#ptsd support

[pink-devolve]

If you’re a domestic violence survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re an SA survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a CSA survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re an ECSA survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a child abuse survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a neglect survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a war survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a natural disaster survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a gun violence survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a cult survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re an organized abuse survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a torture survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a TTI survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a physical abuse survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a mental abuse survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

If you’re a survivor, I’m proud of you for surviving.

[onetrackminded]

Newly Diagnosed w/ PTSD

It was simultaneously surprising and not surprising. For one, I've known for years now I've probably been suffering from a kind of CPTSD from childhood and adolescence. I've had triggers, flashbacks, and nerve-wracking anxiety for a while. Weirdly enough though, all those things were relatively mild in comparison to my bigger problems (namely bipolar disorder and various neurodiversities).

Three years ago, my trauma symptoms were present but incredibly manageable with some run-of-the-mill Buspar. This is partly due to the fact that I was ignorant to the scope and span of the abuse I faced and was still facing. It was normalized. I believe trauma is much easier to cope with when you're not aware of it and when you're still in it, at least in my case.

Now that I've escaped a three-year-long abusive relationship, all of that has changed. It felt like for the first time, I was experiencing all these new and gravely intense symptoms of trauma. I'm living with my mother now, a situation caused by financial abuse in my previous relationship. I love my mother, and she's endlessly generous and helpful, but living with her and my baby brother feels like trying to re-integrate back into society after leaving a cult.

When I spoke to my therapist about some of the symptoms I was having, she gave me a PTSD questionnaire to fill out. I was weirdly shocked and validated by many of the symptoms listed, such as the ones concerning apathy.

For months at that point, I'd been having issues with feeling much of anything. Even when I'm in the midst of crying and processing my pain, I'll have moments where I completely stop crying and go numb. It's uncanny, and feels like my emotions are heavily compartmentalized.

The worst part of apathy is how it can make you treat people in your life. Every little thing can become irritating. Triggers are everywhere; I've described it before as being like a minefield. There is no avoiding them. That means I frequently suspect the people I love are trying to hurt me, which can cause me to act defensively and short-fused.

Thankfully, the folks in my life right now are very understanding. I always do my best to apologize for my behavior and explore my fears with them, but that is painstakingly difficult. It often feels as though my brain is requiring immense amounts of emotional labor in order to be calm (or something akin to calm).

I have a lot of work to do. More work than I've ever done, arguably. The thing about PTSD is that it requires so much constant diligence. Apathy must be met with a problem-solving attitude: identify the unmet (usually emotional) need, then meet it. Meeting those needs requires walking through the terror, teeth quite literally gritted shut, and trusting that the people around you aren't abusing you even though every fibre of your being is telling you otherwise.

It means staying up late and worrying that you're falling into the same abuse traps again, then needing to analyze and re-analyze with the people around you to quell that fear. Then, once peace is achieved, you get triggered yet again. The cycle repeats sometimes mere minutes after the conclusion of the last. Trauma is sisyphean in this way; pushing boulders up mountains just for it to fall back down. An endless tide of failure.

As pessimistic as I'd like to continue being, I know it gets better. Someday, I'd like to think I'll be able to go weeks without being triggered. Someday, if I work hard enough, I can know peace again, or whatever thing akin to peace I had before.

[alostbeautynomore]

Decided I’m going to do something as a memorial for my angel babies. Since there is no grave to visit I think I may get a snow globe (I collect them and they are my favorite) in memory of them. It’s something to be able to look at when I feel sad but also something that I love so I’m hoping that helps. Also called psych and got an appt for Tuesday… battling depression sucks but hopefully an increase in my meds will help. Also I was looking through my old pics and I came across the picture of the sac (yes I know that sounds gross but I was scared when I passed it and wanted to show my dr) and I just realized I can see the shape of my little babe (#2). I feel so nauseous. I wish I saw this before. I think I was so upset I couldn’t even process it all before. But yup that’s hitting my heart hard. Send good vibes bc this girl is going through hell over here

[vincewillard-1971]

Virtual Reality Exposure

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Can Help PTSD

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is being examined as another way to help people recover from PTSD. VRET is a type of exposure therapy that has increasingly been used to treat a variety of anxiety disorders, including specific phobias. Before learning how VRET treats PTSD symptoms, however, it's important to have a handle on what exposure therapy is.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is considered to be a behavioral treatment for PTSD. Exposure therapy targets behaviors that people engage in (most often avoidance) in response to situations or thoughts and memories that are viewed as frightening or anxiety-provoking. For example, a rape survivor may begin to avoid relationships or going out on dates for fear that she will be attacked again.

