PTSD triggers and stigma

[PamelaR]

Hi all

There have been a couple of posts recently about negativity towards people who are triggered by events and go into a PTSD response which results in anxiety.

I think there is a view out there by people who do not understand what Post Traumatic Stress that 'an industry is being promoted' by psychologists and others.

How awful is that! The same can be said about a range of illness that have been diagnosed over the past 50 years or more. The scientific evidence and research that has happened in the past 50 years is so advanced that IMO people are afraid.

IMO, it's much easier for people to live 'in ignorance' than to really look at what's happening in their environment. I truly believe PTSD falls in this category.

It is so easy to say, it's 'all in your head'. Well, yeah, that maybe but that does not devalue what is happening for people. Nor does it mean that it's 'stupid', 'not real', 'not happening' etc. Yes, things do happen in your head, they can be good or not so good. That's why we have mental health plans.

What I really want to debunk here is - that PTSD and it's triggers are STUPID. PTSD and triggers are real and have lasting effects both for the person who is experiencing them as do people who provide support to those people.

You will find some talk about complex PTSD along with 'normal' PTSD. I'm not making any distinctions between the two, though from what I've read in the forums there is a difference. This thread is for people who get triggered and go into anxiety. Doesn't matter what the trigger is.

Your triggers are real. They occur at times when you least expect them. No one else can say to you that you are stupid. Responses to triggers do happen. Triggers can:

• set off body responses, e.g. heart palpitations, sweating.
• be through sight, smell, sound, touch, feelings
• bring back memories of trauma
• cause intense physical and emotional reactions
• cause muscle tension.

Would love to hear what others think. Please have your say. My words are only from my experience. What is your experience?

Kind regards

PamelaR

[PamelaR]

Hi Recuperandi and very warm welcome to our forums

It truly is wonderful to see you posting to others about your experiences, like your post to Jac about Workcover. I'm sure she'll be thankful for the response.

I too am pleased that you were able to disclose about your PTSD. It's unfortunate that the Victorian police service is not as supportive or understanding as many other organisations are. I would expect that comes from a particular culture that will be hard to shift. Being the positive person I am, I expect there will be change. Maybe not in the forseeable future but things will change, as the culture changes.

It is so good to hear to that you realise those thoughts of everyone talking about you stems from the anxiety. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.

My view on PTSD and stigma is - unless we start talking about it, stigma will be remain.

Over the past month I find I'm talking to others almost weekly. Yesterday, for the first time ever I told someone I'd just met I had PTSD and 'why' I had it. It was with a specialist doctor (for a physical condition), but I felt myself triggered from the disclosure. Took me till about 2.30 this morning to come down. But I did it and the more I'm doing it, the better I feel about myself.

I keep telling myself - There is no shame to PTSD. There is no need to hide it.

Kind regards

PamelaR

[IreneM]

Good Thought Elizabeth CP.

I always find media news about almost anything disturbing also. I always keep the tv and radio off nowadays, it helps me.

One advantage we have is that on computers or phone we can turn off most settings for news and such until after the period is over. The advantage we have with the internet is that we can CHOOSE what we want to know about. This puts us back in the drivers' seat and gives us control so that we only expose ourselves to what we can cope with.

Instead of using tv or radio I just use the internet to focus on forums like this one. In news settings on computers, etc, you can choose which news you get notifications about. Turn off local or world news until the season of the traumatising event is past. Christmas can be the same for many.

Irene.

[PamelaR]

Hi everyone

Thank you Irene for posting here. It's great to hear others are learning to turn off the tv and radio. I learnt to not watch or listen to the news or current affair programs about 10 years ago. Haven't looked back, though I do miss it sometimes.

Even now I have to be careful with some tv programs that I watch. I try to watch comedies nowadays. However, these can have triggering things at times.

Peoples thoughts and views on triggers are welcome.

How do you manage with media reports? I'd like to hear people's views. Mine is one among many.

Kind regards

PamelaR

[Elizabeth CP]

Knowing what I should do is very different to doing it. At least for me. Friday was a bad day. The weather forecast had predicted extreme heat for that day which sent me into a very negative spiral. Combining the dread of hot weather with a very stressful event at home left me feeling unable to cope last Tuesday. I arranged to visit a friend for a couple of days to avoid being home for the hot weather. This helped but i still found myself struggling on Friday. It was hot very early in the morning. My friends husband started talking about fires which escalated my anxiety. He was slow to respond to my direct request to change the topic. I knew I was in a safe area & I know that checking weather reports & the Vic emergency app is not just pointless but actually bad for me I still kept doing it all day checking up the status of all fires in the state. I know I shouldn't yet feel driven to check anyway & then feel really bad for being stupid enough to do this. My behaviour makes no sense.

