Triggers and talking about trauma we experienced can cause us to experience physiological symptoms. When talking about my sexual abuse experience with my counselor this morning, I began to feel very nauseated and I did get sick when I got home after my appointment. Sometimes we can feel something physically before our conscious allows us to be aware we have been triggered. A couple years ago, I saw a man I had never met before. I began to have a panic attack and I felt a hand gripping my arm. It wasn't until a little while later that I realized I was panicking because that man looked similar to the man who had kidnapped me as a child and before he molested me, he had grabbed me by the arm and dragged me a few feet across the room.
I want to invite you to leave comments with your experiences and/or thoughts on physiological symptoms related to living with PTSD and get a dialogue going about this topic.
Use the comment box below to join in the discussion. Comments can be posted anonymously.
Im taking a low dose Naltrexone for my PTSD symptoms. It sometimes (which is better than 'never') serves as warning that Ive been triggered. As you said, my body also sometimes reacts before I have a good idea as to why. The Naltrexone causes a body shutter, usually multiple times in a row, which gives me enough time to remove myself from the situation & observe what smell/sight/sound/feeling may have triggered me and why so I can avoid it.
ReplyDeleteIf I could choose, I'd choose a visual flashback over aphysical one. I hate not knowing why I feel that panic/fear.
Thanks for sharing your experience and what helps you. It is definitely a scary thing when the physical happens before being consciously aware of why it is happening.
ReplyDeleteI was diagnosed with chronic PTSD. I served 24yrs in the Armoured Corps. I retired in 2006 and shortly after I fell into a deep depression. Started having terrible nightmares and anxiety and panic attacks during the day. It wasn't until I sought the help of professionals that turned my life around and brought be back from the abyss. Medication can help greatly to level out your highs & lows. I take Citalopram for my PTSD & Trazodone that helps me sleep. I have triggers that set off my anxiety and panic. I have learned to recognize when one is coming and with proper breathing & copping teqniques they can be dealt with most of the time. PTSD is a condition and it can be treated. However, you are the only one that can help you. There will be times you want to quit, but it's within the sharing that will set you free!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience. I wonder if you would be willing to share more about the other coping techniques that work for you. They might also work for someone else. It often takes a lot of trial and error to find out what medications and/or coping techniques work best and it can be very tiring to figure out and, yes, that can lead to wanting to just quit the fight or feeling like you have no fight left. It's hard to hang in there sometimes. I recently had a therapeutic experience where I had the opportunity to share my story with several people at once. It was terrifying! But in the end, it was undeniably true that sharing your story and breaking the silence does help people understand you better and definitely puts you on the track to living free.
ReplyDeleteI have been working in PTSD and mental health ever since my recovery from it five years ago (I say recovery, I mean ever since my life started to get back to normal!) I still find even now that I have these sudden symptoms, I see faces of strangers and suddenly I see the face of the person that abused me. The difference is now I accept it and get on with my day whereas before it would ruin the day.
ReplyDeleteI was finally diagnosed with PTSD about 3 yrs ago and am now getting most of the treatment I need. Ihave a diary/blog at https://www.blogspot.com under Painted Haloes and a twitter acct at Long Term PTSD. I just wrote about triggers, too, today.
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