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, know the perp of my life & family is dead. Still have the obit tucked away as unsure what to do with it to "close" this and find healing.
The thing is, I still find myself catching my breath and holding it when I see someone that is similar to him in some way. I KNOW he's dead. I understand that consciously, however, he stalked certain ones of us for years.
Years of looking over my shoulder and never feeling safe and wondering if you'd "bump" into them, playing dodge & weave if you saw him first so you wouldn't be found, etc. You get the idea. Must be what people on the run from the law feel like.....
When will I breathe???? I still have this urge to dodge and weave, look over my shoulder, etc. Is that just a habit because I did it for soooo many years? I hesitate to even hold my head high, I'm sure I look like a skulking maniac at times or as if I am on Beat the Clock to get out of a store.
This doesn't happen always but episodically, like today when I saw a man with his hair color/style. I wanted to sink back into the shelving at the store.
The thing is, I still find myself catching my breath and holding it when I see someone that is similar to him in some way. I KNOW he's dead. I understand that consciously, however, he stalked certain ones of us for years.
Years of looking over my shoulder and never feeling safe and wondering if you'd "bump" into them, playing dodge & weave if you saw him first so you wouldn't be found, etc. You get the idea. Must be what people on the run from the law feel like.....
When will I breathe???? I still have this urge to dodge and weave, look over my shoulder, etc. Is that just a habit because I did it for soooo many years? I hesitate to even hold my head high, I'm sure I look like a skulking maniac at times or as if I am on Beat the Clock to get out of a store.
This doesn't happen always but episodically, like today when I saw a man with his hair color/style. I wanted to sink back into the shelving at the store.
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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...
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I don't really know how to label this but I having a rough week and I can't say it's one thing.... I have a lot on my plate which is nothing new and I try to cope in many positive ways and do but I still have my moments.My kids more so my daughters talk to me about everything which I know it's cause of comfort and we are close.... however I really struggle with the venting about their dad which...
If you want to quicken the process you could try an alternative treatment, ie. hypnosis, which can immediately and effectively help retrain your brain and let go of habits you no longer need.
Good luck! Focus on the fun, the joy, the new life you can have knowing you are safe forever from the perp. It's tough to get used to the feeling of safety, give yourself room and take some time to make the shift. :)
Maybe I could find some SANDLEWOOD or CEDAR scent to keep with me. They remind me of my Grams and being safe. Then I could just take a quick whiff, as science has shown that the sense of smell has a strong trigger mechanism to memory.
Get rid of the bad memory with a good one.
They say the nose is the "freight train to the brain" -- while all the other senses filter stimuli through the thalamus before it gets to the brain, the nose sends info straight to the source, which is why smell is so powerful. Your ideas sound like a terrific and proactive plan.
Let me know how it goes!
Every time you feel the tension rise, grab the key ring to your nose and breathe.
Have patience, this will help you to replace the image with a better memory.
I think a lot of us keep the PTSD hidden from family and friends, simply because we are expected to handle it as is.
Good luck!