[Idkme]

Hi Elizabeth,

It’s okay to feel the way you do. You have lots of horrible memories connected to past events and your mind learned that it’s not safe to just ‘trust’ what others said. Be kind to yourself and self soothe. After all you did take action and made decisions to lessen the anxiety. Imagine if you hadn’t taken even those steps. So you can trust your instincts... that’s a good start.

Youve also reached out here, which is great. This heat is enough to drive anyone balmy, so ride the wave (heatwave) and just keep yourself afloat until you get a chance to regather yourself with cooler weather.

Stay safe and keep reaching out.

[IreneM]

Good Thoughts Pamela

I think that we just all need to be honest with ourselves that our triggers are different and will most likely be anywhere, especially if It's people related. It can occur from exposure to media like tv and radio, or it can just occur in any social setting.

As you say the stigma is very strong out there. But we have to be honest and get the message out there! Be upfront that PTSD is just part of who we are. If people cannot accept that then there is no point in having any close association with these people - how people respond to the fact that you have PTSD is a way of measuring who your real friends will be.

It's difficult, I know not to take their reactions to heart. But if we can learn from these experiences on who is safe to be with and talk to we have made a step in the right direction. Look on the bright side.

Take Care

Irene.

[PamelaR]

Hi everyone.

Great to see people popping in here and giving their voice. It's so important I think if we want to make a difference on the whole to how people perceive PTSD and it's triggers.

Elizabeth

My heart does go out to you. In the 12 months I've been here, I've heard your struggles through these trying times. It's okay to feel the way you do. You had an awfully traumatic experience/s. There is no need to down play that or how you feel during this very triggering period of the year. My thoughts are - what does beating yourself up for being triggered achieve? Only more anxiety, stress and triggering are my thoughts. Do what you can but allow yourself to fear the fear - then think about how you can start to stop fearing the fear. For me, it's all about the stories one tells themselves. Change the story and it helps to reduce the fear.

Idkme

Great to see you - thanks for reaching out to Elizabeth. Yes, this weather is testing my patience!

Kind regards

PamelaR

[PamelaR]

Hi everyone

We'd love to hear what you have to say about PTSD triggers and stigma. Feel free to join in the discussion.

Irene - thank you for your input. I agree about being honest - just telling it as it is, that our triggers are different and most likely will be anywhere. Right on.

The point about not having close association with people who don't understand the triggers is a very good point. Personally I agree. Though I think there are some out there who will struggle with this because a lot of those people may be family and not having an association with family with be difficult and hurtful.

Does anyone have any views on this?

Kind regards

PamelaR

[Demi_L]

Hi Everyone,

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Demi. I am 20 years old and am a 3rd-year university student. When I was in year 12 I was diagnosed with PTSD and it has taken me this long to feel like I am really beginning to recover. During those few years of coping, I did experience my fair share of triggers, which as you can imagine leading to panic attacks of various severities. I found that with people's lack of awareness came judgement and misunderstanding... For example:

If I were beginning to respond to a trigger and my breathing started to speed up (hyperventilation), people would often tell me to 'calm down' or slow down my breathing- although what they did not realise is that I was trying to do that and it only made it worse. Another response I received on occasion was people actually telling me that I was 'over-reacting'... you can imagine how that played out...

I definitely agree that there is a stigma regarding PTSD and Triggers which ultimately stems from a lack of understanding. So what can we be doing to inform others? Any ideas?

Looking forward to hearing from you all,

Demi X

[Moonbeamer]

Thank you PamelaR for your comment/query - it rang a bell for me and my experiences.

There should be more awareness of mental health issues and their manifestations... but I think society is too afraid. Folk behave as though they believe mental health problems are either outrageous street performances or deathly contagious.

There should be awareness of first aid for people struggling with extreme mental health events ... but, for some reason I am struggling to understand, society (and even families, friends and trained professionals) is very attached to stigmatising their fellow humans.

This stigma makes the battle with mental health many times more difficult than an environment of compassion. I would go so far as to suggest that for many, it is the stigma that harms and kills