Anyone believe that pain and stress from past trauma can be trapped in body?

[MellowMarshmallow]

I only want to hear from people who do understand and believe this. I am way to fragile to have anyone through sticks at me.

Feeling like utter crap and could do with some advice.

Saw osteopath as poor posture at desk as made my neck and shoulders stiff.

Long and short of it is that when he worked on a particular activation point (his words) it was agony, but also completely took me back to a past life-threatening experience of unbearable pain. After that past experience I was mentally unwell, but have been feeling really great for a number of years.

It's been like he's flicked a switch in a bad way. It was three days ago an I have felt sad and extremely anxious with intrusive thoughts and some OCD creeping back in too. It's like he's brought all the bad feeling to the surface and now I don't know what to do with it.

I know this sounds a bit out there, but 5 days ago I was really excited about Christmas and now I feel terrible.

Any suggestions of how I can feel better...quickly

I believe you. I also had an experience of my PTSD coming back in full force after a number of years without symptoms. The trigger might seem unlikely and quite out of the blue, but it could be your body telling you that you're not past it yet (after all).
I don't really know what to advise. Maybe go to your GP. You could start the ball rolling in accessing help.
By the way, the fact that you had sore back and shoulders could be linked to stress too, so yes - maybe the hurt was kind of stored up somatically (if that's a word??)... I remember that when I suffered my traumatic experience, my neck and back pain got worse than ever and one time I fainted all of a sudden. Your mind and body are more close connected than many people realise.
Sorry, I'm doing my usual trick of waffling. Sorry for any typos. On iPod and it is hard to type.

mosp - I have just been reading your past posts on PTSD before I saw you posted here, and reached my own conclusion that I never dealt with the PTSD and its been 6 years too long. I now have a good GP I trust so think she will be the best person to talk too.

Feel really ashamed that I have kept burying this and how this has affected my DH and DCs. Have panic attacks if I relax too much.

Am also wondering if because I haven't dealt with PTSD it makes smaller traumas much harder to handle?

I don't have experience of PTSD but your OP makes perfect sense to me. Can you talk do your GP? they may be able to help with medication in the short term and sort you out with some counselling?

Absolutely it can! Read Dr David Hamilton or Sandy Newbigging articles on t'internet about it and what can help.

As a hypnotherapist I can recommend that as a means to dispel the memories and therefore the pain.

Your GP may be able to refer you if they are open minded about it.

Acupuncture could probably help too but I have no personal experience of that so can't say too much about it.

There are means and ways to help you - don't sit and put up with it

I will see the GP after Christmas I think. I had a few counselling sessions within a few months of the trauma and they were making me worse so I stopped. I still get flashbacks but don't cry with them and thankfully no more nightmares so have thought it wasn't really affecting me anymore.

Not sure about medication. Need a long term solution for this.

Yes, I can believe that. Have a look at this website: www.sirpauk.com/ - it has a recovery programme and lots of advice on there. Offers therapy too.

I have many friends who are psychotherapists who very much believe in this. Rather than looking for a counsellor I'd recommend you seek a Psychotherapist who works "somatically" or does "body work". If you are anywhere near Sussex PM me and I can recommend

Frosty - Would a GP refer for hypnotherapy?

I am very open minded and the feeling I experienced on Wednesday convinced me the pain is still in there.

I have just done some reading about EMDR and Sensorimotor psychotherapy. I have never heard of these things before. My options after then event were community mental health nurse / medication / 'time is a great healer and you'll learn to live with it'. I haven't sought more help as didn't realise there was anything else available and thought it was behind me now - which it obviously isn't.

u need to look for a counsellor who is specialised in trauma - i am doing trauma training and there are a variety of treatments that can be used, you need to work with someone to find one that will suit you. trauma most definately becomes trapped in the body, and it is possible to heal with time and treatment...good luck

It all really depends on the doctor Mellow so do and some don't.

I've had clients come to me where the doctor has recommended the therapy (not me in particular) and I know of hypnotherapists who work in a doctors surgery near me. On the other hand my own doctor doesn't agree with it.

If you are interested in going down that route make sure you visit the General Hypnotherapy Register - anyone worth visiting will be registered with them.

I agree with Muser31 there are a variety of treatments available out there that could most definitely help you.

Thanks. That is so encouraging. I just really want to feel better now. I really hate anyone touching me, even my DH - it would be so good to not feel that way anymore.

this link may be useful myofascialrelease.com/about/

Sorry you are feeling this way Mellow. Yes I do believe it. I believe the mind and the body work in tandem and what happens in one area often is reflected in another.

In the last stages of my Mum's illness and after her death, I had a pain right in the centre of my back. Like I'd been kicked really hard and was bruised internally. If I had to describe my mental state at that time, I'd say I felt as if I'd been kicked and felt battered. I don't think it was coincidence that the physical pain I experienced reflected my mental distress. And now 8 years on, if I am reminded about a particularly upsetting part of her death, I sometimes get this same 'kick in the back' sensation.

I would highly recommend EMDR - it has really helped me.

Thanks all. I have contacted a local clinic that offers Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and started a book on mindfulness. I will go to GP after Christmas and ask about EMDR.

Feel terrible today, but finding paying attention to the present moment helpful in stilling the racing thoughts.

You've all been really helpful, thanks.