hey,
you've posted a good question. I can tell you that when I'm healthy
and not suffering a severe bought of PTS I can live without the meds.
last year i either suffered a horrendous rape or some how relived an
older rape, what
i believed to have put in the past. either way oh, the sewage, it did
come up
wreaking total havoc on my life.
i have suffered post traumatic in a couple of different phases of my life
but had gotten used to living on the outskirts of depression. for me
the meds only made it horribly worse. i don't believe in them at all.
exercise works. gets the endorphins flowing naturally. if you can avoid
caffeine, or at least indulge in smaller amounts, it helps. i'd skip the coffee.
really cranks up the nervous system and that's not what post traumatic
wants or needs. meditation helps me. i'm a big believer in quality silence
of course i live alone with just my dog and cat so its easier for me than
most. but just making time to be alone helps. then if you can supportively
be alone, as in on these boards, or reading a good book, reading the paper,
doing something that engages you in society, without requiring a direct
reaction from you; that's natural.
yoga and or pilates are life savers. going to the gym to jump on the
treadmill or a high impact aerobics class could ramp you up and make it
worse, so focus on more relaxing kinds of exercises.
the less stimulation the less stress the better.
sometimes massage works, though for me, i'd be stressing about the person
massaging me so it should be someone i really trust and more importantly
feel comfortable around.
hope that helps. therapy for me was a lot of time a big no go as in
i was always arguing with the therapist as in, no, that's not it, you don't
get it. but therapies are out there, there is some kind of rapid eye movement
therapy, that's natural that works on desensitization, that would be a good
one to find a therapst that works on that.
this reply is going on and i apologize. i hope at least something in here
has helped. oh, and alcohol is no good. at least not for me.
many blessings,
helen
i've been there and am there now, still searching and reaching towards
tomorrow. some days are better than others, i'd rather be able to say
that in a complete sentence, look that wasn't even, than be hopped up
on some pychosomatic drug that makes me slur my speech or screws
with my brain waves, pathways i myself have lovingly carved out and
rely upon. think long and hard before you swallow.
