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PTSD and trauma

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Sophie_M If you need to talk about Bondi Beach - Our community is here
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, After the heartbreaking events at Bondi Beach on Sunday night, we know many people in our community may be feeling shaken, distressed, or unsure how to make sense of what has happened. Religious and political violence has no place is Aus... View more

Hi everyone, After the heartbreaking events at Bondi Beach on Sunday night, we know many people in our community may be feeling shaken, distressed, or unsure how to make sense of what has happened. Religious and political violence has no place is Australia and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the individuals and families affected by this tragedy. We wanted to create a space where you can share whatever you’re feeling - whether that’s fear, shock, grief, or anything else that has come up for you. If you need support from others in the community, please feel welcome to post here. Violence and acts of terror can bring feelings of shock, grief, profound sadness, anger and fear. It’s normal to experience these emotions while trying to make sense of distressing events. It may take time for these feelings to ease, but it’s never too early to seek support if you are feeling distressed. Beyond Blue is here for you anytime, by phone on 1300 224 636 or via webchat: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/talk-to-a-counsellor You can also support those around you by being available to them and listening. Thank you for being such an important part of this community, and for the kindness, honesty, and wisdom you continue to share with each other. We remind the community that Beyond Blue is here for all people in Australia, no matter what you believe, how you live or who you worship. Kind regards Sophie M

A_Tech PTSD for Medical and First Responders
  • replies: 276

Hi, Well obviously this my situation. I was hoping to find others here that might have a similar background to chat with, it can be so hard to talk about this stuff with non-med people (and I mean no disrespect, it's just often graffic or upsetting t... View more

Hi, Well obviously this my situation. I was hoping to find others here that might have a similar background to chat with, it can be so hard to talk about this stuff with non-med people (and I mean no disrespect, it's just often graffic or upsetting to others). Im a 40 year old female that has spent the last 10years in the State Trauma Hospital as an Anaesthetic Technician. My PTSD was brought about after years of exposure to shocking traumas, deaths, and no support from management. I would love to hear from anyone that has a similar story, or just wants to chat. Cheers

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Ayisha Is addiction curable? Is addiction a mind disorder?
  • replies: 5

I am a 53 year old alcoholic. Luckily I am a functioning alcoholic who only drinks in the evening. My research tells me that addiction is an incurable disorder. (I hate the word addict, so I call myself as having SAD...substance abuse disorder). I kn... View more

I am a 53 year old alcoholic. Luckily I am a functioning alcoholic who only drinks in the evening. My research tells me that addiction is an incurable disorder. (I hate the word addict, so I call myself as having SAD...substance abuse disorder). I know that many people have successfully achieved abstinence. But does that mean they are cured? Ayisha

pippab1 Trauma triggers in my intro re suicide
  • replies: 2

Hi i just want someone to chat to when i feel this nothing feeling. Disasociated i guess. i can't think, i can't make decisions very well. i found my 16 year old deceased. The memories and triggers don't stop for long and always hard to know what wil... View more

Hi i just want someone to chat to when i feel this nothing feeling. Disasociated i guess. i can't think, i can't make decisions very well. i found my 16 year old deceased. The memories and triggers don't stop for long and always hard to know what will come next. i feel guilty about her suicide and guilty about failing to save her. Sorry that is just one amongst a world of pain and regret. i recognise the importance of staying alive for my adult son and try for myself as well. i hate these lost blank periods almost as much as the flashbacks and nightmares. Does anybody else get this? i do get psych help and no longer drink cos i needed oblivion so much but it was screwing up me and my son. So prescription only for the PTSD. Wish someone would just take my hand and walk me and my dog around safely. No thinking, just walking or other excercise. i know it helps but my motivation to get myself to the gym is zero. pip

Dee_is_here I experienced complex trauma, finding help was very difficult
  • replies: 6

A year ish ago I found help in the most unlikely place Next step. A counselor listened to my story and took action. With a few calls and inquiries she directed me towards the right support. For 2 years I searched for help, I was a mess and didn't kno... View more

