Have Any of You Ever Suffered from PTSD, and What Triggers It?

Therapy and time. I've been married for 15 years and still have the (very) occasional panic attack related to sex as I was "mildly" molested (not by strangers) as a tween. It takes work, self awareness, and time, and the PTSD gets less impactful.

You're not alone. Feel free to PM me if you like.

Sorry, Ally, but PTSD (defined by the MAYO Clinic) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Please find a good therapist --when you are ready.

It sounds like you have some unresolved conflict with your family-- and even, perhaps, yourself. Is it PTSD or just anger and sadness? I really don't know.

I can tell you, from my own experience with diagnosed PTSD, that its not enough to 'hold onto hope'... cognitive behavioral therapy helped me identify some of my triggers, to understand them and choose different responses when those situations/triggers presented themselves. The brain gets to a point where it feels that only the 'survival' reaction it had wired in -- that it's the 'only' correct one. You have to re-teach your brain that you can feel differently about that same situation; self-talk to help neutralize strong emotions and stay grounded in *this present reality* can make a huge difference.

The suggestions of others regarding unresolved grief may be spot on-- I don't know. It does sound like talking to someone could really help you.

I will say that PTSD has many layers, but as I said before-- I would be remiss in offering you support for PTSD if you don't have that sort of diagnosis. The feelings you describe could be attributed to a number of things. I will also say that no matter what you are dealing with, you don't *have* to go through it alone. Therapeutic support can help you deal with those feelings, grieve losses and if you do have PTSD, hopefully employ some Cognitive behavioral therapies to help you see that you do have options. Good luck!

ETA: I must respectfully disagree with some of the below conjecture around PTSD. Here is a link to a very accurate description from the Mayo Clinic:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-trauma...

It's always advisable to not tell people that they do or don't have something we are not professionals in. I have never had a gun pointed at me but lived with a very violent and disturbed parent. Trust me, that is terrifying enough.

Yes. Time heals, and therapy, and in my case, medication. The best thing my therapist said to me, when I was struggling with understanding what was happening to me, was that not all trauma is equal. What is traumatic to me may not be to you. You can 't compare your trauma to someone else's. If you are in so much pain that it is interfering in your life, please make an appointment to talk to someone. There are people trained to help you heal from this, but you have to reach out and find them.

My triggers are things most people either celebrate or think are innocuous. A certain color, a time of year, even some tattoos will set me off (one of the reasons I dislike them and won't ever get one). But as time went on, the triggers affected me less, and I learned coping skills to deal with the rest.

Good luck.

well, sure. i think to some degree most of us have experienced having something near and dear to our hearts taken lightly by our loved ones.
or something dark and difficult.
but when triggers are setting off memories this acute, and the emotional pain is relentless, and you are constantly feeling deeply hurt by the people around you who are sensibly going on with their lives, it's time to get help. your plans are great, but can't happen if you are constantly derailed by 'triggers.'
nothing wrong with getting help to get over trauma. just remember that the trauma comes from the event, not from the people in your life who are not stopping to bathe in it with you.
khairete
S.

E.,

THROWING LIFE SAVER!!! {{{{HUGS}}}}

It's not so much PTSD - as it is grief. I have two triggers right now. My mom died a year ago, September 18th 2013. It's been a year of roller coasters (isn't that life?). As we approach the one year anniversary - it's hitting me hard. My husband lost his mother unexpectedly in 2006 - however - he didn't have the same close relationship my mom and I did. He's trying to be understanding. He is quiet pragmatic and realizes that this is life. You live and you die. Got it. I still miss my mom.

Then last night mby very good friend called to let me know her mom was in the hospital with tumors in her abdomen that have grown VERY FAST...I'm going to see her today at the hospital. But it brings back my mom and my loss...

Then my dad has cancer too. He has his surgery tomorrow. He's ready to give up. Living life without my mom is hard. They were married for 56 years.

Please feel free to PM me. You are NOT alone. Remember EVERYONE handles things differently. What you see as painful? Will be just another walk in the park for another. So you can't expect people to feel the same way about what you are going through.

Sending you strength and peace. Know that others care. <Hugs>

Yes, I have experienced that feeling you describe as PTSD... My son died in my arms 13 years ago. Sometimes I can physically feel the aching in my arms as I long to hold him. March is a tough month for me. I once went to the doctor because I felt like there was a lump in my throat...it was anxiety. I get this lump feeling every March. Sometimes it last a week, sometimes a month. Although I have people that support me, my pain is my own and it is hard.

What talkstotrees said. And then some - yes I have suffered from PTSD and yes you need to talk to some one - this will not go away and no you should not be expecting yourself to "snap out of it."

Good luck

I believe therapy and talking about it as much as you can is the best way to relieve some of the pain.

Since something seems to be triggering your past event, it sounds like you did a good job to eliminate a lot of the emotional binds that you had. Now, just like many other things in life, you need to tweak your emotions a bit. Do this with therapy. I find women therapists are great with PTSD.

I hope you feel better soon - and distance yourself from the people who are bringing you down. Why surround yourself with misery? Even if they are family, sometimes they can hurt you the most. Run from it. Your therapist can help you.

Yes, I understand PTSD. I don't think it is a good idea to share experiences or triggers, because sometimes that process can actually become a trigger for others. You need to find a good therapist.

Yes, I survived, yes I still have triggers and very bad moments. In the past five years I experienced two new violent events. It was hard for a bit, but I got through it. You will too. Make your plans, live your life. Find a good therapist.

PTSD is a diagnosis reserved for anyone in combative professions such as law enforcement or the military, where they're exposed to tactical warfare and extreme violence.

I don't think you have PTSD, unless you have people pointing a gun at you every day.

Sometimes when people get depressed it helps to do things to take the focus off yourself. That is the #1 trigger of depression - looking inward and never outward.

Hope you get the help you need.

* ok, y'all may be right. I'm so sorry for anyone suffering from anything emotional. The only people I know and love who suffer from PTSD are the brave and courageous veterans from Desert Storm, and operations from Iraq and Afghanistan, some of them missing limbs, through the work and functions my family does with PTSD Houston, PTSD America, Mighty Oaks Foundation in California, Lone Survivor Foundation here in Houston as well as a few mental health services for HPD. Thank you for showing me my POV is grossly limited in thinking PTSD extends to people who have never been in war. Can't wait to share ya'lls opinions with the PTSD community my family and I are involved with.

one life preserver coming up, email me at ____@____.com..i would write more but my toddler keeps reaching for the keys..K. h

Not me, no, but I have a friend with PTSD from a life event. She is seeing a therapist and takes anti-anxiety meds.

Hi E.,

I volunteer with a local group that deals with PTSD specifically. Any trauma can trigger it...and family has a way of triggering a lot of stuff. You've gotten good advice, therapy and time is incredibly important but I want to add to that. Health, and I mean GOOD health, has a lot to do with preventing some of the trauma. The reason they closed the mental hospitals in the South at the turn of the century was because one doctor discovered that Niacin (one of the B vitamins) would cure Schizophrenia. Niacin was a missing nutrient in the southern diet. We, today, don't have a pure diet. Unless you are eating organically, all the time, there's no way to get to a baseline of good health. And I know, it's hard to concentrate on diet when you're depressed.....the cycle, however, has to stop. If you want advise on specifics to eat, let me know.

Regards,
M.