Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Support Group

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Rough Few Days

findingme77
findingme77

At least once a day I hear my mother screaming in my head and it is like a movie playing in my head, however lately it has been happening to me at night while I am sleeping and I am awake for hours. The events of October 18, 2014 have changed me forever and I know that I am to live through it. I just don't know if there is anything that I can do that doesn't require a medication to help this. I feel like I am part of a horror film in my head. PTSD so hard to live with. (Back story listed below)




*Ocotber 18, 2014 My sister Hope, and her four children Dom, Autumn, Reni and Tori were murdered in a house fire. I had to deliver the new to my mother and siblings. My mother's scream and the way she collapsed to the floor it embedded in my mind and I hear it like it is happeing all over again. I hear my brother telling me that she died over and over again.

arfie
arfie
Gentle validation, findi. Those recorded loops really are hard to live with.

"Reframing Exercises" are what worked/work best for me. In my own case, meds could only block them for a while. "Reframing" was a more sustainable fix. Since I learned the technique in the 80's they have found their way into quite a few new therapy theories. ACT is the one I most recently used in pro-guided group therapy. CBT seems to be the one with the strongest following, but I don't actually know. I am far more engineer than psychotherapist.

Continued support while you find what works for you. Gentle empathy for the curse of the need.
LillyPotter
LillyPotter
the most gentle of hugs, i have missed you. i have heard of medicine that helps to stop nightmares, i wonder if it might help with some or even a lot of this for you? i think people who have tried or are using it will speak up, i don't remember what it is called. i hope you find it and it helps, Lilly
findingme77
findingme77
What can help, to help the people around understand that it a little better. I find myself a little more withdrawn than before and I think it is hard for people to understand that it isn't anything personal it is just really rough some days.
arfie
arfie
With all due respect, I do not believe helping people understand is worth much effort. Not everybody needs to understand. I, personally, get far more relief out of taking my need to be understood to people who already understand and gain as much healing mojo as I do from sharing the care. Places like here where the healing of one is the healing of us all.

Since I have let go of expecting the people in my day-to-day life to understand, I find myself grateful that they don't need to understand this level of pain and confusion. I wouldn't wish this understanding on anybody. . .
jewells1
jewells1
There is a bereavement group that may also help. There is a strong tie to survivor's guilt in somethings. Would we have traded places? Maybe? because of the potential of the future of those we lost.. , but probably not, since self preservation is one of the primary bases of survival. But that doesn't help the loops from repeating. I have a few where my husbands, brother and best man,-friend are concerned. But we live, so we have time to re-frame them as arfie says. Nothing will change what happened. The future is never promised. But living today and honoring the memories is about all we can do. Even in small ways or Big ways, what ever we are capable of.
hugs and support.
J.
LillyPotter
LillyPotter
i visited that bereavement group, as i have some grieving that is left undone. you might like to check it out, it is a good group. the people are able to talk about things they wouldn't otherwise be able to, they help one another a bit, but mostly listen to each other. there were no know it all sorts there. i did not post, but read and sort of listened...that helped me.

also, though, maybe for people close enough to say something too - you are in a different stage of grieving? - a stage that needs quiet and space? maybe this brief information would be enough to help them understand? and then be able to give you that space.

i think i understand a little more of what you were looking for, reaching for. gentle hugs
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