Hello. I just joined this group - am new to the site, actually - and I'm not really sure how things are done here. Is this an active group? It seems most of the replies to the discussion topics are less than current.

The name of the group sums up most of what I am dealing with - especially this time of year. I have developed certain coping mechanisms that seem to be adequate for the most part, but around the anniversary date of the trauma, all bets are off. There are triggers everywhere ... they seem to come at me from all directions and without any sort of warning whatsoever. It's been a year and a half since my last full-blown panic attack. I learned years ago to watch for the signs that one was eminent. Then I would use the breathing techniques to self-soothe. This one, however, blew me away. It felt like I was hit by a Mack truck.

My main issue right now is the flashbacks. Certain words, numbers, or even random thoughts can trigger one. My co-workers have no idea what causes me to suddenly go into "my zone". It's embarrassing. And trying to talk about it or explain it to them just makes things worse. And is it just me, or does it seem as if the triggers are multiplying over time?

Hope someone will actually read this - if for nothing else, to at least tell me how to navigate this site to an active group like this one.