Healing PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress DisorderNow you have a name for your cluster of symptoms: Post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD for short.We have defined the problem. We know what causes it. We know why you were vulnerable. We know what it is not: It is not insanity. It is not weakness. It is not laziness. It is PTSD. You fell into a bucket of shit and no, you don’t smell like a rose. There’s no point in pretending. The first step to healing post traumatic stress disorder is to accept that you really should not feel okay. If you broke your leg, you wouldn’t pretend everything was fine, and wear long pants to hide the bone sticking out of your skin. You wouldn’t smile through your pain. You would scream and cry about it. You’d show your injury to everyone until someone helped you. Best of all, you wouldn’t have to show too many people before someone got you into an ambulance or a hospital. Everyone would be sympathetic. Too bad trauma isn’t like that. Our culture is squeamish about emotional pain. Some people don’t even believe in post traumatic stress disorder.
Those that do, would still rather not hear about your unfortunate experience especially if you're going to get all teary-eyed or angry about it.
Screw what people want to hear. The truth is always the truth and the truth wants to be told. Listen to
your own truth.
The truth insists on being told.If you won’t say it with your mouth, your nightmares will say it.If you pretend it didn’t happen, your flashbacks will betray you. If you refuse to admit your pain, your lack of emotion will show it anyway. If you say it doesn’t matter, your shame will eat at you. If you refuse to ask for help, your irritability & depression will scream for it. The problem is, that the people around you might not recognize your symptoms are a way of asking for help. Mostly, they will think you’re being a pain in the ass. So don't be a pain. Don’t try to protect those you love by hiding your problems from them. You won’t protect them, you will hurt them. They’ll assume they’ve done something wrong, or that you don’t love them. So don’t lie when they ask you if you’re all right. You are not all right. But you will be. Tell them that. Help Someone get Treatment How to Stop A Stalker One Way to Beat Post Traumatic Stress Getting Through Hard Times Holding a Grudge Releasing a Grudge Find your own Truth Why you were vulnerable to PTSD Laughter Heals Pets Help You Heal Facing Your Attacker Stop Obsessive Thought Forgive Yourself Figuring out What Really Happened Fight, Flight, or Freeze Face Your Fears Holiday Survival Tips Good Guilt vs. Bad Guilt Why you choose Bad Guilt Get some sleep Deal with Nightmares Tell Someone Slow Down the Slide into theDepression Moving Forward Something else on your mind? |
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not much is required;
so little we need
the smallest of dreams,
a mere mustard seed.
a glimpse, or a glimmer,
a flicker of light,
a promise of day
against vapid night.
hope
Suzanne Grosser
