Living with PTSD (Potentially Triggering Material)

[Shaz51]

Decided to get my thoughts out rather than bottling them up.-- this is a good idea @Former-Member, it does not help us to keep things bottled up inside

like me yesterday on the ups and downs of my husband`s MI thread , i thought about it for a while before puttingit there

[Victor]

Hi @Former-Member re: posting author's name in relation to the article. To be honest, I'm not sure the answer to that question. I will pass this along in my shift report for Sane management to look at tomorrow. I feel they may want to look it over and it's relation to this thread.

Cheers,

Victor. 

[Former-Member]

Thanks @Victor. I understand. I wasnt sure either, which is why I didnt mention the name. 😀

[Whiteknight]

Hi @Former-Member
Re: "Whiteknight - Its an interesting fact that, although it is common and well known that people with PTSD tend to avoid things which are likely to trigger them. But my psych has told me that some people with PTSD have an unhealthy need to read all about things to do with their trauma causing event. Its a part of the 'hyper arrousal' and hyper vigilance thing. We must read and be aware of everything related to it. Its a part of our self preservation and keeping ourselves safe. I know it is not well known, mainly because everyone is very aware of 'avoidance' behaviour, and this side of things seems contradictory."

Thankyou so much for letting me know this. My daughter is slowly recovering from PTSD so this advice is wonderful.
🙂 🙂
WK

[NikNik]

Hi @Former-Member

If the article is public and the name is stated there, you can mention it here.

Thanks for checking in on this.

Nik

[Whiteknight]

Hi all and @Former-Member

I've read an article on it. The person you are talking about is Germaine Greer. I've had such admiration for her over decades but times change and often peoples views slip into another time where they belong.

She has now become a "shock jock" someone seeking headlines. She is witty, an icon etc but on this occasions she has done damage.

I think we have to separate poor judgements from words and accept that humans will always upset us. Easy to say, harder to do. To fully accept that someone has said a stupid thing, especially someone that has carved out a big chunk of our lives with intelligence, isnt easy.

Sometime there is nothing we can do to counter bad comments.

WK

[Former-Member]

Thanks @Whiteknight.  I hope the advice may prove helpful with regards to your daughter.  Everyone is different of course, and not everyone experiences this. I recall a discussion with my psych a long time ago about my need to be fully aware of anything which could be related to my trauma causing incident.  This includes needing to read about news articles and listen to news reports about rape and assault.  Forewarned is forearmed in the minds eye. She explained to me that it can be likened to someone who went through a traumatic bushfire.  They constantly need to check the weather and fire condition reports in order to remain aware and hopefully safe.  Even though this often results in great distress, and it can become almost an obsession. A need for information in order to protect oneself.

I'm really sorry to hear that your daughter has PTSD.  Hopefully she is receiving appropriate support from professionals in order to help her through the worst of it.  Trauma does not necessarily have to lead to PTSD.  And its far better to avoid the condition, than to have to treat it once you have it.  With proper support and treatment soon after traumatic events, the development of PTSD can often be prevented. Obviously I do not know the circumstances of your daughter's PTSD, so cannot comment further.  If you have a thread related to this, could you tag me in please?  Otherwise, if you have any PTSD related questions, I'd be happy for you to put them here.  Either I, or others here, may be able to help out.

Sherry 

[Former-Member]

Thanks @NikNik and also @Whiteknight.

Yes, thats right WK - the author of those opinions and comments, is indeed Ms Germaine Greer.  I believe she has a new book coming out, so perhaps she is after a little bit of sensationalist publicity.  

I think its just unfortunate that she totally lost track of the fact that Rape is ... Rape.  And by definition .. rape tends to be violent because it is carried out on someone against their will.  It can also involve the use of a weapon and against someone who has been physically restrained or rendered incapable of fighting back.

I found the article triggering and highly upsetting when I read it, with everything churning around in my head, and my anxiety levels very high.  I tried to relate what I felt when I was raped, to what Ms Greer wrote.  I couldn't, it was just all so wrong.

I think I've said enough on the subject as I don't want to upset anyone, which I may have already done over the weekend. I'm very sorry if that is the case.  I thank you all for your comments and your support.  It has helped me to realise that this sort of attitude is not the norm, and remains unacceptable. 

Thanks

Sherry 

[Whiteknight]

A great and responsible post @Former-Member .
Thinking of others.
WK

[Former-Member]

Hi everyone @Whiteknight @Shaz51 @BlueBay @Zoe7 @Faith-and-Hope @Maggie

Well my self care regime I set myself last week does not seem to have carried over to this week.  

I didnt make it to my weekly art class on Monday.  I just didnt feel up to it.  My gym group class yesterday I didnt make it to either. Timing was wrong. And even my half hearted attempts to walk Holly failed yesterday because it was cold and wet.  Today I spoke sternly to myself (figuratively) and told me to buck up my ideas and get off my lazy backside and do something.  So I virtually dragged myself out the door this morning and went to the Nursing Home to perform my volunteer visitor duties.  The old lady I visit was happy to see me, which was nice.  Made me feel semi-worthwhile at least.

I dont know, does gloomy winter weather make you feel equally as gloomy in mood?  It doesnt usually for me, but this time it is.  Or something is ... if it's not the weather, then what else?  I just dont seem able to pull myself out of a hole lately.  Everything is an effort, or just way too hard to even contemplate. 

Zoe, you posted to me last night regarding a post I made to Maggies thread about one word as to how you feel right now.  My word was "rattled".  I didnt elaborate on that thread because its meant to be one word answers.  But I said rattled, because that best explains how I felt last night.  My dark thoughts and feelings of late, concern me.  I feel jittery inside and rattled that my usual methods of dealing with these thoughts and feelings, dont seem to be as effective as normal.  I'm due to see my psych again in a couple of weeks, but right now, that seems like an eternity.

Sherry