How to recover from a traumatic event?

[Moreira]

I dont think we have to be a vietnam veteran to develop PTSD. In our daily lives we can encounter an event that can cause us severe psychologycal trauma.

For example:

-A engineer with high responsability that works in a electric central, a factory, and some expensivemachine explodes. Its not the physical damage but the psycologycal stress that can make a trauma.

-Victim of slavery. Today in some places of the planet still exist human traffic, or child forced to work in factories more than 12 hours.

-Abusive boss, parents.

The first example is my case. I work in a factory with high responsability machines, they demand me more than I'm able to give.

In 2 or 3 cases I had an accident with these machines.

No I go to work scared.

I have negative self fulfilling propecies that the thing is gonna be wrong.

While Im programing and verifying the machines I feel intestinal issues, like when you are se scared that have diarrhea.

Also I use to have obsessive thinking abot the job and how I'm gonna solve my problems when I'm in  the bed.

 

Need solid advice please. This is costing my health because I'm stressed every day.

 

[Rebec]

@Moreira I'm so sorry to hear that you feel this way. I can relate. I developed a PTSD on a vacation to India, yes a vacation! PTSD is a serious health issue, please search help from a therapist / psychologist.

The sooner you get therapy, the better. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is one of the best ways we currently can deal with this kind of trauma. 

Hope you heal soon from your trauma!  

 

[Nahm]

@Moreira Sorry to hear this, and I hope you are feeling well soon. Ultimately, you are due for a big emotional release. How you get there is up to you, and of course that’s the hard part. My advice, is use ALL the help available, life is too short to procrastinate your own joy. Be vigilantly aware of any stubbornness, or of continued suppressing of emotions by “just being too busy”, or “not being able to take the time off”. You’ve got to be all about getting all the help available, which will likely be difficult AT FIRST because the defensive mind will attempt to keep pushing the help down on the prioritys list. Don’t allow that to happen. It’s an emotional avoidance ego diversion. Make this priority one. It might feel as if you’ll be facing the whole thing at once, but in actuality, it will be one bit, one moment, at a time. The hardest part is starting, just making that first appointment. You can do it, you deserve to feel better, and there are people who’s life purpose is to help you with this. Allow them to do their thing. 

Some avenues that will help:

Establish a “go to” place. Could be somewhere in the house, maybe outside, etc. Just somewhere predetermined, so if anger arises, you already know where to go to be alone. Be careful who you talk with about this. If you know a good listener, that’s great. Keep in mind we often talk to those closest to us, and can end up arguing over other matters which contextually have nothing to do with the underlying emotions at present. This can add confusion & complication that is not helpful. 

Establish a “go to” phrase, or mantra, such as “This too shall pass”, “Love yourself,  whatever arises”, etc. Write it on a small piece of paper, keep it with you. If you’re having a hard time, read it, hold it - something so simple can help more than you might imagine. A momentum builds each time you use it, and it is powerful in recentering, accepting, & allowing. 

Schedule “breaks”. Just pick a time everyday, and say for this one hour, I’m on a break. No ‘dealing’ with or talking about it. Do something you like. Something fun. 

Pick up a book about PTSD. Knowledge is power, and empowered we change our thinking patterns.

Do your best with eating healthy. Breads take our energy, make us lethargic, and diminish mental clarity, making life & progress much more difficult. Sugar is like adding gas to the anxiety. I’d avoid those completely. Also, one of the common symptoms of PTSD is low energy. It takes A LOT of energy to maintain emotional avoidance, like always being on guard. Look forward to feeling yourself again, and to the returning of higher energy and a positive outlook. One day, you will look back on this hard time as what helped you most. Many people have beat this, and you will to. It is not a riddle or unknown condition. It is understood well by medical professionals, and the more you do about it, the more you will find relief. 

Simple & easy Breath Awareness Meditation is extremely helpful. It helps you relax & let go of the trappings of life, and it resets brain chemistry - which will help with mental clarity and expedite your recovery. Don’t beat up on yourself about techniques right now. Just make this time for yourself. You’ll enjoy the sense of “space”, and of problems & thinking being slowed down a bit, making it all much easier to work through. 

https://sites.google.com/site/psychospiritualtools/Home/meditation-practices/breath

I second the suggestion of EMDR. 

http://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/

These articles will help you get a better understanding, and they contain some great links as well.

https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-ptsd-symptoms-2797638

https://www.verywellmind.com/emotional-numbing-symptoms-2797372

Talk to your regular doctor. Ask for a referral to an experienced therapist who specializes in PTSD.

Talk to a therapist. 

Listen to people who have faced this and beat it. Don’t underestimate the power of inspiration!

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+i+beat+ptsd&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=vni&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwin0Y7qkJ_cAhVRXKwKHbkVD1MQ_AUIESgB&biw=1366&bih=922

Being able to cry is mentally & physically beneficial in many ways. Allow the release. It relieves stress, removes toxins, and boosts your mood. Tears even contain natural pain killers. 

https://m.wikihow.com/Cry-and-Let-It-All-Out

And wherever you are on your path, please keep in mind the simple available power of love. Move from the head to the heart, as often as you can. ❤️

 

 

[pluto]

MDMA is the best for PTSD there is a lot of good information on this around the web especially on MAPS.

[Greenbirch]

Another method: somatic experiencing. I don't know how many practitioners there are and in which parts of the world. 

My body started doing trauma release shaking when I was finally in a safe relationship/life situation and armed with the following knowledge:  1. All emotions are valid, even if they don't fit the context (some very mundane situations may trigger trauma) 2. When difficult emotions arise, meet them with loving kindness and welcome them into your experience. Dive into them, imagine what color they are, what is their shape, what does their surface look like... 3. Shaking is good, very very good.

[Ingit]

I recommend contacting with your physician so he can prescribe you with some medicine and meanwhile you can try Meditation and some Yoga...They are really powerful.

[isabel]

I had the abusive parents one, extreme abuse my whole life, felt like I could never leave, was working with my family and making okay money

but eventually I did leave, it took a long time after that to come to terms with everything and to accept living without as much money but I am 100% better 90% of the time which is beyond amazing

so I'm saying even though you might feel like you can't leave your job, you actually can

and I agree with the others on the therapy, get therapy

because here's the thing, I left my "situation" but I took my situation with me and continued to suffer for years, so therapy plus leaving would be best but choose at least one or the other and go from there