A year ish ago I found help in the most unlikely place Next step. A counselor listened to my story and took action. With a few calls and inquiries she directed me towards the right support. For 2 years I searched for help, I was a mess and didn't know what I needed, and how to get it, all I knew is that my two children needed me. I have experienced complex trauma, and it manifested into disassociation, poor concentration, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, memory loss, etc. I am a work in progress and my focus atm is healing my mind body and soul. Schema therapy is working for me, but the type of therapist makes a difference. I just started doing new things like open heart meditation; eating and drinking healthy. Sometimes I struggle making positive choices; but I feel good when I do. There is no cure all because every one is different. Keep searching for what works for you because tomorrow is a new day, even if its a simple google search for happy cats and it puts a smile on your face for the day. Intrusive thoughts are horrible, so many simple things are triggers and my brain cycles on repeat. Sometimes my negative thoughts come out in word, I notice it mostly in my texts so I pause delete it and think of something positive to text. Sometimes this takes a lot of effort but I try. The most difficult is my network, I don't have one. Identifying toxic people is not my forte. I was once asked to give an example of an average healthy human adult; but honestly i don't know and google doesn't know either because I searched for hours. Since 2014 I have struggled with leaving the house but I now I feel lonely and bored. Being around other people and having a connection with someone is so rewarding and I miss it. That's what brought me to this thread tonight, its hard to find individuals that can relate to the impact of trauma and recovery. Thank you for reading

Idkme What motivates you?
  • replies: 1

Hi guys... i thought I’d start a new thread about what keeps us going.... for me one of the greatest things is writing here and hearing other’s journeys and discoveries. Often in times of distress or fight/freeze/flight mode we get stuck and need som... View more

Hi guys... i thought I’d start a new thread about what keeps us going.... for me one of the greatest things is writing here and hearing other’s journeys and discoveries. Often in times of distress or fight/freeze/flight mode we get stuck and need something to keep us going. What’s your little way of ‘turning the volume up’ so you can keep moving forward? Those struggling with ptsd are easily stopped in their tracks at times. Sometimes we just need a little bit of a boost, what’s that boost for you. For me it’s also having work to distract me so that I’m not always dwelling on my past. Your turn.

Sherbet Lack of Mental Health Support
  • replies: 5

I have just started seeing a specialist trauma psychologist. I finally feel i have someone i can trust and who can actually help. Just recently i had an admission to hospital as i was totally suicidal and needed help to stop me acting on my thoughts.... View more

I have just started seeing a specialist trauma psychologist. I finally feel i have someone i can trust and who can actually help. Just recently i had an admission to hospital as i was totally suicidal and needed help to stop me acting on my thoughts. When first admitted to my local hospital, the specialist psych nurse was very supportive and even suggested i may need a stay in a psych hospital a few hours away. My local mental health support case manager was removed from my case and i was told that could no longer help me in the community as i was not responding like they thought i should. This was really hard to take. But i was angry and decided that was not helpful. Even the trauma psych said it was not right and i would continue to need community support as she was going on leave after the Christmas break and she was not local and only in town a few days a week. My stay in hospital was helpful until the local mental health team got involved again and without asking how i was, some chick i had only ever met once suggested i go home as i had been there for 2 nights and that was fair enough. I was very upset and told her to get lost. Still i packed my bag and told the ward nursing staff that i was going home. They were concerned for my safety and advised me not to leave and i pointed out to them that the, so called professional told me to go. So they rang the police and not long after i had made the long walk home, the police were at my door and wouldn't leave me alone. i had an appointment organised with the trauma psych and the police rang her and took me their. She took me to the hospital with the idea of advocating for me with the local mental health team. They would not respond to her calls. They also wouldn't give my daughter the name of the mental health person who told me to leave the hospital. Anyway i was once again admitted and told in emergency they were getting a nurse in to special care for me The next day the mental health team turn up again and tell me i am not being admitted to a psych hospital as they don't think i needit. They also wrote in my notes that i could go home. the dr came and they said i couldn't leave. I stated that i no longer felt safe their and had to get out. Soi went home with my daughter. she let me stay at my house alone with my animals. Now i have nowhere safe to go for help.he local mental health team ruined any chance of further assistance and ignored my pleas for help when i was most vulnerable.

RedDragonfly New here - diagnosed Severe PTSd today
  • replies: 2

Hi, I am new here, and don't want to post anything that will upset anyone. I just wanted to say hello, introduce myself and ask for a little advice. I am a 42 year old female, just recently diagnosed with severe PTSD and MDD. I have been prescribed m... View more

Hi, I am new here, and don't want to post anything that will upset anyone. I just wanted to say hello, introduce myself and ask for a little advice. I am a 42 year old female, just recently diagnosed with severe PTSD and MDD. I have been prescribed medication. I am a little scared about this, because of the negative stuff online, but my psychiatrist reckons it will help me sleep and after a few months he intends for me to have the rapid eye movement therapy (sorry I can't remember the proper name for this!!) I would really appreciate any advice at all Thank you Red xx

PamelaR Triggers
  • replies: 16

Hi all Started this thread to get a discussion going about triggers. Honestly, I have nothing planned as such for the thread. I am interested though in how people manage themselves once triggered. I was recently triggered by hearing an neighbour’s sc... View more

