post traumatic stress disorder.?

Question

Ive been diagnosed with this disorder and im finding life very hard to cope with right now. I am on medication and waiting to start counselling. Ive had a lot of trauma in my life over last few years and the stress took its toll and i ended up having heart surgery. Can anyone give me their own experiences of this disorder and what action they took to help them overcome it. thanks

Answer 1

PTSD is a very reasonable reaction to some very unreasonable circumstances. So first of all, you can stop thinking that you are weird or weak. One thing that you will find is that trauma is trauma is trauma. It doesn't matter if your PTSD came from rape, an airplane accident, war-time experiences or whatever. The reactions are pretty much the same.

My PTSD came from experiences in Viet Nam. For over 30 years people thought I was perfectly functional. Inside, that wasn't the case. I drank all the time, but I owned and ran a business with 1,500 employees successfully for a long time. When my business went down the toilet because of circumstances beyond my control and I lost everything, I finally went around the bend. I wound up homeless, separated, and living wherever. I ended up in an ER with a heart rate of 250 beats-per-minuit, spent a week in the ICU, 10 days in psychiatric lock-down, and two years in VA facilities. Until all of this hit the fan, I didn't know what PTSD was all about. I do now.

After the VA, I got a good job, haven't had a drink in four years and couldn't care less about the stuff. The VA showed me the reasons why I felt the way I did. I found out about the chemical changes that take place in your brain because of it. I can remember sitting there listening to some of this and thinking, "So THAT'S WHY this is happening!" Good counseling can take the mystery out of it and help you develop a plan to deal with it.

As you no doubt know, PTSD isn't something to fool around with. It's great that you've decided to get counseling. There are a lot of books on the subject, and you can get a gigantic amount of info off the internet. Good Luck!

Answer 2

I have had PTSD for a year now, after going through a life-threatening situation with my husband. I have (seriously) overwhelming anxiety and major depression. I tried Zoloft for a month, it helped the depression some but did nothing for the anxiety (which would trigger horrific flashbacks). My doctor switched me to Effexor, which has dramatically decreased both the depression and anxiety to manageable levels (no more flashbacks!). This is the drug from hell, however--side effects can be severe (I had some bad ones for about three weeks); I took it for about 7 weeks last year then quit cold turkey (thinking I was okay). The withdrawal was unbelieveable! There is no way to describe how awful it was. This time, when my doctor says it is time, I will definitely wean off the proper way (which I understand is still bad). Even with the negatives, Effexor pulled me back from the brink of suicide. My advice: do a lot of research on PSTD and alternative drugs & treatments, talk to your therapist and/or psychiatrist about everything, and above all, don't give up! I may not have overcome PTSD yet, but I am determined to do so. I think that is a major part of the battle. Good luck to you!

Answer 3

Did you know that PTSD is a known complication of intensive care settings eg HDU, CCU etcetera. I found out about this disorder (syndrome) when a patient of mine suffered it when I was a student on the Cardiac Care ward. It was most distressing for all concerned. A search would find you more information. Getting in touch with a cousellor - maybe through your GP - may be a way forward towards a good recovery. I have also known a good number of people who have had it from other causes eg being attacked. All have made a good recovery following counselling.

I wish you all the best with your recovery from this disorder.

Answer 4

it's a tough disorder. The intrusive memories and feelings of hyperarousal are tough to cope with. The biggest advice I can give you is to get support. It's great that you are going to be in counselling, it's essential. The other big thing is to find things that soothe you. I found hot bubble baths fantastic. I used to take them 3-4 times a day when I was feeling overwhelmed. It relaxed me, was warm and contained/held me. It's all about self-care and finding things that work for you when you start to feel intense anxiety. I really hope things start to get better for you and please know that help and hope is out there.

Answer 5

You need plenty of understanding and someone who you can trust with any and everything. You must speak about your problems to a councillor and stick to a strick schedule when meeting him/her. Do not ask advise form any and everybody, but a very good sturdy friend will help along with a psychiatric or psychological councillor

Answer 6

It takes time and the help of excellent medical professionals. There's no quick fix, but with the help of counseling you will make progress over time. Try traditional and non-traditional methods, like meditation, prayer, as well as the Dr. The combination should work well.

Answer 7

Thanks for your question. Counselling helped me to face my fears and re-occuring thoughts of wanting to kill my attacker and feeling very much a failure for not doing more when I was held hostage at knife point. I had to keep busy and tried to not listen to my sick head. To dwell upon what had happened, sent me into a deep depression that I found hard to get out of. Be forgiving of yourself and try and keep things in the day. You are brave to face the challenge of recovery. Keep up the good work!

Answer 8

i was diagnosed with PTSD after my time in the Navy...long story...it took me a long time to re-adjust...i went to couseling at the VA, took meds and tried everything to cope..it doesnt go away over night...you actually have to work at it too, just dont depend upon drugs to make it better...i became Agorophobic and wouldnt go outside, but here it is 5 years later and i feel pretty good...it takes time, you need to be strong and have support of great family or friends

Answer 9

PTSD, me too. I had cancer at 31 along with a divorce, bankruptcy, single parenting, etc. I think it just takes a lot of therapy work, willingness not to isolate yourself, and persistence.

Answer 10

You have to try to be strong

All the best!!!