How To Heal PTSD

PTSD HEALING:

WORDS OF WISDOM & INSPIRATION

The essence of healing PTSD is two-fold:

Number 1 – we need to rout out the traumatic memory on the subconscious level

Number 2 – we need to construct a post-trauma identity

That’s it; pretty plain and simple. In the subconscious realm where we house our feelings and emotions, where experience is imprinted beyond our control, we need therapeutic help to reframe events and release our attachments to them.

On the conscious level, however…. it’s a whole other ball game. In the conscious arena we can effect change through making decisions, committing to them and following through. Plan. Commit. Act. Heal.
This means we can construct a post-trauma identity – a new self, undistorted by trauma, unaffected by PTSD – through choice, focus and action.

This idea of creating the self is very familiar to creative artists. On the outskirts of society, unappreciated and initially undiscovered, many artists have had only their own self and their belief in that self to rely upon in practicing, promoting and achieving their art.

Like us, artists do not have the strongest social personalities, nor are they comfortable in their own skin, at peace with their desires or in step with the world around them. Often, they are reclusive, troubled, disturbed, insecure and frightened. And yet, despite the chaos in their minds (and many of their documented mental illnesses) they construct strong personas and commit to living them with fearless dedication. The end goal is their art, and they will do anything for it. Despite their mental issues they call up a deep reserve of strength and belief in themselves and achieve goals that seem out of reach.

There’s a lesson here for us PTSDers: The self can be consciously, practically, determinedly constructed. In partnership with trauma reduction therapies, we can and need to do self-directed work to design and inhabit a new, PTSD-free self. My own healing experience has instilled in me a fierce belief that the work we do on ourselves enhances and quickens the healing process.

Today then, some words of inspiration for this goal of constructing a post-trauma identity. Drawn from my extensive research on creative artists (I hold an MFA in Poetry and have lectured nationally on the topic of creativity), I offer these insightful wisdoms from some of the greatest artists in history, men and women who struggled with their own mental illnesses and social alienations to overcome doubt, insecurity and fear to achieve not only an incredible level of art, but also an intense richness of personality that supported them in anything they attempted to do.

I continue to believe that it is better to perfect oneself little by little and by one’s own efforts. ~ Camille Pisarro

At any age we grow by the enlarging of consciousness, by learning…. That implies a new way of looking at the universe. ~ May Sarton

… what I want to say is not more or less than that any man is unconscious of some peculiar great hidden force, deeply hidden in him, until sooner or later he is awakened. ~ Vincent van Gogh
 

Again I am compelled to state how I believe that attitude is everything. ~ Sylvia Plath

I wanted my world made in my own image, a world that would breathe my spirit. I made myself God, since there was nothing to hinder me. ~ Henry Miller

Don’t wait for it. Create a world, your world. Alone. Stand alone. Create. ~ Anais Nin

Do you have personal quotes about self-empowerment that you like? Add them below. The more we visualize who we want to be the sooner we’ll leave behind who PTSD has made us become.  

Ever been in psychotherapy for your PTSD issues — and have them not resolve? Ever have people in the psych community NOT EVEN DIAGNOSE your clear PTSD symptoms? Several caregivers don’t know enough about PTSD to recognize its presence. It’s important for us - sufferers and those who love us - to educate ourselves.

Over the course of 20 years I saw several psychotherapists as I saught help for anorexia, insomnia, frequent mysterious medical problems that doctors (since they couldn’t diagnose a cause for, say, my skyrocketing liver enzymes) suggested I seek alternative help, and a whole host of other traditional PTSD issues. Even as I sat in front of these professionals talking about and complaining of PTSD red flags, no one saw what was happening to me. It wasn’t until I took responsibility for my own healing that I did some research and found the results: I had a classic, extreme case of PTSD.

Need a list of dead give away symptoms? Here they are, courtesy of the Sidran Institute:

Introduction

There is a growing awareness among healthcare providers that traumatic experiences are widespread and that it is common for people who have been traumatized to develop medical and psychological symptoms associated with the experience.

Recent studies have shown that childhood abuse (particularly sexual abuse) is a strong predictor of the lifetime likelihood of developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Although many people still equate PTSD with combat trauma, the experience most likely to produce PTSD is rape. PTSD is associated with an extremely high rate of medical and mental health service use, and possibly the highest per-capita cost of any psychological condition.

But there is help and there is hope.

PTSD is a long-term problem for many people. Studies show that 33–47 percent of people being treated for PTSD were still experiencing symptoms more than a year after the traumatic event. Without treatment many people may continue to have PTSD symptoms even decades after the traumatic event.

What Are the Symptoms of PTSD?

PTSD symptoms are divided into three categories. People who have been exposed to traumatic experiences may notice any number of symptoms in almost any combination. However, the diagnosis of PTSD means that someone has met very specific criteria. The symptoms for PTSD are listed below.

Intrusive Re-experiencing

People with PTSD frequently feel as if the trauma is happening again. This is sometimes called a flashback, reliving experience, or abreaction. The person may have intrusive pictures in his/her head about the trauma, have recurrent nightmares, or may even experience hallucinations about the trauma. Intrusive symptoms sometimes cause people to lose touch with the “here and now” and react in ways that they did when the trauma originally occurred. For example, many years later a victim of child abuse may hide trembling in a closet when feeling threatened, even if the perceived threat is not abuse-related.

