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.
I'm getting ready to spend 3 weeks in winter starting Tuesday. I'll be flying 7,000 miles to the battlefield in South America where I survived the Dirty War in the 1970s. I barely go out of my house but once every 3 days, and now I'm going on this trip. But I did it in 2009 and 2011, and it was good for me, hard as it is.
This coming Tuesday! I'm so excited I'm nearly chasing my tail. Everything's ready, but I double and triple check nonetheless. Part of it is the massive triggering of war memories when I set out to go. But then every single time I've gone it's terrific exposure therapy in that the streets of fire from days of yore are just familiar peaceful streets now and I end up having a ball. But the buildup is PTSD stressful. I've mentioned here that I was in a car that was bombed downtown where I'm going, things like that for 6 years back then. So I'll be walking those same streets for exposure therapy.
I'm really lucky to have the money to go by being able to work at the new job I've had for just 2 years. I barely do have the money to go, and I always worry about that, too, but it doesn't take much to keep me in food and lodging. The flight is 15 hours, though, so that's rough the older I get. I'll be 55 on Monday. This is kind of a birthday present to myself.
Anybody else draw strength from confronting the place where they got traumatized and got PTSD in the first place? I thought for a long time it would be the last place I'd want to go back to, but it turns out it does me lots of good. If anybody else does anything like this in some way, I'd be interested to hear about it here.
Muji
This coming Tuesday! I'm so excited I'm nearly chasing my tail. Everything's ready, but I double and triple check nonetheless. Part of it is the massive triggering of war memories when I set out to go. But then every single time I've gone it's terrific exposure therapy in that the streets of fire from days of yore are just familiar peaceful streets now and I end up having a ball. But the buildup is PTSD stressful. I've mentioned here that I was in a car that was bombed downtown where I'm going, things like that for 6 years back then. So I'll be walking those same streets for exposure therapy.
I'm really lucky to have the money to go by being able to work at the new job I've had for just 2 years. I barely do have the money to go, and I always worry about that, too, but it doesn't take much to keep me in food and lodging. The flight is 15 hours, though, so that's rough the older I get. I'll be 55 on Monday. This is kind of a birthday present to myself.
Anybody else draw strength from confronting the place where they got traumatized and got PTSD in the first place? I thought for a long time it would be the last place I'd want to go back to, but it turns out it does me lots of good. If anybody else does anything like this in some way, I'd be interested to hear about it here.
Muji
Who ever had that happen to them?!
Well, we did. A generation under colonial oppression went by, and a new set of independence patriots rose up later in the 1800s on the 25th of August later, and re-won our independence for the second time.
Geez.
So we have two independence day holidays every year. Life's a little more complicated in the developing world sometimes. Ha!
As to how long I get to be back home, it's 3 blessed weeks, x. Yay!
anyway, tomorrow is your big day!!
See you when you get back!
~waves a white hanky as he goes off into the distance~
I'll let you know how it goes. Be well, everybody!
Muji