If not addressed, avoidance behavior can become more extreme and interfere with a person's quality of life. Avoidance can also make PTSD symptoms stick around longer or even become worse. Because people with anxiety, and phobias often avoid certain situations, thoughts, and emotions, they don't have the opportunity to learn that these situations may not be quite as dangerous or threatening as they seem. Avoidance also interferes with people working through their thoughts, memories, and emotions.

The goal of exposure therapy then is to help reduce person's anxiety, with the ultimate goal of eliminating avoidance behavior and increase quality of life.

This is done by actively confronting the things that a person fears most. By confronting feared situations, thoughts, and emotions, a person can learn that anxiety and fear will lessen on their own.

Now, exposure therapy to be effective, it is very important that people confront a situation that closely maps onto what they fear most. However, this may not always be possible for a person with PTSD. For example, a veteran who developed PTSD as a result of combat exposure would not be able to confront a combat situation again. It would unsafe to do so. This is where virtual reality exposure comes in.

Using Virtual Reality for Exposure

In VRET, an individual is immersed in a computer-generated virtual environment, either through the use of a head-mounted display device or entry into a computer-automated room where images are present all around. This environment can be programmed to help the person directly confront feared situations or locations that may not be safe to encounter in real life.

There is some evidence which shows that VRET may be useful for treating several different anxiety disorders and anxiety-related problems.

Some examples include claustrophobia, fear of driving, arachnophobia (or a fear of spiders), and social anxiety. In addition, a couple of studies have been done that test how useful VRET may be for PTSD

VRET for PTSD has primarily been examined in Vietnam War combat veterans. Therefore, the virtual reality environment in which a person is immersed has included imagery that a soldier may come into contact with during combat, such as helicopters and jungles. These studies found that, following VRET, soldiers experienced a reduction in their PTSD.

Finding a Therapist Who Uses VRET.

VRET is an expensive technology. So, not all clinicians currently use this procedure. Until VRET is more widely available, it is important to know that exposure therapy (without virtual reality) remains a very effective way of reducing PTSD symptoms, and there are many therapists who do exposure therapy.

[inkskinned]

hey btw if you're in the USA at  2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4, they're testing the emergency broadcast system. your phone is probably going to make a really loud noise, even if it's on silent. there's a backup date on the 11th if they need to postpone it.

if you're not in a safe situation and have an extra phone, you should turn that phone completely off beforehand.

additionally, if you're like me, and are easily startled; i recommend treating it like a party. have a countdown or something. be surrounded by your loved ones. take the actions you personally need to take to make yourself safe.

i have already seen mockery towards any person who feels nervous about this. for the record, it completely, completely valid to have "emergency broadcast sounds" be an anxiety trigger. do not let other people make fun of you for that. emergency sounds are legitimately engineered to make us take action; those of us with high levels of anxiety and/or neurodivergence are already pre-disposed to have a Bad Time. sometimes it is best to acknowledge that the situation will be triggering for some, and to prepare for that; rather than just saying "well that's stupid, it's just a test."

"loud scary sound time" isn't like, my favorite thing, but we can at least try to prevent some additional anxiety by preparing for it. maybe get yourself a cake? noise cancelling headphones? the new hozier album? whatever helps. love u, hope you're okay. we are gonna ride it out together.

[floridacounselingforall]

Trauma Recovery & PTSD Support in Hialeah, FL

Trauma or PTSD: Are You Finding It Hard to Cope?

After experiencing a traumatic incident, it can feel as if part of you has been lost. Tasks which were once straightforward may now seem impossible or burdensome and you may struggle to be present in work, school and relationships.

Are You Experience Anxiety Panic And Fear?? Doing this can leave you feeling exhausted, panicky and vulnerable – leaving you confused and helpless in its wake.

As a First Responder or veteran, you may feel powerless to talk openly about your experiences – which only compounds their difficulty.

Although your friends and family may try to provide support, they may not know exactly how. Trauma’s symptoms can impact every aspect of life, leaving you feeling depressed and helpless.

However, there is hope. EMDR therapy, trauma counseling and PTSD counseling can all provide essential solutions to help regain your life and overcome its effects.

