I suffer PTSS. I am having difficulty with dealing with everyday stress. MY Dr. told me to think positive?

Question

I have suffered from PTSS for 10 years and I have difficulty dealing with stress, panic disorder and everyday problems (according to my DR.) Today she told me that i need to remember the happy things in life. If I could do that then I would. I feel that today after seeing her that my life is not mine...unsure.

Answer 1

If you could do that you wouldn't need to pay her to tell you to think happy. Have you tried meditation and some of the really helpful publications that can actually help you cope with and get relief from your symptoms. It took me 2 years but I had an incredible amount of family support. And by the way, try a new Dr. that can be honest with her ability to treat you. She could very well be the problem in the recovery process , not you. Many Dr's feel that PTSS is psychosomatic and have no clue other than medication to treat the problem. There are a large number of alternatives , and workable practitioners.

Answer 2

You don't say what kind of doctor you are seeing, or what was the context of the conversation you had with her. Perhaps she meant it as part of the outlook you need to have to conquer this thing. She might have meant that out of everything good in your life, this was a fraction of it, at least in terms of time. You should ask her to clarify her statement and then tell her that you need hands-on advice about how to handle your pain and problems.
All things being equal, you need the following:
You need, firstly, the right medication. A psychiatrist can help you with this.
Then, you will need a caring therapist. A therapist can help you develop the tools you need to make you stronger. Insight and behavior modification is the answer.
And, although a list of things to do might be helpful, in the long run therapy will enable you to incorporate these ideas.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Please see a mental health professional. Your Doc is doing you a disservice by telling you this. There is treatment for you. Don't continue to suffer for another ten years. You can feel better!

Answer 5

I'm taking a group class right now on handling stress-
How to endure a crisis:
First, you fix the problem, if the situation that you are in can be fixed.
If you MUST tolerate the situtation, you can: distract yourself thru activities, like hobbies, reading (something that requires you to think), or exercising or going out with friends and NOT talking about the problems. You can contribute your time to others-like answering questions on yahoo answers?? (that's what I do). Or volunteering, calling up a friend who might be lonely or just doing something nice for someone else. Or you can compare your life to others who are worse off than you are, or compare to your own life when things were worse for you. That's the "not so bad, could be worse," idea. You can do the opposite of your emotions-if you're depressed, you listen to happy music or read humor books, if anxious, listen to comforting music, wrap up in a comforter and light a comforting fire and read a comforting book. Don't watch jangly, violent movies and listen to music that makes you more anxious.

Ok, another stress handout:

Identify the stress-is it some life event (like divorce, losing a job, someone dying?) or daily hassles?

Identify your symptoms of stress. Headaches? nausea? shoulder tightness? That way you can nip it in the bud next time.

Prevent stress:
If a situation caused you stress before, prepare for it. Figure out how to avoid it. What I do, is ask for help or start cutting back on what I do, usually both.
schedule meaningful activities-like hobbies, volunteering, art, etc.
schedule time for relaxation-exercise, use a guided imagery tape, meditae, read a novel
Have balance in daily life-too much activity is stressful.
develop a support system-seek out supportive people rather than critical people.
take care of your health-eat well, get enough sleep, exercise, etc.
talk about your feelings or put them in a journal
avoid being hard on yourself. try to be reasonable.

Coping with stress you cannot avoid

talk to others about it.
use relaxation techniques (look at a candle, hot bath, plus what I mentioned above)
use positive self-talk
use humor-watch a comedy, read a funny book
participate in religion (if that applies to you)
exercise
journal
make or listen to music
do or go to see art
play games or do a hobby

Ok, so that's what I got from my class, and the below are the things that I have figured out from years of doing my own thing and getting counseling:

(whew, you didn't expect all this!! I have bits of most of this stuff saved here and there, so I didn't type it all THIS time)

Try turning the heat up in the house or dressing much more warmly. It is hard to feel anxiety when you are too warm. I was able to cut out ativan use altogether by using this trick. Saved me big $$ too, because pills cost way more than heat. Hot baths work too, and in a pinch, like at work/school, you can try running hot water over your hands.

Avoid caffeine like the plague. Also, some cold remedies can cause anxiety. Look for the "agitation in children" warning on the box. Adults can get problems too.

Try meditation tapes like progressive muscle relaxation or guided imagery. They may seem silly at first, but they work!! They help reduce stress, which makes depression worse. You can get The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, a really good book, maybe the library has it. There are some guided imageries in there, you could read them aloud and make a tape/cd, or get a friend to do it if you can't stand your own voice. I read mine into the computer using a program called Audacity (free) and digitally altered my voice to a man's.

Go out with friends, and if you don't have any, find a club to join and MAKE yourself go until you actually look forward to it. Isolation makes depression worse. A little laughing helps reduce anxiety.

Exercise at least 1/2 hour a day, and anytime you feel really hyper or depressed. Exercise is a great mood stabilizer and cuts down on anxiety a lot.

If your depression/anxiety makes it hard for you to sleep, here are some good "sleep hygeine" tips so you can sleep better. Like go to bed and get up about the same time each day, even weekends. Don't use your bedroom to watch TV and read and use the computer and all that-just use the room as a bedroom normally would be used. Don't do stuff that pumps you up right before bed, like exercising and using the computer. You want to use that last hour to wind down-Take a bath ? Make the bedroom really dark, cover up the clock radio, even so the light doesn't shine at you. If you live in the rackety city, use a noise generator (makes wave sounds and the like) to cover up the city sounds. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening.

Put a lot of colorful things around the house, happy type things, and keep the blinds open and let the sun in. Get yourself some flowers. Put on some nice clothes. Make a list of things that make you happy. Here's some things on my list: A basket full of fluffy kittens, bread fresh from the oven, Fireworks popping on a warm summer evening, The first fireflies of the season, the scent of Jergen's cherry almond lotion, The crisp sound of a saltine cracker breaking, fresh sheets on the bed, etc. Use all your senses and read that list when you are breaking down. It's kind of like comfort food, but without the calories!! I typed mine up in a pretty font and printed it out on cheerful yellow paper. I also break a meltdown up by using familiar scents, like the aforementioned jergens lotion, or vanilla or cloves. Scent can be very comforting.

Work on time management if being overwhelmed and late for things and too much to do is getting to you. Cut back on other responsibilities temporarily so you can spend more restorative time with friends and family. If there are people who stress you out, or situations, identify them and reduce them as much as possible.

You got a significant other? Extra physical touch is very helpful. Most people in the US or UK are touch deprived, so hold hands more, hug more, give shoulder rubs, etc. A pet is good to cuddle with, too, if your home situation allows you to get one. (I'm an animal lover, don't get one if you can't commit to it for 15 years)

All the best, that is years of learning summarized there. You CAN feel better!! These things are all skills that can be learned!! (rah rah, I'm doing a little cheer for you!) It will probably take you a few years of dedication to be doing all that, too. Good luck!!

Answer 6

Check out ( http://www.reducingstress.net )
They have a lot of good information and tips that can help you.

Good luck.