Feeling low

[dunromin05]

Good afternoon I am new to the site and at the moment I am feeling lost and distant from everyone around me. I have a mediation on Monday and it has bought up a lot of memories as I suffer with PTSD from an assault through my work. I don't know what lies ahead of me as work has kept me employed now for the past 4.5 yrs since the attack. Knowing that the mediation is a possible closure to the incident will allow me to move forward it wont give me back my life I once had. I have progressed a long way from the incident to where I feel safe in my own environment but put me in the real work I am still anxious about people in shopping centres, I am worried that I will have a panic attack out in the community, I am afraid of being in unfamiliar surroundings. Not sure where I am going but I know where I have come from and the uncertainty of what lies ahead of me. I have a very supportive family who I am becoming more distant from as I don't like to impose myself on them and I know they find it hard to understand how this has effected me. I just want to feel normal again.

[PamelaR]

Hi Dunromin and warm welcome to our community

It is pleasing to see you've found your way here. You'll find you are not alone. PTSD is the pits at times, though it can be managed. It takes times, patience and a good health professional who understands trauma.

Sorry it's taken so long for a response. Please be assured it has nothing to do with your post. It is just something that happens at times - posts get missed.

I'm not a health professional, just someone who has PTSD from a childhood trauma, anxiety and depression. What I've found the most useful for myself is - seeing someone who is experienced with helping people with trauma and PTSD, identifying the triggers and working at changing the stories I tell myself in my head.

Do you mind me asking if you are seeing anyone? No pressure if you don't want to answer. You talk about mediation maybe you had some help through your work getting to this stage.

There are different ways to help with PTSD, e.g. - talking therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EDMR), cognitive processing therapy. Not all solutions help each person as we are all different. I have used a range of methods to recover and heal. Though the panic attacks still happen at times, I am more able to reduce the impact by regulating my breathing, grounding myself and identifying the cause of the trigger. I know others find it useful to do mindfulness. This hasn't helped me much though.

There is a thread Sharing Strategies to help with PTSD where people post things to help another. This can be found by doing a keyword search using our search tool at the top of our webpage. Also when you feel up to it, feel free to search and to browse our threads and to join conversation if you want to (no pressure).

It does take time to recover and to heal. Each person is different and it is difficult to say how long it will take for this to happen. My triggers still happen, though they have become much more manageable as time passes. You're not alone Dunromin. Keep reaching out if and when you want to.

Kind regards

PamelaR

[dunromin05]

Hi PamelaR yes I am getting help I see a psychologist, psychiatrist and I regularly see my doctor and have been having treatment for the past 4 1/2 years since the assault. I am on medication for both PTSD and Depression and find that the new combination of medication is working a lot better. I find that I don't put myself in situations that will cause me to have an anxiety attack, and find that I spend a lot of time by myself in my home as it is the only place I feel safe. I do my own personal shopping now and go to my chemist at a reasonable time where before it was always at night when there were not so many people around in the shops. I don't go to major shopping centres on my own but with my daughter who is my other set of eyes as I still get very startled if anyone come from behind me as I was assaulted from behind. My family are very supportive and understand if I cant do some things anymore. I am fortunate to have a beautiful little dog who is my companion and who I spend a lot of time with. I have tried EMDR, Mindfulness, mediation and other therapies but I still find that life is still very hard for me to move forward. I have also invested in a weighted blanket which I have found to have given me better sleep patterns and helps me to have better rest and less nightmares. I would recommend it to anyone who is considering getting one best investment yet through all of this nightmare that I live. I know I am not alone but I feel that way a lot of the time as so much has changed in my life. I go to work and then go home every day unless I need to go shopping. Thank you for taking the time to respond I appreciate it very much.