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.
It's been forever since I proposed a new topic, so here goes. It really sucks to have PTSD, and I've had it from surviving childhood sexual, domestic, and combat trauma all three for 4 decades of my life how. In and out of the hospital for it about once a decade. Loss of job, marriage, money, home, church, friends, health and so forth along the way. And then recovery, a new job, able to support myself making less money but having just enough, new friends, renting instead of owning a home but having a roof over my head, getting a degree of my health back.
I am truly grateful for these degrees of recovery. But I think now that we've got PTSD and we can't rid of it, there ought to be some wisdom we earned the right to speak out about from coping with all of this. If I'm going to be positive with this for this many years I have to believe that. Some wisdom non-survivors with PTSD can't know, that only we could put into words. Wisdom that doesn't make it all worth it, because none could. It's not fair and never will be. But something that will not leave the whole experience as nothing but negative. Something positive, anything.
Any help? What would you say we've learned from all this that we could teach the world? I'm a college teacher with PTSD now and, believe me, without blowing my anonymity, I'll definitely blend it in to my courses this semester. I'm about to begin a new semester. Any tidbits of wisdom appreciated.
I am truly grateful for these degrees of recovery. But I think now that we've got PTSD and we can't rid of it, there ought to be some wisdom we earned the right to speak out about from coping with all of this. If I'm going to be positive with this for this many years I have to believe that. Some wisdom non-survivors with PTSD can't know, that only we could put into words. Wisdom that doesn't make it all worth it, because none could. It's not fair and never will be. But something that will not leave the whole experience as nothing but negative. Something positive, anything.
Any help? What would you say we've learned from all this that we could teach the world? I'm a college teacher with PTSD now and, believe me, without blowing my anonymity, I'll definitely blend it in to my courses this semester. I'm about to begin a new semester. Any tidbits of wisdom appreciated.
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I haven't written in my diary on my computer since May because I thought that my computer was dying. I got away from writing but my computer is hanging in there. I think that I will start writing in it again. It's so therapeutic.
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First, I hope everyone is doing well, and continuing to fight that good fight! Keep up the great work on yourselves; I'm rooting for all of you!So, I started doing therapy at the beginning of the year, when I was in my most depressed state, but with my therapist, I made big changes and steps in the right direction. But, over a month ago, she couldn't take my insurance anymore, and I had to stop...
I've been told that the best artists all suffered and could put their pain as well as hope into their art so it spoke for humanity.
I feel a pride in the ability to endure so much and have compassion for myself and others. I admire this ability in others too. I admire it more than I would admire someone who knows little about suffering. Can you have great compassion without empathy?
But I have shared with many about the trauma causing such a great loss of self that it could be described as alienation; of self and from the world, a form of being a stranger in a strange land. Then one day (after healing, or being loved?) we re-discover a core part of ourselves. We feel truer, more real, less alienated. Is this just the process of healing? Not sure what it all means. I'm just rambling, sorry mujica.
I'm proud, impressed, and pretty full of admiration.
And ... may you always continue to progress !
I believe a lot of my anxiety would be reduced if I could always correctly measure how big of a problem something is. Fear of making phone calls, going into public, figuring out some medical or financial paperwork problem Verses my reaction to major life events. Sometimes when things get tough I treat everything as if it is a catastrophe and that truly does make it hard when something truly overwhelming comes along.
What great perspective. Its such a simple lesson and yet so hard to practice. I guess thats why the story was written in the first place. I feel it was a lesson I needed to review tonight. How wonderful. I cant give any better wisdom than that Mujica, but I hope you can find your positive. Almost like finding your bag of marbles :)
I can't but look for a blessing in every situation, a silver lining in every cloud, find some nugget of great worth to 'trump' if you will, the hand that mistakenly was played thinking I had been beat.
PTSD feels like captivity when we're down, exhausted, triggered - tempting us with the illusion we're powerless. We're discovering we're not. And it makes me look down the past path and ponder how powerless I really felt on so much of the journey.
I cannot put this into words, yet, Mujica, as to how, but the beauty of PTSD, for me, is the authenticity I've discovered . . . uumm . . leaves or makes me, ME, feel, FEEL beautiful.
I think I hear this in alot of the posts on here. As if we've come to know ourselves and love ourselves.
And, yes, only those who've trodden the brick road of PTSD will ever understand PTSD.
I guess if there is something, anything positive about ptsd is: learn your limitations. I dont know if thats any good but I find that with all the things we've endured, we feel that we are obligated to do things and try things that others do and to just, i dont know, act like if it's not that serious. I am not sure what I am saying...
Another thing: admitting help. There is something about that.
Something I could consider as positive from my experiences with PTSD, is that I am better able to sympathies with other's problems.
I think it also helps me to learn patience too. With myself, and the people in my life.
Muji
How's that? LOL
One day a tired man, downhearted with his life's trials and hardships, asked God, "why so many hills and mountains to climb in my life?" To which God answered, "For you to have a BETTER VIEW"
Obviously, I thought of this post when I read it.
Like what you said,MillaSofia.