sure does come in handy.

• Am more willing to accept than fear the oddball, seemingly out of nowhere body shot/shocks or triggers when they occur.

• Was able to come to terms with PTSD management as a lifestyle choice and take the sting out of what I thought before was a stigma or disability - though at times it is still a detriment.

• Am nowhere near as reactive.

• An not as angry as I used to be, by a goodly measure and don't have episodes of blind rage.

• Improved my cognitive distortions and have more perceptual levity.

• My self perception got better - more self efficacy or competent or resilience oriented rather than damaged/wounded/broken.

• Improved ability to make decisions or choices without paralysis or anxiety.

• Improved frustration tolerance

• Improved distress tolerance.

• Improved sense of self acceptance and other acceptance (yeah still love my REBT)

• My inner little girl doesn't scream anymore.

• Vanquished the inner critics.

• My eyes regained the ability to track properly.

• I learned how to put myself back into my body when I'm out and how to recognize when it happens.

• No lost time this year and only once last year.

• I learned how to get grounded and stay grounded.

• I learned how to self nurture and soothe and even to re-parent in areas where I came up short.

• I became willing to accept times or periods of being uncomfortable instead of awfulizing or having a down cycle or a melt down.

Probably a lot more... but let's just say, that hard work done persistently has paid off gradually - sometimes just barely noticeably - and it is a whole lot better now than it used to be. I might "always have PTSD"... but PTSD's grip on me has loosened a lot. A whole lot. I love recovery and it's better than all the alternatives.

 

[Butterflies2023]

• Obsessive compulsive thoughts and overthinking are pretty much gone.

• S...

I too agree with the whole list of improvements after 5 years of T. But I don't believe I will ever be comfortable with touch. I want to be sharing my life with a man now that I am 54. But I just can't. All the images come back - and then any intimacy with a man - well I have a very very difficult time pondering that. But sometimes want to work on this. So that I can say I challenged myself and won over the PTSD I don't know how to work on this - so I lose hope in this area.

 

[Gs172003]

For right now my hypervigilence is gone. But I miss it

 

[Rani G2]

Hey Vandya,

improvement was that as I let go of friends who had anger problems I slept a better and my asthma decreased

Sounds very good Vandya, when these changes take place, the more empowered we feel.

My self-hate has lessend. If I were to describe things I like about myself, I think I have a few things that I find interesting about being me, but I also, come from a place of being narcissistic .

Its a small change.

 

[Cannottakethis]

Acceptance that I have a real illness instead of fighting against it.

Making real changes in my life so that I'm feeling my best mentally and physically.

Setting boundaries!!! Asking for what I want, saying no to what I don't want, not accepting crap from people that think they can just walk all over me.

 

[VioletButterfly]

• I've managed to get to the point of awareness of many thoughts, thought patterns and behavioral patterns, and am now working on their origin and how to reframe them.
• I've grown to accept a good many realities that exist in my life instead of fighting against them or letting them send me off the deep end.
• Working on a judgment free zone inside of my mind.
• Dealing with the never, ever, forever lies.
• Working on dealing with anger and correctly directing it as well. Other emotions as well in just sitting with them - learning to feel without freaking out.
• Working on boundaries and self-care, compassion and kindness.
• Working on keeping my focus and staying in the present.
• Trying to interact with other people face-to-face. Conversations are hard when you're out of practice, so I'm having to learn how to put sentences together and to stay present with the other person.
• Standing strong in keeping one addiction off the table while working on my thinking regarding the other.

All are still all very much in process, but I seem to be steadier in my resolve to get to a healthier place instead of hiding in the shadows of shame and despair.

 

[Heather]

Nightmares and flashbacks pretty much gone.

Sleeping...though is still an awfully hard thing to accomplish.