Just wondered if anyone with PTSD/Complex PTSD fancied a chat?

[pepsiandshirley]

I've accepted I'min this for the longish haul, have a great therapist, get out and do plenty of exercise, spend time in green spaces, stay positive etc etc.

But I'd just love to speak to someone/anyone else who understands what a bitch trauma is (any kind, whatever the cause - trauma is trauma!)

Sorry to hear that, Marb. Can you phone your GP for advice about your medication?

Scarring's harsh. Hope they settle down better than you'd expected. I've found that accidents and frights increase my symptoms too.

Rubbish, innit?

Hi stealth, a lot of what you are describing does sound familliar. My PTSD was caused by DHs illness, so it's definately possible that your DCs illness could have left you with trauma. One of the common traumas that can lead to PTSD is fear that a loved one will die. There are some questionairres online that screen for PTSD which could be a starting point to discuss with your GP. I'm not convinced that my GP believes I've had PTSD, but CPN and 2 therapists said they thought thats what it was.

Did some online tests, which was eye opening. Thanks for that No Longer, I'll mention it when I see my GP.

How are you doing, Marb?

Found this article about tics. Best treatment is relaxation and mine certainly go away totally when I'm on my own or concentrating.

www.iusmm.ca/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-and-tic-disorder-studies-centre-/tic-disorders-/truth-about-tics.html

Hey steal I'm healing slowly but my PTSD is still raging but I think that's normal, I had a stupid accident and it caused me injuries so bad that I was hospitalised. I think that's enough to tip anyone back over.
Frustratingly, as I have to rest I have too much thinking time so I'm catastrophising like crazy and it's difficult to talk myself down.

That said, there's a real possibility I may lose my job as a result of my recent absence from work so I have reason to worry.

My GP told me to up my meds, so no real surprises there!
The meds do help but they slow me right down and make me sleepy and thirsty so there is a downside to them.

Interesting about the tics, I don't get those but I internalise everything so I would be amazed if anyone who doesn't know about my history knows I'm struggling.
I'm am a master at hiding it.

I've worked with people with Tourettes, there are some amazing ways to reduce tics so it may be work Googling and looking those out, they could help too.

I'm sorry to anyone who can't get a PTSD diagnosis, mine came from my Psychiatrist so I would recommend asking for a referral if you can.

When do you see your GP steal?

Had a look at tourette,s thanks. Hadn't thought of that.

Tic seems to come under OCD type stuff. Which is weird, because I am not OCD at all. Seems the tic is often a habitual coping mechanism. Which does make sense, it comes on when I'm stressed or get a fright - I jump if there's a noise/something moves in the corner of my eye. Hyper vigilance, according to Dr Google.

I see my GP on Wednesday. Will go with a list of questions and, it'snot my usual GP. Need to get a second opinion, the tic's been stopping me from being able to drive.

Sorry about your job, Marb. That really sucks. Extra stress, how helpful.

Hi, hope you don't mind me joining the thread. I'm having counselling for complex trauma. I referred through my local IAPT service last year, for anxiety, but talking about things made things really bad, got sent up to A&E at one session, then discharged from IAPT to secondary mental health team. Fortunately I was given a name of someone who works privately with complex trauma, so I'm not relying on the NHS anymore. Been with her since January but it really tough, I feel that I'm just getting through each day a lot of times, not really living.

Hi Arion,

welcome :-)

I also found talking therapy made things much worse, apparently it's very common. (But not common enough that the psychologist I saw didn't try that approach) Stopped seeing him and saw an nlp therapist for Eye Movement Integration ( IEMT ) privately, which had amazing and quick results. I've seen him twice now (for simple single trauma PTSD ) and no longer have any symptoms uncluding any anxiety. My concentration and memory have returned to normal since the second session too amazingly, can't recommend it highly enough!

nolonger is it ok if I PM you to ask vaguely which area you live in?
Just London/North West or wherever.
I've seen a private therapist in the past but we just rehashed the old stuff, there was no forward movement.

I can't afford it yet but I could seriously do with some help and a therapist like yours would be worth their weight in gold to me.
I'd be prepared to travel a bit to see someone who doesn't make things worse!

Marbelous, no probs the therapist I see is in the North West of England, if you want more info feel free to PM me.

Hello please can I join the thread? Just been diagnosed with PTSD after traumatic birth and resulting health issues with my DD. She is now 5yo and I'm only just realising (through counselling) that my increasing anxiety over the last few years stems from this.

I have a question about emotional flashbacks. I find that noises such as the beep of a heart rate monitor (e.g. I happened to hear one on the TV) makes me feel very tearful/scared and takes me back to when DD was in ICU. Is this an emotional flashback? I have all the other symptoms of PTSD except flashbacks so just wondering if that is what this feeling is?

