Im right there with you. I often have feelings like that, not as bad as they used to be. Unfortunately my best solution is medication. A lot of it.

Breathing excercises and talking myself down help, too.

OH, I don't have the coping skills down, yet, either. I am very dependent on my supplements.

However, I think we should be careful about discrediting ourselves for the meds or supplements. The facts are, PTSD affects our brain, affects neurotransmitters - their balance/levels and their synergy (working in conjunction with the others). I don't think we should be beating ourselves up for assisting our bodies with meds/supplements as we strive to heal.

Big example - norepinephrine is the NT that equips us to handle stress. I've gone from being the woman who could handle anything and anybody to Lucille Ball, tearing up wanting to call Ricky to save me (no Ricky in my life, though!) . . . My norepinephrine, serotonin and glycine are all low. Like I told my doctors before we tested, I don't have the reserves I need to deal with crisis . . and it was true. I don't have the NT's required to weather this stuff like the body is designed to.

The trauma/traumas injured our brain. Our brains need to heal and build new NLP (pathways). Loving compassion for ourselves is needed in this journey through PTSD matrix.

Well said dbplam.

My coping skills are improving. The last time I was really severely depressed, I overdosed on my anxiety meds and ended up in the hospital, so I have to be really careful about my meds and taking them exactly as prescribed, which in the end has gotten me to learn non-medication coping skills. I'm going to be working with my therapist on mindfulness and meditation exercises. I think having a wide array of coping skills will be beneficial, since I also sometimes forget that I have them and turn too quickly to my meds.