EMDR Therapy: A Powerful Tool for Overcoming Trauma & PTSD

EMDR therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach proven to be effective at alleviating symptoms associated with trauma. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has been extensively researched, studied, and is proven to treat trauma-induced negative core beliefs associated with such experiences.

Trauma can remain stored and unprocessed in our nervous systems for years after being experienced, meaning past events were never fully processed by our brains. EMDR works directly on how the brain processes information to reorganize traumatic memories without going into all the details of what occurred.

Undergoing EMDR therapy allows individuals to stop experiencing images, sounds and feelings associated with traumatic memories when recalling events from the past. Through EMDR therapy, healing begins and individuals regain their control back in life.

EMDR therapy stands out by intervening at multiple points in time: past, present, and future. Interventions involve exploring past disturbing memories, present triggers/issues/triggers management plans, future methods of emotion/trigger management as well as negative beliefs that might cause distress/interfere with interpersonal functioning reframed to build skills/attitudes needed for positive actions/relationships moving forward.

Before initiating trauma reprocessing, individuals will undergo an intake and assessment phase in order to ensure they have access to the coping skills necessary for managing emotions related to past trauma, and plan their EMDR therapy session accordingly. Each person has unique experiences; therefore it is extremely important that personalized care be offered.

EMDR therapy is an effective form of bilateral stimulation to reprocess and store memories in the brain appropriately, which can quickly alleviate suffering and discomfort in a short amount of time. Furthermore, this approach has proven itself helpful for panic attacks, complicated grief, phobias, performance anxiety disorders, pain disorders, stress reduction strategies, unhealthy behaviors and personality disorders – making this safe and effective treatment suitable for both children and adults with distressing life experiences.

Get Started Today!

[neuroticboyfriend]

get in bitches, we're surviving rock bottom no matter how much further we dig. one day we'll put down the shovel and climb out of this for good. we have to. as long as we're still alive there is hope.

[recoverr]

i hope it hurts a little less. day by day. week by week. i hope the ache in your chest eases. maybe it won't entirely, maybe it will. may the thought of feeling joy again alone be enough to keep you going, even if for a while.

[intersexfairy]

hey uh. don't listen to the people who say the bullying won't matter once you get out of school. because shit. it will.

bullying is peer abuse. it's traumatizing. and while getting out of the environment helps, the hurt doesn't go away. all the things ingrained in you don't go away. just because your bullies might not be in your life doesn't mean the awful things they did to you don't matter. they are still very significant people in your life.

please don't brush it off. please treat yourself with kindness and fight for the support and safety you deserve. you are not the person your bullies thought you were. you never were. you deserve to be happy and confident, and minimizing what happened won't lead to that.

[zee-rambles]

———-

Being there for each other.

First I Prev I Next

[didtipsandhelp]

When you're dissociating and someone asks you if you're okay

[pink-devolve]

How to make life feel worth living when you have crippling anxiety and PTSD no borax no glue

[spacefaringamoeba]

I hate that I'm considered "high functioning". I barely qualify for any "level" of disability in my country and I will never get a disability income. Yes. I'm able to go to work. But I will not be able to hold it for more than a few months before getting burned out and having daily meltdowns. No, having 10 minutes extra work break won't help me. Neither will wearing headphones or carrying fidgets. I'm literally not able to work 40h a week without severe negative consequences... How do i fucking exist in this society!

[alostbeautynomore]

Depression sucks so much! I am overwhelmed and burnt out and I have noticed myself slipping back into depression for a while but I think I am fully in the depths of it now. I feel so defeated in so many ways. Hopeless. I just want to lay in my bed and not move ever. Work is becoming extremely difficult to continue. I am a people pleaser so quitting terrifies me but I truly might need to in order to actually take care of myself

Any helpful tips? Last time I had to quit my job for mental health reasons my boss was horrible to me like truly horrible. So I’m scared on what to do and how to do it and everything else blah

[yousaveeveryonebutwhosavesyou]

Suicide isn't selfish because it often emerges from a place of profound suffering and despair. It's essential to recognize that those who contemplate or tragically choose this path are not seeking to inflict pain upon others, but rather seeking relief from their unbearable emotional pain. Understanding this complexity is crucial, as it reminds us of the urgent need for empathy, compassion, and mental health support to prevent such tragedies. Instead of labeling it as selfish, let us strive to offer understanding, support, and hope to those who need it most, acknowledging that their pain is genuine and deserving of our care.

[sersi]

After so many years alone, it was nice to have a friend.

Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) dir. Peyton Reed