Hi kustard,

Welcome :-)

I didn't have what I though of as flashbacks either, I imagined that they would be visual, which mine weren't. For me an emotional flashback was like having all the emotions (fear, pannic etc) smashed into me at force without warning. What you are describing does sound like a flashback to me.

Ah that's a shame nolonger I'm very much South but thank you for telling me.

Hello Kustard flashbacks are odd and can be different for everyone, I think. I'm not qualified in any way but your emotional flashbacks sound to me like they are still flashbacks IYSWIM? Having had a baby in ICU it is understandable that those sorts of noises would distress you.

Hi,

Sorry to ambush the thread...I just wondered if anyone here experiences issues with alcohol?

I tend not to drink as it isn't good for me. But I'm having a really tough time in therapy at the moment and reaching for the wine every night. Not loads of it, and only in the evenings.

But it does my PTSD symptoms NO good.

I'm considering going to the GP for the medication that makes you violently ill if you touch alcohol. 'Trouble' is I'm not a chronic alcoholic, I just need to be forced to keep away from alcohol for now - I don't have the strength to do it myself at the moment.

Do you think they would prescribe it if I explained the circumstances?

I've read the whole thread. I have a diagnosis of CPTSD. I don't think I want to go into too much detail right now as I am feeling wobbly. My Mother was very abusive to me growing up, daily beatings and threats to kill, hands round my throat, choking me till I couldn't breathe. Whenever she got angry that was the thing I feared the most, also threats with carving knives at my throat. I then married a very abusive man, he was abusive in all ways.

I'm not under any treatment at present. I've just recently cut my entire family off. Apparently key to trying to recover is to get out of the situation. I hadn't been, had been putting myself through it for years. I think I blocked out how bad it all was. I don't earn know if I can talk about it all now.

*I think I know the thread you mean re: hands around throat and I felt the same (shocked) when I read it as that was a recurring experience for me.

I still can't be touched around my neck, can't wear polo necks, get freaked out when they put the cape round my neck at the hairdressers.*

Can I ask more about this? I saw it mentioned a few times on the thread but nothing to link it too. Obviously this happened to me a lot. My fear when she was doing it was primeval, I truly believed she would kill me.

Hope you don't mind me joining in.

MsGame,

Sorry you have to be here.

I have experience of hands round neck....I can;t remember that many occasions of it happening but I literally can't bear to be touched anywhere from chin to chest. A lot of my stuff is very blocked out, though, that especially I think.

Also - to answer my own earlier question. I went to the GP and don't remotely drink anything near the threshold to be referred to alcohol services. We also discussed medication for my C-PTSD and how my therapy is helping and the GP felt that I am doing a very good job unmedicated and to keep going with therapy.

SO although I came out of the GP with 'nothing' I actually felt better than before I went in.

I felt like someone could see me recovering. Amazing.

That sounds possitive illneverknowwhereigo

Msgame both the councellor and therapist who have helped me the most have told me that talking/writing about the details are not a good idea with trauma as it can retraumatise you. Certainly I found the psychologist who wanted to talk about the details made my PTSD symptoms much worse.

Just wondering if anyone else has just watched Dr in the house helping a woman who was eventually was diagnosed with PTSD on BBC 1 tonight?

Just to offer an alternative perspective on talking and writing about the trauma - I have written throughout therapy and it's really helped me to distill my thoughts and feelings and helped my recovery.

I completely avoided/repressed all my experiences so talking about them - although extremely difficult - has been a way for me to finally feel the feelings that I surpressed at the time.
I
I'm not saying this is the right approach for everyone and can completely see why it would re traumatise some people.

But for me who spent a lifetime blocking out feelings it's been a really important way for me to say - yes, X happened and it made me feel Y, but I'm ok now.

I am such a ninja for cutting off all my feelings that really I felt I had no choice but to face them head on.

But it's definitely not an approach for everyone.

hope you don't mind me brining up a old thread, my DP has C-PTSD from childhood and adult trauma and i'm trying to support him as best as I can but its incredibly hard.
Any advice would be brilliant, we are tying to find therapists but one we spoke to charges £110 a hr! thats for EDMR which we're heard is good but not sure how many sessions will be needed.

I had something called IEMT ( integrated eye movement therapy ) from an NLP practitioner. It cost £60 for 90 minutes and I needed 2 sessions. That was for simple single trauma PTSD though so complex might take longer to deal with. I believe IEMT is similar to EDMR. To be honest though I would have paid a lot more to feel as good as I do now even though I had to borrowthe money for the sessions I had! I decided I ccouldn't afford not to do it.