Lived Experience Forum

[Loopy]

newby, welcome to the real world of MI where you you get to give as much and take as much as you feel capable of doing so. I have suffered from PTSD since 1989 caused by my occupation. After all this time I am still not come to terms with PTSD and still do not understand why traumatic incidents can stuff your life for, in some cases, weeks and months or for ever. If you need, at any time, any info or insite into my suffering feel free to give a yell. " I hate getting flashbacks, from things I don't want to".

Unknown.

Once again welcome and do not be afraid to ask.

Kind regards,

loopy

[Loopy]

CherryBomb, thank you for the referal, I hope it proves fruit ful for newby.

Regards,

loopy.

[Alessandra1992]

I was in a car crash way back in the 1980's. It took me years not to flinch whenever I was in passenger seat. Other stuff has also caused me flashbacks at times, totally sucks coz of the nightmares and adrenalin rush..it has gotten a lot better though..now flashbacks are rare, one thing that helped me accept it was telling myself that it's my brain trying to protect me. So flinching might not feel very ordinary but helped me learn eventually to be OK in front passenger seat of cars..
Flashbacks re other stuff..well I have learned that I am morw likely to experience it if I get very rundown..also, sometimes I think maybe it us my intuition giving me a bit if an alarm bell..just to be mindful about what is going on around me..
Mindfulness and ACT, really helped me, as did attending 12 step Program for mental health..
There may even be support groups now for PTSD? @Loopy do you know of any?

[SCORPION]

 Hi all

Thanks for the warm welcome lts nice to finally find somewhere to go to just contact people who are understanding and not judgemental. 

So many either don't want to know or have great ideas go on a holiday or change jobs  as if this will fix you up. They don't understand mi at all same as telling a person with a broken leg a holiday will fix it. 

I not to good today had nightmare and flashbacks most of last night so have just been up most of the night either reading or surfing the net to keep mind of things.

anyway thanks for the welcome 

Tom

[kristin]

Hey Tom,

You are welcome for the welcome 🙂 

So sorry to hear you are experiencing flashbacks and nightmares. I find flashbacks truly petrifying. I've only had two that I know of, but they were horrible. After the second one I was scared to go to sleep at night for days afterward in case I had one whilst sleeping and frightened my children when I woke up.

We so need our sleep - I know not enough quickly affects my MH, but if your sleep feels haunted what do you do?

I truly hope that whatever is stirring in you finds a way to come forth to gentleness and compassion. So the hurt can be held, the surviving honoured for the strength it takes.

Blessings,

Kristin

[SCORPION]

yes flashbacks and the nightmare s are scary I  have been having them for 2 years at the start nightly so before I got help i sat up most nights and read tons of sifi and fantasy books just to keep them at bay. But when it starts during the day I sort of lost the plot a bit. I would also just start crying in public for no reason as well. I am now also taking meds that reduces dreams by stopping the mind going to REM sleep the draw backs never wake up feeling refreshed and I seem to get angry quickly. 

Stay safe and make most of each day

[kristin]

Hi @SCORPION 

Welcome to the forums!

I'm terribly sorry to hear about the accident & your suffering. Unfortunately many people apparently think that one suffers MI through some personal fault or willfulness. Most people who have a MI know that's crap.

It sounds like you are in the right place. Unfortunately until people experience trauma or MI they simply don't get it - at all. Some very empathic souls do, but that's only 40% of the population (and they seem to be more prone to trauma themselves). The "get over it" mentality is really horrid, and painful to deal with. I find it quite infuriating.

I have a friend who also has PTSD & a survivor of CSA - she has developed a wonderful way of dealing with people from her church (of all places!, but common sadly) when they start asking her whether she's off her meds or why doesn't she get a job. She asks "are you off your heart medication yet?" "when will you get rid of the walking frame and go back to work?". It's pointed but it shuts them up. Whether they really get the message is questionable, but it helps her deal with it. I guess we all have to find our own ways to do so.

Kind regards,

Kristin

[SCORPION]

Hi Kristin

Hope your friend is doing well. I like the aproch there is a guy at work tthat keeps say that my pain is just in my head and should see a phyc , I haven't told anyone who I work with the truth that I have been seeing one from about two months out from my accident. All I said once is i will bring in a scalpel and a sselection of metal plates and see how he feels limited movement in arm and legs and pain all the time. 

He had a heart attack and felt like saying that  it must be in his head go get some help, but then felt like I was just putting my problem on him.

Anyway hope you're friend gets better soon it's a long road ahead but with understanding friends it helps in the bad times.

Thanks all its nice to know im not alone.

Scorpion