ptsd
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; The storm after the storm.
PTSD, inconvenient anger, and the power of forgiveness
When something traumatic happens to you, oftentimes during the recovery process you will come against something known as "toxic positivity culture". In short, this can be described as swallowing or denying an emotion, thought process, or way of coping in order to say everything is okay and nothing "bad" has tainted your head space. When I was younger, I found myself submerged in the counterculture of Vancouver's Commercial Drive. White women with dreadlocks and crystal collections that could pay off my student loans would tell me about the inner workings of the universe, how it was all connected, and the magic of sacred geometry. “What exactly is sacred geometry?” I would ask. “Like, what applications does it have?” The only reply I would get was, “It’s in everything, look around you!” I would nod uneasily, feeling like the answer was perhaps lacking some detail. They would educate me on how to set my vibration so that only good things would happen to me and I was swept up in the ideas that focusing on or even acknowledging my anger, sadness, frustration, disappointment or anything that wasn’t a constant manic joy would result in me allowing these negative energies to taint me; which would often imply I was somehow not a good person. “Low vibrational”, I would hear in very self assured tones.
By Elijah Miley5 years ago in Psyche
Your Body Remembers
Your body remembers, even if you don’t, as I didn’t understand for years why it felt like every single muscle in my body was contracting when I walked into a dental office. Even when I was just scheduled for a routine cleaning and exam. These reactions in the dental chair caused me to avoid treatment since I was a young child. I knew I had a terrible experience with my childhood dentist, but could not for the life of me remember the specifics. I still don’t recall the details of everything that happened, and I don’t need to, as doing so would cause more harm than benefit. However, after years of avoidance and almost 20 months of addressing this trauma head-on in therapy, I can make a reasonable conclusion about what has happened to me.
By Jaden Prendergast5 years ago in Psyche
You're Such A Teresa
My sister, Liz, has this thing she says to me, " You're such a Teresa." It's just a running joke between us that's about something I've done or said that she thinks is funny like when I decided I'm not interested in finding out what my real hair color is but for some reason lately I've been thinking about what , " A Teresa" is.
By Teresa Wegrzyn5 years ago in Psyche
The Haze
There's a haze that happens, a fog almost, when someone physically attacks you. It's like it wraps around your mind and everything goes into slow motion. The violence of the situation can be seen in such clarity and detail, yet everything seems fuzzy at the same time.
By Wynette Richardson5 years ago in Psyche
Mental Platter: Psych hack#1 - Chew gum to reduce post-traumatic stress
From anxiety and mood disorders including some eating disorders, depression, and posttraumatic stress (PTSD), there are many conditions that can negatively impact your mental health every day. Chronic stress is a global health problem that can lead to various physical and mental diseases. The symptoms of chronic stress can severely interrupt your daily existence and have long-term consequences that may be difficult to mitigate. Some people, such as persons with PTSD, have a lower tolerance for stress.
By Shenica Graham5 years ago in Psyche
PTSD - The Truth About It
*** TRIGGER WARNING *** Given the circumstances that were absolutely beyond my control, I did my absolute best in a situation that was a no-win situation, at an emergency incident that was chaotic and caused by somebody else's morally wrong decision and senseless actions. That decision ultimately, very tragically, very traumatically, in a very graphic and gruesome way, took the life of an innocent person. That's how I feel...now...but for far too many years, they were not the feelings that dominated my thoughts.
By Rob Leathen6 years ago in Psyche
The nightmare of July 4th
I'm writing this a bit late, as you've probably noticed it's not July 4th anymore. But I have a very good reason for this. You see I have PTSD and no I'm not a veteran. There's this stigma that PTSD is a veteran's illness and that others don't have the right to claim it. At least that has been my experience. People seem to try and either downplay mental illness or gatekeep it as though it's meant only for a select few. Forgive my french but that's hogwash.
By Krysta Minor6 years ago in Psyche
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
My name is Ashley. Today, I am a 23-year-old wife with 2 border collies and 1 black cat. I have a good job that allows me to support my husband. At the same time, he is in college to be a physical therapist assistant. Money is tight, and there is stress, but we have a roof over our heads and food on our table. I am content.
By Ashley Weinbrecht-Morris 6 years ago in Psyche
