PTSD

Welcome, @Moonlake , I like your username 🙂

I'm shocked and sorry to hear your horrendous experiences 😢

I hope you will find the forums supportive.

You can type anything into the Search bar above to find threads on that topic. Also, a handy forum tip to tag someone is to type @ and then click on their name in the drop-down box - that way they'll get a notification that you've replied to them.

Thanks for your reply as I know it’s early morning ! I have been up since 4 as laying in bed feeling stewed up is not a good idea for me. I’m still trying to navigate this site and was so surprised with your quick reply. I’m heading to a GP today as he’s been trying to alter my blood pressure meds on my insistence as I was sure the old med was making me sick. I’m going to confess that I’m mentally ill and see where that leads me. I do feel there is no magic cure for my problem though.

Oh no, you've been awake since 4 @Moonlake ? Sorry to hear. I agree it's not good to lie stewing in bed!

Good luck with your GP today and disclosing your MI. Some GPs are good with MH, some aren't. Crossing fingers for you 🤞

Don't forget to tag the person you're talking to with @ before their name, or they will probably miss your reply. I was just clicking out of the forums before I checked the "Latest posts" so I happened to see it luckily. There are too many threads to follow otherwise! 🙂

Hi @Moonlake

Welcome on the forums!

Sorry to hear that you had to go through such horrible experience.

It is good to see that you are going to see you GP and speak to them about your struggles.

@Moonlake

So glad you reached out and connected with the forum. I am confident you will find suport here.

Your experience certainly sounds life threatening and very traumatic. As you probably already know, chronic stress reactions in the body are directly connected to digestive issues. When we are in fight, flight or freeze the body reacts to support our survival. Part of that mechanism is to turn off the digestion and the executive function of the brain, to ensure all power is available to run or fight. In your case you were not able to to do either and that may have caused a freeze response which shuts down many functions of the body.

What I would like you to know..... is that it isnt just "all in your head", because you experienced an automatic physiological pathway for survival. Knowing that your nervous system did its utmost to ensure you would survive this life threatening trauma of not being able to breath and not getting medical help as you needed it...is one of the miracles of life.

There are experts in the area of Somatic Psychotherapy and Polyvagal informed therapies that understand that a direct path to healing trauma can be found through the body, where the somatic memories are stored. Maybe you could research a bit in that direction if it sounds like it might be helpful?

Finding the right emotional support is also important... to know you are not alone with your struggles and that others are here offering their stories. Sounds like you have wonderful family support and that is heart warming to know.

@Moonlake

Welcome to the Forums. I hope you find the support you are looking for here.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I know how hard that can be sometimes. I'm sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time at the moment. Panic attacks are horrible things and can be so crippling.

It is good to hear that you have a psychologist and are going to talk to you GP about what is going on though. Please do let us know how you get on and if any other strategies/supports were recommended for you, and how we can support you here.

Warm regards

SKySeeker22

That is good information @OM108 I've had some bodytherapy like Rolfing however it wasn't somatic psychotherapy you mentioned but an invasive procedure to unknot musculature and fascia to realign posture.

I learned quickly the trauma we experience through life certainly gets displaced throughout the body. When I had invasive bodywork it certainly re-activated things for me. So we must learn to treat it as a signal we know that "consciousness" is not just in the brain but actually resides within the whole body - that our cells muscles and tissues carry our life story.

I think somatic therapies have merit as I have a book on acupressure and shiatsu bodywork that I use to release all kind of emotions. "The issues are in the tissues" I heard an alternative healer say one day and have to say the more I've worked with my body and emotions the truer it became for me. I have used a variety of energy techniques to bring my emotions into proper alignment. I still research them and am often left astounded.

Thank you for sharing. Our bodies are wiser than we think, and its often a warning signal that something needs to be released energetically for us to feel whole once again

Hey there @Moonlake 🙂 xx

welcome to the forums, and Im really sorry to hear what you have been through.

As a fellow person who has had to travel from hospital to hospital for decent help a few times, I can unfortunately relate to the stress and anxiety and sheer panic it can induce when you dont know if youre going to be able to get the desperate help needed.

Along with the other really kind and thoughtful comments here, I thought to add a book for you: The Body Keeps The Score: Mind, brain and body in the transformation of trauma, by Bessel Van Der Kolk

Its not a bad read in terms of understanding the connection between the brain and body with trauma.

There's also this one: The Brain that Changes Itself, by Norman Doidge MD, about adaptability of the brain, framed from personal stories in a positive light 🙂 xx

Youre really going through it from what I can read, and I hope you can get some freedom from these symptoms, and your life back dearest 🙂

Thankyou for your kind reply I will look that book up as I’m finding all the advice from everyone encouraging and I feel more positive today. I had a G P appointment yesterday and he’s encouraged me to go to an intergrated doctor from his practise that desks with mental Health , I will follow through too

@Former-Member Thankyou for your information and the books, I’m just learning how to reply correctly in this forum hope I’ve got it right. I’m liking everyone’s ideas I’m going to research some of them. It’s heartwarming to me to see so many taking the time to reply in such helpful ways. I was busy driving to appointments yesterday, and only read these today