
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Support Group
Find support with others who have gone through a traumatic experience. Whether you have chronic or acute PTSD, we are here for you.

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I've been worried about whether my ptsd is going to be chronic or not and what exactly that means. I had a traumatic incident happen about 2 years ago and only started getting help for it about 6 months ago. It's helping but everything I read about ptsd tells me that basically if you wait until like 6 or more months after to get treatment, chances are good that symptoms are going to be chronic. I'm scared.
Also I had an out of body experience for so long that I realized how many things in my life that I hate and I need to change. I feel like I can't relax until I change them all. It's a really difficult process. Does anyone have any experiences or thoughts on any of these things?
Also I had an out of body experience for so long that I realized how many things in my life that I hate and I need to change. I feel like I can't relax until I change them all. It's a really difficult process. Does anyone have any experiences or thoughts on any of these things?
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Now, as a nurse, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't tell you not to stop taking your meds without talking to your doc first. Some of these medications have side effects that are very dangerous if not tapered off dosages. I know that Welbutrin, which I take, can cause siezures if stopped ubruptly.
When I had the trauma that triggered my heaviest challenges, I was being treated by one of the foremost PTSD specialists in the field. He is now my friend. Anyway, "chronic" was the term used in the same sense that alcoholism is chronic. It is treatable, and in that sense, curable, but because it affects the deepest part of the instinctual brain, it was laid out to me that it's fairly hard-wired in there.
I don't want to put anyone on a bummer, I'm certainly no doctor, and I'm the opposite of anyone who would allow himself to be defeated, but I think there's a part of PTSD that sticks with you. Once that part of the brain that thinks it is going to die or be seriously harmed is triggered, it's hard to re-wire. But the GOOD news is, that it's treatable. Just to show you what I mean, I'm going to take the word "chronic" out of my profile right now!
My best to you.
JMRH
My experience is that these are the wrong meds. My research is that Prozasin with Geodon or Propranolol with Serzone are the way to go. They should reduce the fight-or-flight chemicals.
I feel AMAZINGLY well now. I am on Propranolol (which I have found excellent at stop panic attacks) and, recently, I *finally* got into my doctor to try out Geodon. He wanted me to use Geodon instead of the Serzone, because I am med sensitive. (I take the lowest doses of everything!) He said Serzone is stronger.
I feel amazing but I can tell the norepinephrine is streaming. I have the same feeling in my brain I would get as when I took cold medicine with norepinephrine in it. Also, I am wired and am finding myself staying awake long and sleeping a LOT less than what is "norm" for my body.
When I see the doc this Thursday, I will be asking for a script for Prosazin to replace the Inderal (aka propranolol). I have NO clue what the dosage should be and I dunno if my doc will either, so I guess I need to go do some research on that. LoL! :)
Still, if I stay with what I have, I will be rocking and rolling from now on. :) So, think about your meds. I have been looking at my friends profiles who are in *serious crisis* and all I see are meds marked as "working" when they clearly are NOT working at all. So, please be self aware because YOU are the only one who can say if the meds are working for YOU.
It is your body. It is your life. It is your experience. You are the *only* one who knows what is really going on inside you. The specialists can only know what you share and the specialists are just as human as every other human. So, if you think they are wrong, say so and explore it. Advocate for yourself. I would be dead if I had not advocated for myself. Instead, I figured out my illness, my medication and (from what I can tell) my cure. Now it's just time to finish therapy so that I can remove the triggers and, in time, the meds. Here's to success for EVERYONE! :)
I agree with Meow, as I am also a Nurse...it's not good to abruptly stop your meds. If you choose to go off them, get with your Pdoc to develop a weaning regime.
If you need meds to keep you feeling better, then I say go for it. But, don't try to manage it on your own without meds if you feel like crap off of them.
And, don't give up, some Pdoc's don't know squat about PTSD and are not keeping up on the latest research that is pouring out right now thanks to the VA.
I've been through 3 since April, and have finally found the RIGHT one.
Definitely, you can gain a lot of info from the info that we post on here. Brillante and I have posted a lot of helpful, informative info on PTSD meds. Dissected their pharmacology, and how they act in the brain, and physiologically.
It's a journey to heal, and the more you learn to deal with PTSD, the less your down times will be as you journey along. Finding the right meds can make a big difference.
Be alert for me to post info on a 'Brain Diet'...my new Pdoc is going to be giving me info on that soon.
Don't rush healing, rushing it can make it worse. Take it slow, and if you get too symptomatic, you need to slow it down some more.
As far as the Zoloft, that was a pretty normal reaction for someone with PTSD. Zoloft raises fight-or-flight chemicals in the brain. So being reckless and violent makes complete sense. The thing is, PTS does NOT work the same as Depression and Anxiety. The worst part? Nearly all the medication prescribed for those two illnesses does exacerbate post traumatic stress symptoms.
it was after I went through 7 (more?) different meds, was crazed on all of them and was inches away from being seriously dead by my own hand that I put my foot down. I stopped those meds, saw the 60 Minutes report on propranolol and then started following all the latest research at the National Institute of Mental Health. Eventually my research and other people's and - YAY! - the old me is back. :)