Avoidance

People with PTSD work hard to avoid anything that might remind them of the traumatic experience. They may try to avoid people, places, or things that are reminders, as well as numbing out emotions to avoid painful, overwhelming feelings. Numbing of thoughts and feelings in response to trauma is known as “dissociation” and is a hallmark of PTSD. Frequently, people with PTSD use drugs or alcohol to avoid trauma-related feelings and memories.

Arousal

Symptoms of psychological and physiological arousal are very distinctive in people with PTSD. They may be very jumpy, easily startled, irritable, and may have sleep disturbances like insomnia or nightmares. They may seem constantly on guard and may find it difficult to concentrate. Sometimes persons with PTSD will have panic attacks accompanied by shortness of breath and chest pain.

Recognizing and Diagnosing PTSD

Three categories—or “clusters”—of symptoms are associated with PTSD. A diagnosis may be considered if:

A specific number of symptoms from each of the three clusters have lasted for one month or longer, and

The symptoms cause severe problems or distress in personal life, at work, or in general affect daily life.

Clusters:
Re-living the event through recurring nightmares or other intrusive images that occur at any time. People who suffer from PTSD also have extreme emotional or physical reactions, such as chills, heart palpitations, or panic when faced with reminders of the event. One or more of these symptoms must be present for diagnosis.

Avoiding reminders of the event including places, people, thoughts, or other activities associated with the trauma. PTSD sufferers may feel emotionally detached, withdraw from friends and family and lose interest in everyday activities. Three or more of these symptoms must be present for diagnosis.

Being on guard or hyper-aroused at all times, including feeling irritable or sudden anger, having difficulty sleeping or a lack of concentration, being overly alert or easily startled. Two or more of these symptoms must be present for diagnosis.

People with PTSD may have low self-esteem or relationship problems, or may seem disconnected from their lives.

Other problems that may mask or intensify symptoms include:

-Psychological problems such as depression or other anxiety disorders, including panic disorder.

-Physical complaints such as chronic pain, fatigue, stomach pains, respiratory problems, headaches, muscle cramps or aches, low back pain, or cardiovascular problems.

-Self-destructive behavior, including alcohol or drug abuse, as well as suicidal tendencies.

-Responses to trauma vary widely and many people who experience extreme trauma do not develop PTSD. However, for those who do, PTSD symptoms usually appear within several weeks of the trauma, but some people don’t experience symptoms until months or even years later.

So, you’re here. You’ve taken the first step toward beating this thing — you’re looking for answers, seeking help, reaching out. BRAVO!

But that is not enough.

Just going through the motions will not bring the ultimate relief. How do I know this? Because I had a very extreme, chronic case of PTSD for 25 years. Take all of the classic symptoms of nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, emotional numbing, etc. — and then mulitply them by impaired organ function, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and a host of other undiagnosable physical symptoms that kept me running back to doctors annd hospitals for emergencies and tests. Don’t let my positive, upbeat perspective fool you. I KNOW YOU. I know how you feel, what you think, what you believe and how you suffer.

I also know that you can be healed. PTSD is not a terminal illness. Nor is it an untreatable mental state. There are great organizations and people out there to help us, but they cannot do anything unless and until we help ourselves.

So the question becomes: how badly do you want to be healed? If the answer is VERY BADLY!! Then you’ve come to the right place. Beginning today you must make the determination that you will do everything in your power to get rid of PTSD. Can you do that? Can you say, “I want to be well”? Louder then! This needs to become your mantra for the next year. And then, follow me.

Some facts about this blog:

1. It will post 3-4 times a week.

2. It will contain a prescriptive healing method that combines research, professional therapeutic input and tools, experiments and assignments for you to utilize on your path to healing.

3. I will be guiding you through a method that focuses on constructing your post-trauma identity. Being able to see ourselves outside of our traumas is the crux of healing; developing that self takes us on a journey that heals trauma’s wounds delivers us into a brand new life. (How do I know this? I DID IT.)

4. This blog will be a sort of Healing PTSD Bootcamp. The posts will be short, to the point and often require your action.

5. Your personal trauma will be irrelevant. Regardless of what you’ve survived, we can all heal together. I will not be focusing on or indulging in self-pity or any woe-is-me attitude. I think we’ve all done enough of that and it’s easy enough to find. It happens to be the last thing we need.

6. In our traumas we are all individual; in our PTSD we are all united –  anyone can participate here. Anyone can learn, grow, evolve and heal.

7. If you want it to be, this can be a forum for healing and uniting. Feel free to email me anytime with thoughts, ideas, questions, etc. that I can explore in a post, and also toss out to the rest of the crew for insight, sharing and input.

OK, your first assignment is to make a list of all the wonderful things PTSD brings into your life. Can’t think of any? Well then, make a list of the top 10 things you hate about PTSD, all of those things that make your life miserable. This is the beginning of seeing where we are; only from there can we decide where we want to go.

(For more daily in-depth coverage of and resources for coping, living with and healing PTSD, click here.)