P.T.S.D. If you've never experienced it...

M

MikeyDude

Done
Location
Texas
How many here suffer from P.T.S.D.? Do you know what your triggers are? Are they always with you? How do you "avoid" triggering?

I have so many triggers it's like a zoo. For me, if I let my mind go un-occupied for a few minutes I automatically drift into the trigger zone... especially at night when it's time to try and go to sleep. I also go there when I first wake up in the AM and my head hasn't acclimated to being awake yet.

People that have never experienced it just don't seem to understand.

I'm not referring to just Battle Trauma. P.T.S.D. includes much more than that. I have a psych background and understand the technical side of this. I don't really want to get into that part of it. I'd like to try and stay anecdotal.Thanks!

Edit - I'm referring to not wanting to get into the clinical discussion of PTSD. I said Battle Trauma because there are many kinds of PTSD including Battle Trauma and they all should be included. This includes Battle Trauma.
 

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Not sure whether this qualifies. I was used to roads that looked more or less a certain way. Even though I'd driven long distances throughout North America, and driven up and down the Niagara Escarpment daily, it all seemed to be within a certain range.

Until I drove through the Rockies. Winding roads with a sheer dropoff on one side. I really thought I was going to die, especially when large vehicles were tailgating at high speeds. I pulled over at every opportunity (there weren't many) and hyperventilated. Never had that happen before, in any situation.

I knocked on doors, trying to get help. Finally a pair of nice ladies drove me to flatter land (one to drive my car, the other to drive her back). While I was in the passenger seat, I looked at my feet the whole way.

Since then, I just can't drive in certain terrain. People tell me things like "It's pretty flat," or "You won't have any problems," but they're lying. Even the map lied to me. Even YouTube dash cams didn't show what it was really like.

I never would have come to this town if I'd known about Scary Hill #1 and Scary Hill #2. Now that I'm here, I will never, ever drive out of here.
 
You're right. People who haven't experienced PTSD don't understand, and they can't because they have no point of reference.

Since the wreck on our Harley...when I see a group of bikers my palms sweat, I hyperventilate, heart palpitations...all kinds of awful physical things happen but not always the same.

Odd but seeing a single biker or two bikers isn't a trigger, just more than two.
 
I didn't mean that to be funny, @MikeyDude . It's a very serious issue and my response itself may have been a trigger for someone... not sure why the laughing response, but I re-thought posting my first reply.
 
Ever since being rear-ended on Hwy 401 by a car going over 100 km's, I get nervous if we get closer than
3 car lengths on the highway. I tense up, and even as a passenger, my right foot automatically "goes to
the pedal" to slow down.

Not sure if that's a form of PTSD.
 
MikeyDude said:
How many here suffer from P.T.S.D.? Do you know what your triggers are? Are they always with you? How do you "avoid" triggering?

I have so many triggers it's like a zoo. For me, if I let my mind go un-occupied for a few minutes I automatically drift into the trigger zone... especially at night when it's time to try and go to sleep. I also go there when I first wake up in the AM and my head hasn't acclimated to being awake yet.

People that have never experienced it just don't seem to understand.

I'm not referring to just Battle Trauma. P.T.S.D. includes much more than that. I have a psych background and understand the technical side of this. I don't really want to get into that part of it. I'd like to try and stay anecdotal.Thanks!
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I'm not going to say what my triggers are but I have suffered from PTSD for years,.. just didn't realise that was what it was until I was medically diagnosed last year after yet another awful traumatic event.. and I got into Therapy..
 
CallMeKate said:
I didn't mean that to be funny, @MikeyDude . It's a very serious issue and my response itself may have been a trigger for someone... not sure why the laughing response, but I re-thought posting my first reply.
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The laughing emote was because I don't understand your "too deep" comment, and it felt like a jab. You gave the impression that you deleted your post because I asked to keep it anecdotal, and then you said it was "probably too deep". That sounds like you're saying that I'm shallow. The smiley was because I wanted to keep my response to you unoffensive. I had the opposite effect. I apologize... see? It's gone.

I asked to keep it anecdotal because it's really easy to get clinical about these things, and I want to avoid that.
 
MikeyDude said:
The laughing emote was because I don't understand your "too deep" comment, and it felt like a jab. You gave the impression that you deleted your post because I asked to keep it anecdotal, and then you said it was "probably too deep". That sounds like you're saying that I'm shallow. The smiley was because I wanted to keep my response to you unoffensive. I had the opposite effect. I apologize... see? It's gone.

I asked to keep it anecdotal because it's really easy to get clinical about these things, and I want to avoid that.
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Re-read what I said. I said I deleted what I had responded because it may have been too deep (meaning my very answer may have triggered someone.) I did some crisis counseling work and I didn't want to risk that, so without having a delete button here, I typed over it. It had nothing to do with you. It was about Vietnam and I hadn't seen you said you didn't want battle related PTSD. I would not do a "jab" here unless someone was trashing myself, my family/friends, or my country.
 
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CallMeKate said:
Re-read what I said. I said I deleted what I had responded because it may have been too deep (meaning my very answer may have triggered someone.) I did some crisis counseling work and I didn't want to do that, so without having a delete button here, I typed over it. It had nothing to do with you. It was about Vietnam and I hadn't seen you said you didn't want battle related PTSD
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..and I agree.. which is why I didn't go into detail about myself.. nothing anecdotal or lighthearted about it..
 
CallMeKate said:
Re-read what I said. I said I deleted what I had responded because it may have been too deep (meaning my very answer may have triggered someone.) I did some crisis counseling work and I didn't want to do that, so without having a delete button here, I typed over it. It had nothing to do with you. It was about Vietnam and I hadn't seen you said you didn't want battle related PTSD. I would not do a "jab" here unless someone was trashing myself, my friends, or my country.
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Welcome to the club. :( I too almost responded , then re- read the original post.
 
hollydolly said:
I'm not going to say what my triggers are but I have suffered from PTSD for years,.. just didn't realise that was what it was until I was medically diagnosed last year after yet another awful traumatic event.. and I got into Therapy..
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THERE! Right there is why I deleted my first response... sometimes just talking about triggers can be the actual trigger. I'm so sorry you're dealing with it, @hollydolly ... it's dreadful and I'm glad to hear you sought therapy.
 
I wanted to see what kinds of triggers some folks had. I do not want to induce any panic or wiggies. Here's an example:

Last night my wife and I were watching a movie. Someone in the movie said something that triggered me. For the rest of the night I couldn't tune out the past incident. I ended up staying up til 3 AM. This kind of crap happens to me all the time.

I just wanted to see if there are others like me, and what y'all might do. Sometimes just knowing we are not alone helps.
squatting dog said:
Welcome to the club. :( I too almost responded , then re- read the original post.
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I didn't say I don't want Battle Trauma responses. I was saying that there are more kinds of P.T.S.D. than just Battle Trauma, and this is open to all sufferers.

I'm not referring to just Battle Trauma. P.T.S.D. includes much more than that.
Click to expand...
 
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PTSD from nearly dying in hospital with Covid-19 back in April 2020. Triggers are medical environments mainly - plus masks of any kind. Plus waking up during the night to any sort of small light or beeping noise - real or imaginary. Buy hey! I'm here! ;)
 
I don’t know if it’s PTSD or maybe I am cracking up. Every morning I wake up between 2-3. I feel like I am the only person remaining alive. I am all alone. No noise, no nothing. I am all alone. Even my dog doesn’t wake up yet. I feel like I am being punished for the things that I did while under orders.
 

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