I can’t cope

Yea @Eve7! Well done hon on finishing another course. You should be proud of yourself.

Hi @tyme I hope you day is going well.

How are you @Snowie @tyme ?

You're awesome @Captain24 you should be so very proud of yourself!!

Good on you @Eve7 ! How much longer until you finish the entire course? Or is this the last one? I remember with uni, I used to get to happy and relieved that I finished an assignment... only to be given the next one... once the degrees were finished, THEN I could really rest...

@Snowie - my day's been okay. But I've been running on low so it's made it a little harder. But that's okay. My body will recover. Hope you are okay. What did you get up to today?

Just finished 1st year @tyme so 2 more years of study to go. I'll have a break for 2 weeks now. I feel so much better today, didn't realise I was so stressed by my slack planning skills lol

Yes! Uni provides this subconscious stress that seems to ALWAYS be there until you finish the degree @Eve7

I remember it so vividly.

An ambulance just turned up here. I didn’t realise how much of a trigger they are until now. I’ve signed out on leave. I’m at my car. I can’t even walk into the bush as my heart is already pounding. I’m feeling a bit distressed. I’m guessing I’m not the only one though.

You wouldn’t be @Captain24 id guess a lot of folks in there are potentially triggered by it. I know they trigger me a lot…. Hearing any sirens my heart starts pounding…. And if they continue to get closer and closer to me my gosh! I panic!

Hey @Captain24 ,

I believe I've mentioned it on the forums a few times before, but I also panic when I hear or see sirens or ambulance. It took me a number of years to work through it. I practiced desensitisation therapy. Since I stopped the therapy, my heart still races when I see/hear an ambulance.

So now, when I'm driving and I see the lights or an ambulance, I have to remember to take deep breaths to work through it.

You are 100% not alone in feeling this way.

I’m trying to breathe through it @tyme @Bow. I just can’t slow it down. My head is pounding too. It’s ridiculous. You have both had it so much worse than I have.

The situation for us made have been worse, but it doesn't mean what you are feeling is not valid. @Captain24

It is good that you have this awareness now. It's something you can speak to your nurses about.

What I believe happens is that even after one traumatic ambulance show-up, your brain connects ambulances/sirens to something negative. Therefore, every time you see an ambulance, your body automatically goes into flight/fight mode.

It is a long term recovery goal in that you teach your brain to connect ambulance/sirens to something neutral or positive.

That means, for now, it's about just helping yourself through the fight/flight.

We are sitting with you @Captain24

@Bow