Triggered

[lightning05]

Recently something happened to me that triggered my PTSD so badly that it is affecting my sanity. All of a sudden I am no longer able to eat. I am crying and feeling stressed and paranoid constantly. I feel okay at work but as soon as I am on a break or leave I fall apart. I am drinking a lot (I know it's not good or helping any). I have never been triggered this badly to the point where I am having flashbacks and feeling unable to function. I feel like I'm slipping back into depression. Has anyone ever experienced this and what helped you? I'm in the process of finding a therapist with my new insurance but you know how that goes...

 

[Acy]

Hi, @lightning05 — I’m sorry to hear what you are going through. I haven’t experienced that kind of thing. If you are non-functioning, I’d say call a crisis line or maybe go to the hospital. Just calling the line or going to the hospital does not automatically mean you will be admitted. It does give you a chance to talk to someone and get some immediate, irl help.

If you need to ground yourself before you call a crisis line, you could try applying an ice pack directly to your face for about 30 seconds. It sounds a bit weird, but it can bring a person’s feelings and focus down a notch or two and help them to be back in the present not in the flashbacks. Then you could call someone if you still felt very unsettled and triggered.

I hope things are better with you soon. Take care!

 

[shybutterfly88]

Hello Lightning05,

I am so sorry to hear this . I have PTSD as well and know too well about triggers and being horribly effected by them. I have had times where i would legit just freeze up completely and people could even see the fear on my face (as people rudely pointed out i looked scared) and then i just get out of there and try to be somewhere i can be alone. It is a nightmare to live with. I really hope your therapist will be a very good one that can help teach you the coping skills to get through it. I think the thing about triggers and having PTSD, is learning how to manage it in a healthy way. Since it may not completely vanish, learning to cope with it in a healthy way is cruicial.

I wish i had more advice and tips to tell you on how to deal with it, but i also dont deal with it well and wish i could. But i wanted to let you know that you are not alone!!! I wish i could say i found a good therapist that helped me to cope but i have not yet but i still have hope..... maybe also try looking into medication to help with the feelings of being triggered. I wish i had more advice but i havent found a lot of things that helped me except to run away or get away from whatever is triggering me and/or to just be alone to myself as i dont like being around others when feeling triggered and then just experience all the negative feelings until it passes.

I hope you will be able to feel better, rooting for you! Stay safe

 

[lightning05]

Thanks @Acy and @shybutterfly88 for your responses and advice/experience. I will try the ice pack thing. Usually people say to hold something hot but that's easier and quicker when starting to spiral. I did talk to a couple of crisis lines and I have a therapy appointment on Monday which is good.

I was telling a friend what was going on and she suggested that I create a schedule for myself for outside of work hours. So the past few days I made a list of activities and things I needed to do on my white board. Whenever I started getting in my head I went to the white board and did one of the tasks and it was really helpful. I even put time to watch TV and read on there. I'm doing a little better between the schedule and taking time to myself. I took a long walk today through the park which was nice and am just trying to acknowledge the emotions without them overtaking me, which is easier said than done, but I'm managing.

 

[Acy]

This is good news. I’m really glad that your friend had a great suggestion about scheduling things. It sounds like it’s helping! Acknowledging our emotions without becoming overwhelmed is a good goal — “easier said than done” — it takes practice and that is what you are doing! I feel proud of you for your efforts!I hope you are proud of yourself, too! Keep us posted and let us know how you’re doing!

 

[lightning05]

This is good news. I’m really glad that your friend had a great suggestion about scheduling things. It sounds like it’s helping! Acknowledging our emotions without becoming overwhelmed is a good goal — “easier said than done” — it takes practice and that is what you are doing! I feel proud of you for your efforts!I hope you are proud of yourself, too! Keep us posted and let us know how you’re doing!

I'm really glad she had the suggestion too. She doesn't have PTSD but when I was telling her about how I felt it led us to that conversation. I would say it's helping tremendously just having those activities to go to. I also stopped drinking and will take a hiatus from that for a while.

I had therapy today and did brain spotting therapy for the first time. I do have to admit that at first I didn't think it would help but it actually ended up helping me a lot. I'm nowhere near 100% but I am doing better.