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