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.
OK, when dxd with this 4/2010, it was because a horrific explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine had caused my own father's death to resurface as I'd never really dealt with it.
I thought I was going nuts and didn't even know what PTSD was so when I got that thrown at me I asked, "What do I do to get rid of it?" I was told to avoid my "triggers". That is impossible where I live as all there is is COAL MINING.
The more triggers I tried to avoid, the smaller my world became. TV contained news about coal mining, I'd see coal miners going to work, coal trucks on the road....you get the idea.
Finally, I started doing the things my mind said to do but felt they were "wierd" things....I checked with the counselor and she told me as long as those things were not harmful to me or others, follow my instincts as it was my brain trying to heal.
So, I went to get a rubbing of my daddy's grave marker. Actually tracked down the OFFICAL mine accident report (yes, totally lost it because it was so graphic with drawings, etc.), somehow, went into flash back mode and walked 10 miles to the old abandoned mine and had a ceremony there for my daddy, and the FINAL STEP FOR FREEDOM FOR ME? I got a tattoo with my daddy's name, date of birth, death, etc. This was like "now nobody can ever take him from me again." Weird? Maybe. But I am doing so much better now.
I don't freak when I see coal mining things, etc. Free as I can be!
I thought I was going nuts and didn't even know what PTSD was so when I got that thrown at me I asked, "What do I do to get rid of it?" I was told to avoid my "triggers". That is impossible where I live as all there is is COAL MINING.
The more triggers I tried to avoid, the smaller my world became. TV contained news about coal mining, I'd see coal miners going to work, coal trucks on the road....you get the idea.
Finally, I started doing the things my mind said to do but felt they were "wierd" things....I checked with the counselor and she told me as long as those things were not harmful to me or others, follow my instincts as it was my brain trying to heal.
So, I went to get a rubbing of my daddy's grave marker. Actually tracked down the OFFICAL mine accident report (yes, totally lost it because it was so graphic with drawings, etc.), somehow, went into flash back mode and walked 10 miles to the old abandoned mine and had a ceremony there for my daddy, and the FINAL STEP FOR FREEDOM FOR ME? I got a tattoo with my daddy's name, date of birth, death, etc. This was like "now nobody can ever take him from me again." Weird? Maybe. But I am doing so much better now.
I don't freak when I see coal mining things, etc. Free as I can be!
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Hey all, i know its been quite awhile since i posted on here. Its been a summer all right. Its been something else........... You know how they say not to open the can of worms? Well a few months ago i decided to find out what my due date would have been for my first baby, the one conceived by r***. My baby would have been due on March 4th of 2006. They would be 20 years old. I was R**** on June...
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My day...today...misplaced my debit card...didn't realize it until I got to the register after shopping to a full cart. Used a different debit card and pulled apart everything looking for missing debit card before I left parking lot. Got home, dropped keys. So now I have a missing debit card, missing keys. A full cartload to unload and put away. I got everything put away.Dumped purse for a...
While avoiding triggers is a nice thought, it is impossible. For example I am being triggered by weird new triggers these days. Things I had never been triggered by before. Therefore I think it is more important and certainly more helpful to have a plan in place so when you are triggered you can work to bring yourself back to the here and now. What do you do when you realize you have been triggered? You can try deep breathing, journaling, exercise, touching an object, visualization. etc. Work on a plan for when you are triggered. It is the difficult to find the right combination to bring you back, but it is very helpful.
It might or might not be the end of it, but you sure made my day. Thank you! Healing happens!
We are all proud of you here!
It didn't instantly make everything ok, but it was the turning point in my life. I've been more in charge since then, a survivor not a victim, and working on going from survivor to thriver. I keep a reminder of that ceremony on my desk at work. I survived many more war traumas in my 6 years, plus domestic ones from growing up in a violent household, so no one thing was going to fix all. But it sure made a difference.
I don't claim this as a recipe for everyone, but we all have to find our path to freedom and then walk that rocky road and follow through. It ain't easy, but there's no reward like it in the world if you do it. Again, I'm so glad for you!
I had something similar happen to me this summer as I confronted a very old memory/fear that I had about my mother. I won't go into detail as it was kind of gruesome, but I found some video clips on youtube that were a close approximation of my fear and watched them endlessly for about 2 weeks. I was starting to think that I was nuts.
But then the thrall of viewing these started to fade and I felt so much better. So thank you for sharing your experience and your healing. It inspires me to seek that out for some of the other memories that I have that I still haven't been able to lay to rest. And I'm going to think about how I can incorporate a ritual with that as well.
Awesome!
For me, the coal company had lied and covered up daddy's death and basically, they deliberately sent him to his death. Lies upon lies.
We knew there was a cover up but until I FOUND THE TRUTH, I couldn't be free. Not that the truth & pics were easy but at least I wasn't lied to anymore.
Thank God my back was turned. I felt as if I'd been belted in the stomach and had to work hard to fight back tears & losing it.
I didn't want to lie, as that's a sin, but I didn't dare upset her either so I just told her he was still in the mines. That's true I think as that's where he left his life and that she remembers him working at.
Do the emotional WRECKS ever leave?
Do the emotional wrecks ever leave? I wish I could say so. But if I didn't still feel mine, I wouldn't be here, would I? On the other hand, being here among like folks, they take on meaning. It wasn't just feeling the "wrecks" over and over that got to me. It was feeling stuck, like I felt them over and over and it didn't mean anything, I didn't ever get anywhere.
Being here talking to people who know what I'm on about makes it feel like I make progress in making it meaningful. I may re-experience my traumas like I always have, but not for nothing. I learn something. Lots of people here have learned a lot more than me from their traumas, so I have a future learning here.
I know it's not a lot to offer, but to me it's hope. I look forward to coming home every day and firing up my computer to learn from daily strength once more. I'm glad you're here.
This is a reminder that maybe I should go along with my gut on this. I guess when the time is right( and by that, financially), I would. My family would react the same way as yours,but in reality, i really would love to have one just for her.