Hi all Started this thread to get a discussion going about triggers. Honestly, I have nothing planned as such for the thread. I am interested though in how people manage themselves once triggered. I was recently triggered by hearing an neighbour’s scream that sounded like she could have been sexually assaulted. Someone called the police and when I popped in to see her the next day. My hand of friendship was rejected. it’s taken me over 2 weeks to realise this was a trigger. I’d been putting it down to other things. But I couldn’t stop my -racing heart, grumpiness, withdrawal from everyone, leading to lack of energy and interest in doing things. The triggers were many * thought of someone being sexually assaulted * feeling of rejection * feeling of my inability to save someone in distress Now that I ‘be identified these. I can address each one in turn and hopefully move on and out of the depression I could feel starting to take hold. Has anyone out there a story to share about their triggers, how they identify them, or the difficulties in doing that. I finally identified this recent bout, by not sleeping. My palpitations were so bad, so I went over everything that’s happened in the last few weeks. There had been a couple of things I looked at but still couldn’t settle. Then I found it. Wow my heart lifted, stopped running. Can now think of positive thoughts, things to do. The relief of identifying cause is almost instantaneous. Now to put on that slow cook, make some gluten-free blueberry muffins. My reward! that’s it for now. PamelaR

Mina19 I’m scared..
  • replies: 3

Hi guys, Last time I posted on here was like a year or so ago. I just need some advice please. When I was in high school about 4 years back I was almost sexually assaulted by a teacher, he’s in jail now but literally since that incident I have had li... View more

Hi guys, Last time I posted on here was like a year or so ago. I just need some advice please. When I was in high school about 4 years back I was almost sexually assaulted by a teacher, he’s in jail now but literally since that incident I have had like I don’t know how to explain it like ptsd or anxiety with physical symptoms such as nervous stomach, the runs, chills, constant worry, bad dreams and so on. I have had literally every test done at the doctors they can’t find no physical causes. That’s what angers me. I feel like I’m loosing control of my brain so to speak. And it really scares me. Like the other week I was out shopping with my mum and while we were walking I saw a man that looked almost identical to the teacher that exposed himself to me. My mum assured me the man was just some guy shopping who looked a little like him. But for that little but after I saw him I actually was in that fight or flight mode like ready for danger if that’s a better way of explaining it. I used to be a normal girl before this and now I feel like that girl I used to be is gone? I hope someone could maybe answer my post or give me some advice. Sorry if the post is long to read.

Chloe95 New at this...
  • replies: 6

Hi, so I don’t really know what I am doing here or if this will help... my father was always an addict he had a major car accident that left him in a very bad way and he got violent once he was out of hospital my mum left him we moved to a new town a... View more

Hi, so I don’t really know what I am doing here or if this will help... my father was always an addict he had a major car accident that left him in a very bad way and he got violent once he was out of hospital my mum left him we moved to a new town a less then a year later I was sexually assaulted... I felt like a dealt with it with concellors and all that... then this year my sister came out that my father had let 2 men in her room... it brought back so much and I still don’t know how to deal with it... I was getting married and he was meant to be there I didn’t want him there anymore after what he did but the day I got married I was sad that he wasn’t there my own father... I don’t understand how he could do that to her or why.. I don’t understand why I am still sad that he wasn’t there when he was never there to begain with he was never a father to me so why can’t I just move on why do I still feel like shit

bee_three Wondering if anyone gained closure from reporting their abuser or if the investigation process is too re-traumatising to be worth it?
  • replies: 2

Hi, this is my first time posting. I have been seeing a clinical psychologist weekly and sometimes bi-weekly for more than 12 months now to process ongoing sexual assault by my employer who was also one of my doctors. I am an absolute wreck and, whil... View more

Hi, this is my first time posting. I have been seeing a clinical psychologist weekly and sometimes bi-weekly for more than 12 months now to process ongoing sexual assault by my employer who was also one of my doctors. I am an absolute wreck and, while I trust my psychologist I don't trust the reporting process, the police or the objectivity of the professional bodies who need to be advised and so my therapy (and recovery) is at a standstill. I wish there was a magic wand to erase my memories of the last 5 years because I just want to forget about the whole mess and get my life back. Of course, there's no quick fix and I know I need to talk about what's happened in order to process it and move on. The problem is though that I am too scared to speak about it because I know that once I do, we have to make the necessary reports. Has anyone found that reporting their abuser helped them recover? Has anyone fully recovered from sexual abuse without making a report? I just want to feel better but I am so scared that going through the reporting process is going to make things worse. Thank you so much for reading.