It has improved greatly for me. I got it 5 years ago. I couldn't even cope with the length & severity of my symthoms, this is what I did to get better..Meds, books, went to al-anon (helped me the most)--therapist, made new friends, got invovled in groups, living in today by keeping my life in balance. Changed my additude towards my life and situation, read positive and peaceful books. I don't watch or listen to disturbing stuff. I pray and read the
Bible. I totally lean on God to run my life for me.I keep my life calm so I can recognize when I'm in ptsd and tell myself it's not real so I can get back out of it. I try to have fun and not get involved in to much stress. If you can find a 12 step group that relates to you--It will help so much, the 12 steps really helped me to see I'm not that bad person I thought I was. Good luck, Areana

It has improved greatly for me. I got it 5 years ago. I couldn't even cope with the length & severity of my symthoms, this is what I did to get better..Meds, books, went to al-anon (helped me the most)--therapist, made new friends, got invovled in groups, living in today by keeping my life in balance. Changed my additude towards my life and situation, read positive and peaceful books. I don't watch or listen to disturbing stuff. I pray and read the
Bible. I totally lean on God to run my life for me.I keep my life calm so I can recognize when I'm in ptsd and tell myself it's not real so I can get back out of it. I try to have fun and not get involved in to much stress. If you can find a 12 step group that relates to you--It will help so much, the 12 steps really helped me to see I'm not that bad person I thought I was. Good luck, Areana

I've heard healing described as peeling away the layers of an onion. I had so much happen to me and it went on for so long that dealing with flashbacks and repressed memories have become a way of life. But with each layer I work through, I get a little healthier and stronger. The memories have less power.

I can go for months now without thinking about the abuse and then something will trigger it and I start drowning in a new flood of memories.

It has gotten easier. I'm looking forward to the day when my past is more of a ghost. Therapy has helped a lot. Reading books like "Getting Through the Day," which gives practical advice on how to handle triggers and flashbacks gave me a lot of good tools.

I certainly do understand where you are coming from. The journey is exhausting but well worth it.

One quote from "Getting Through the Day" that I repeat to myself when the flashbacks terrorize me is "that was then, this is now."

Now I have choices and the power to take control of my life. But it didn't feel that way when the flashbacks first hit. I've been at this a long, long time.

So little is understood even today about the true nature of PTSD. It was a step in the right direction to recognize the difference between acute and complex PTSD, but I don't think that covers the spectrum. People with acute PTSD usually *do* heal, and the symptoms go away. People with complex PTSD have a far lower "recovery" rate. For me, the flashbacks come and go. When they FIRST started, they were bad all the time. Over time, they became less frequent, and eventually, less severe. Mostly, I have learned what triggers me, and I avoid those things.

On the positive side, the fact that these things are coming up for you NOW suggests that you are finally in a safe place where your subconscious can start letting some of the repressed memories out to be dealt with. That doesn't make them any less horrific, but it is a positive sign that your mind wants to heal, and it appears to be a good and safe time. For some, it takes a few months or a couple years. For some, they are scars, and like all scars, they are there to stay. The scars, however, do not define us.

Try to pay attention to what triggers you - words, places, sights, etc. Knowing what triggers your flashbacks can help you manage them. I wish I had something to say that would take it all away for you, but do know you have a lot of people here who truly understand and will be here to support you.

I have had the same type of trauma. Sometimes I still have flashbacks. Sometimes I wake up crying and feeling like I was two years old again. I have been reading a book, Waking the Tiger, I go to therapy weekly, and have been taking medication. I understand the feeling of being terrorized. Hypervigilance seems to be my middle name. I think in time you will feel better. I have to believe that I will too. The book I mentioned has helped me to understand the physical reactions I experience alot better. I feel like eventually, I will learn different behavoirs that will give me my life back. I believe that you will too. Just reading about other peoples struggles has made me aware that I am not alone. That others struggle as much or more than I, you can do it. I think patience is the best approach. I have trouble with it because I want to feel better and be done with it. I have to work on this daily.