What Unconventional Ideas Helped Your Recovery?

[anthony]

We know the mainstream methods for healing trauma and managing PTSD, though there are plenty of people who devise their own methods, deviate ideas and concepts to work for them.

What unconventional ideas did you create that worked for you? Maybe you tried some that failed, but helped you learn nonetheless?

 

[Phoenix(not)]

I did the 10 day residential Vipassana Meditation course in the hope it would help me. The immediate effects were quite profound with most PTSD symptoms either disappeared or lessened. The exaggerated startle response was unaffected for some reason. Hyper-vigilence, anxiety and mood improved a lot. This was nearly 7 years ago. In the years following, there have been several episodes of PTSD symptoms returning when current events "get to me", but they fade away quickly once the stressor has gone.

I am no expert but one section of the training was akin to EMDR technique. We were asked to "go there" (the trauma event) and I was distressed about this because this exercise was not supervised or conducted by a competent therapist. Of course 99% of course attendees had no traumas and were likely reflecting on something like losing a job or money lost to gambling etc. But I got through that section and it seemed to actually allow me to move on past the causal event in a beneficial way.

Vipassana course cost whatever someone wants to pay. If money is tight a small donation accepted without comment. It has none of the mantras, "humming", Ohmming", religious content or visualising techniques. It's mostly focussing on exhaled breath from the nostrils (and techniques and philosophy type instruction) .

They do not target any people and in fact they insisted on checking with my psychologist before accepting me to ensure it was safe.
So the only reason I am posting this is, is because I genuinely think it is worth further investigation as a possible major symptom aleviator; Also, I always wondered if anyone has done research on Vipassana meditation as a therapy.

 

[JLBCarr]

In November 2011 at 49 years old I found healing through Intensive Trauma Therapy. This is now 2015. Those two weeks culminated into one of the greatest gifts of my life: memory set free. I pray for the day this type of therapy will be made available everywhere and is covered by more insurances. My insurance at the time only covered a small portion as "out of network" therapy.

 

[Dana1010]

@Phoenix(not), I have been considering doing this for the last couple of years. They have centers around the country, correct? I do Vipassana inspired meditation now where I simply notice my thoughts and my breath without trying to control them. My problem is when I start to "get somewhere," i.e, relaxed and in the now, parts of my body begin to jump and convulse. I think I would be embarrassed if this happened in front of other people and worry that they would resent the disturbance--do you do the meditations in groups?

Also, I'm wondering if you could just take ten days off from work and sit in your home and meditate for eight hours a day or whatever it is. Wouldn't that have the same effect? How does the retreat differ from that?

 

[Recovery4Me]

Remembering that public consensus is not the same as alliance: the alliance must be between myself and my heart.

 

[TonyG]

I spent 25 years with a memory in my head without dealing with it because I invented a false story that I heard the bang and didn't get out of bed to see what it was,

 

[Friday]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around what's 'conventional'!!! :)

Some or all of these may be. I'm not really sure. Still kind of winging it. Trying to remember what works and what doesn't and trying new things. Also don't know if any of this would translate to anyone else, or if eyre just me-things.

- Shooting for managing anxiety / shortening recovery times. Can't hit what I'm aiming at if I'm all jacked up. Especially pistols while standing, since so much messes with those shots. Once the HR drops from 120/140 to under 50 & everything stills in seconds, and groupings are tight under normal conditions? Upping the difficulty. Running for a few miles, then shoot. Go chill (literally) in a walk-in freezer or outside with wet hair in winter until body temp drops and warming up is shivering. Sex & shooting. Triggered hard and shooting instead of just normal anxiety. Nap in the parking lot until a nightmare comes and shooting. Anything and everything I can do to train my pulse & breath rate to drop wicked fast from being amped up.

I'd only ever fired rifles (& belt fed etc) IRL, except once, and both of those were instant calm. Still are. Sight in and exhale. Better than a massage and a Valium. So I figured during my divorce maybe I could borrow some of that calm and apply it elsewhere. Pistols were convenient. Trained on rifles the same way for the opposite reason. Figured maybe it would translate. It did.

- Linking smells with moods. I'm rather fond of perfume, and have always picked what I wear based off my mood. Decided to try and take it a step further, and when I'm in a really strong mood, to try and link it to a specific perfume. I figured, I've got a helluva lot of olfactory triggers anyway. May as well try and do that on purpose when I've got good moods up and running. Generally, it works, but not always and I have to be careful I don't overuse it. Don't know how much is placebo effect. Sensory tricks are usually pretty effective with me, though.

- Rampant hedonism ;). Essentially do something fun at least once a day. Like really fun. Bone deep, flashing eyes, feel good everywhere fun. ((I haven't been able to do this one for ages, much less lately. Still try, when opportunities present.))

- Speaking without words / Teamwork. Doesn't really matter if it's a horse, a dog, or a person. If I'm regularly "speaking" to someone using body language alone... Even for just a few minutes, but better still for longer periods I'm much more relaxed the rest of the day & my thoughts are much more linear / streamlined. And words come easier.

There are others but these are a few to start with, anyway.

 

[BlueOrange]

Massage has been great for me. It doesn't really matter what kind of massage - trained and considerate hands touching my body and doing it good have been very helpful. When I had severe abdominal cramps, I used to compress my gut, and that gave me some relief. Pushing with my hands and just holding them still with pressure on my belly button was good; when that wasn't enough, I would lie face-down on a beanbag and let that press into my gut.

 

[Spiderallis]

My best self-esteem trick is very NSFW, I re-enact the 'Goodbye Horses' scene from Silence of the Lambs where Buffalo is dancing in front of the mirror, except I think of the Clerks 2 version because Jay just does it better. It's crass and vulgar, but that works just fine for me.

 

[Weemie]

gonna bring up the red herring here but: drugs. using psychotropic substances and journaling/going into my shit really helped me. really f*cked me too sometimes so not necessarily recommending it, you know your own body and mind. some scientific research has been done into the matter too so there is some precedent. i prolly sound like a crackpot but it's true, don't do it no more now though as i have a job.

 

[The Albatross]

Cranial-sacral therapy, rolfing /massage/acupressure, tuning forks and guided meditation.

 

[Mallaky]

Kegel excersises help me a million times more to calm down, be mindfull in the moment and relax then breathing ever did. I also can do them basically everywhere, while this breathing thing makes me feel selfconcious and emberressed when I try it, for example, in a train. They also had some other very nice benefits. :laugh::smug::laugh:
Not joking.