Tags
Anxiety, Depression, Heal My PTSD, natural disaster, Post-traumatic stress, Practical PTSD, PTSD, PTSD for Dummies, Recovery, Trauma, war zone
A little while back I featured some posts on healing depression. BUT… I’d also been meaning to add a sign post or two to some other awesome mental health-type content.
This time, stuff on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – the other bookend to depression that’s made a very unpleasant Svasti-sandwich for several years now.
Before my own encounter with trauma, I think I’d probably dealt with low-level depression. But never in my life had I experienced PTSD.
In fact, I had no idea how easy it was for people to become traumatised. Well, when I say ‘easy’ I guess I mean… trauma comes in all shapes and sizes.
It’s not just a by-product of being in a war zone or natural disaster.
There’s a lot of people out there in blog-landia dealing with PTSD and the paths they travelled to win the <sarcasm>lucky door prize</sarcasm> are incredibly diverse.
Essentially, PTSD can be acquired through any experience where you’re convinced you’re going to die, or by witnessing something unspeakably horrific.
It can be quick and once-off, or sustained and ongoing (causing chronic and complex PTSD). There’s no easy answers to ‘Why me’?
I gave myself a hard time for ages, thinking I had no right to be traumatised from my one night of terror and assault. But the reality is there’s no rules around how you get it or what causes it.
Just as there’s no rules around how you deal with it, the right treatment and ultimately, being healed and free of that nasty, life-sucking condition.
So, without further ado, let me introduce…
Heal My PTSD
Catching up on a few bits and pieces, I happened to notice Michele Rosenthal (formerly of Parasites of the Mind blog) has moved blog addresses to Heal My PTSD, LLC (not sure what the LLC bit stands for).
And about this new website I wanted to say – go check it out.
If you deal with PTSD personally or know anyone who does, it’s an excellent resource site, and it’s newsy, positive and no-holds-barred.
Michele has my respect, having beaten her PTSD after living with the condition undiagnosed for 25 years!
I *think* I’m probably 80% of the way there… maybe more… but the only way to ever really know it’s all over is afterwards. Once you’ve had a couple of years of no symptoms, no episodes etc.
So I wait and I watch. And read blogs like Michele’s!
Practical PTSD
The other cool PTSD content I wanted to draw attention to is a fellow Aussie and fab-tastic Twitter matey, Catatonic Kid.
The (currently globetrotting) Cat’s been writing a series she’s called “Practical PTSD”.
It’s kinda PTSD-for-Dummies – descriptive content from the viewpoint of someone living with the condition.
Which hopefully, will help friends/family of those in the thrall of PTSD to understand a little more. Although, of course, it’s challenging to ever really get what another person is going through.
At the time this post went to press (haha!!) CK had written five instalments (I’m sure there’ll be more some time):
Part I – Idiots Guide to PTSD
Part II – A normal reaction
Part III – When past is present
Part IV – How are Triggers like Tigger?
Part V – Flashbacks: what, where, who?!
Note: if you’re dealing with PTSD yourself, be aware that some of CK’s content is a little triggering. So, take it easy.
Hope you find this stuff as useful as I have!
~Svasti
Svasti: A Journey From Assault To Wholeness 
w00tness, link luv 😀 Danke, mien Liebling!
(nb: last link broken methinks)
@Catatonic Kid – all fixed!! And you’re welcome 🙂
It’s like that for me too. The assault only happened once and I feel like maybe I’m over reacting when I come across people who were abused for years, even though my assault was brutal enough that it left physical scars. It’s not the right way to go about healing, and I’m learning as well that lots of things can leave psychic scars, even things people take as “trivial”. Something being “trivial” or only having happened once doesn’t make it less traumatic. I’m having to re-learn what trauma is in order to get through my healing.
That being said, thanks for this post. I’ll check some things out.
@Jaleesa – Right, so there you go! One instance of trauma is enough for things to get messed up. I have so much empathy for those living with multiple and repeated experiences of trauma. But that does not make what you went through or what I went through or anyone else’s experience… any less valid. It is NOT trivial either, definitely not.
Hey, thanks for the shout out!
If any of you have suggestions about how to evolve the HEAL MY PTSD, LLC, site, let me know. My goal is to build the best PTSD site for survivors, to heal survivors, with the help of survivors so we get all we need in one place. We’re off to a good start!
(BTW: ‘LLC’ = limited liability company. I’m going all the way and founding a PTSD advocacy organization.)
I believe there is still so much to learn about PTSD. I appreciate bloggers like you who are taking us forward toward greater knowledge. I will check out the sites you mention. Thanks Svasti.
LLC = Limited Liability Company…it’s a legal standing for a company in business…like Incorporated only different…
I’ll be visiting Catatonic Kid again soon. Thanks for the heads up. This series you mention sounds great…been so out of the loop here…I can say she is great in general though!!
svasti, you might want to read my post today….
peace.
@Michele – I’m really impressed that you’re going for it like you are!
@tricia – There is definitely a lot to learn. Mostly because I think there’s a lot of people who just live with the symptoms, never having them addressed. And unfortunately that’s when PTSD causes the most trouble!!
@giannakali – I don’t think we have LLC’s here in Australia, hence not knowing the term…
CK is pretty awesome (gosh I hope she doesn’t read this comment!! ;P) and so is Michele. Share and share alike, I say.
@Linda-Sama – Why thanks!! 😀 But you should know, your blog is in my RSS reader along with a whole bunch of others…
svasti, as to your question of my yoga tour of Australia: Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane. I hope it comes true.
@Linda-Sama – I really hope it comes true, too. We should talk, see if you want to come teach at my yoga school as well as wherever else you might be teaching!
Before I was blogging, I knew next to nothing about PTSD, and would have assumed it was something that was uncommon outside of groups that had been under prolonged attack situation. Now that I see how it can happen and what people go through because of PTSD — well, it pisses me off, you know?? Not because of the reaction, but because of the fact of it, the damage that must be overcome.
Thanks for the links and for telling your story.
This is information is really useful and interesting. I am so impressed by how honest you are able to be. The world needs more people who can be upfront about things–and reach out to help others.
@Jennifer – I didn’t know anything about PTSD until months after I aquired it!! Just because you experience the symtpoms doesn’t mean you see what’s going on. In fact, someone in the midst of dealing with PTSD can not see clearly at all.
And yeah, its shitty that PTSD can occur like that, but its one of those funny tricks of the mind, where the mind is trying to protect itself but ends up making things worse. Doh!
@RB – Thanks for stopping by and reading. This blog is full of my over-sharing and honesty… or perhaps its just full of it! 😉 Haha. Anyway, I speak out about these things as Michele and CK do, because it is one of those insidious and difficult to identify issues. And generally, the people around someone suffering PTSD have a hard time knowing what to do, you know? The only way to change that is to keep talking 😉
Thanks for the info. I know it is difficult to write about, but you help people understand. (I love PTSD for Dummies!!!) I have a daughter and a son with this condition and it comes on strong and uncontrollably!
Lindsey Petersen
http://5kidswdisabilities.wordpress.com
@5kidswdisabilities – Hi Lindsey, yes PTSD can be uncontrollable. I can’t imagine what it would be like being a parent of kids with PTSD. That must be so tough on you! Thanks for visiting here, and I’ll definitely drop by to check out your blog 🙂