Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

[Mushroom]

Hi,

Just wondered if anyone had any good tips on how to cope with PTSD. Preferably without medicine.

It's a real shame that neighbour problems can come to this but sadly they do. It's that local community thing. It's not just about two people it's larger than that.

Best wishes to anyone out there who is also suffering. It can be and can result in a very sad state of affairs. Especially when misunderstandings are concerned and people won't let things heal in the normal way.

Mushroom:(

[Planet 24]

I have complex PTSD. I think one of the ways of coping is coming to terms with the fact that this is a safety valve and your mind and body's way of adjusting to the trauma you have experienced. So very often we have to battle on through and try not to accept that even the strongest of us can fall. It is not failure though, it is a natural reaction to stress.
I have found that at times when I have felt particularly bad it has helped me to focus on a painting or listen to a piece of music and just let the feelings of stress wash over me. I find fighting them just makes the adrenaline pump faster and the circle of anxiety> stress> depression - becomes self perpetuating.

I also try the 10 second tranquiliser which was something I picked up from a consultant in Harley Street on how to deal with pain ...and PTSD is a form of pain right?
Anyway breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds hold for 2 seconds and breathe out through the mouth for 4 seconds, apparently this helps balance the body gases.
It really does help.:)

[xoggoth]

Had a breakdown decades ago, drugs solve nothing.

One evolves many techniques, and some may be of relevance only to the sufferer. Bizarre though it sounds, Planet24 is right that it can help sometimes to just give in to the stress because the real stress is in resistance, the terrible fear that if you give in you are lost for ever. You give in and it really doesn't happen.

People say "pull yourself together" and it sounds like nonsense from people who have no ideas but actually they are not so wrong, just willing yourself to be positive and forcing yourself to live an outwardly normal life helps too. Exercise, relaxation, they all work.

PS Smashing your neighbour over the head with a baseball bat must be great therapy. Not tried that yet.

[mazza]

...Of course that's something that should be kept a fantasy though - it's not worth it in reality ;) .

I would also say that you should just take things easy and try to avoid stimuli that you know will set off a reaction in you - eg on fireworks night, if you are sensitive to noise, then be prepared with ear plugs, quiet music, headphones, whatever it takes. (That is just a very basic example.)

I also agree that the breathing technique described by Palnet24 is very effective. Also, you could plan to chant something to yourself if you begin to feel an attack coming on - so you might say something like 'I can deal with this, I am ok' over and again until the bad feelings pass.

PTSD is not something that spontaneously disappears, it can stick about for ages and ages and I personally don't think it ever totally leaves you. Just when you least expect it and just when you think you are over it, something out of the blue can trigger a reaction again, so don't think you've gone mad, it's very common.

You do learn to live with it and the strongest feelings do eventually taper off. You must be kind to yourself above everything.

(I am not qualified in anything, but I am just sharing my experience of this so please check things out with a health professional if PTSD is a problem for you.)

[Isis]

I find music is wonderful, it can be claissical, or even "hard" rock, played through head phones at full blast also being on here has helped so much, to be able to connect with people who have had, unforuntaely, the same experiences as me:( has helped, by the way at bit off topic but my car had been very badly scratched again in 5 different places:rolleyes:, but it is all down the same side again.

[Mushroom]

Thank you all so much for your replies. It's great medicine to know you are not alone. It really is.

I've been given sleeping pills and some tranquilizers which are supposed to help over a period of time. I wish I had made the whole thing up. Might have been easier to have got over it all!!

The main problem seems to be the levels of creativity some NFH will go to to ensure your suffering continues. There's little empathy there sometimes.

Still, on a positive note, no problems with our new neighbours but boy is the last two years still hanging around!

Trying to :)