Healing, Trauma, Emotions, a Patients' View on Post Traumatic Stress

07/31/2010 updated 08/04/2014

There are psychiatric terms for a disease or malady, called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Syndrome . It is likely referred to by professionals and laypersons as PTSD or PTSS.

I am not not a professional, but have sought professional help for this. I sought wellness, and cures for my emotional and mental issues over the years . As with most other humans, I've experienced several traumatic blows.

What happens is an occurrence or event strikes a human deeply, for sometimes unknown reason, but it will always be there. Some healers call it, body or deep tissue memories .

Soldiers who see battle almost always have residue affects. There are some people who are able to handle it, compartmentalize it, and live healthy and fruitful, while another soldier, standing five feet away from those who cope, can be tormented for decades or a life time. It is what is witnessed. What picture flashed - how deeply it is remembered - felt.

People with no sense of protection, are more likely to repeatedly fall into familial patterns of unhealthy or mismatched relationships. It is natural to lean toward what is familiar. This does not mean they prefer or seek abuse, they do not know any other way.

Those who would lay blame on a person for falling into these patterns is operating as a hurtful or damaging entity.

For decades, PTSD was solely associated with War Veterans, and it has not been used to up treatment of War Veterans probably affected by said Syndrome. PTSD has only recently been addressed in civilian society in the U.S.This is because this diagnosis is based on the patients trauma, and it would have to be classified as a life threatening event.

When a person meets terrible circumstances, their body is constantly at alert, and certain triggers can bring the past, and injurious episodes back instantly. Most research has been compiled by cases of Veterans of War...In the past few years, psychologists have found that Post Traumatic Stress is not isolated to Veterans of War.

Survivors of violence, rape, incest, robbery , kidnapping, abandonment , and other heart / mind wrenching episodes , may experience Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) ...If a person is beaten to a bloody pulp, 12 years ago, and the song Don't Worry, Be Happy was playing in the background, whenever the victim hears that song, their blood pressure will rise, heartbeat will increase, Panic can easily set in. Years later , and far away from the beating, Hearing,Don't Worry Be Happy , may cause distress. The long-ago victim may consider it a strange reaction, but it is not.

One of the problems in understanding, or making the connection is that when someone survives tragedy, the wonderful human mind and body have done everything to get you through it.

A victim may not even realize the song was playing in the background when the Beating was occurring, and may they may not understand their own "crazy" reactions.

The victim, hopefully survives, moves on, and perhaps gets counselling. Although counselling goes well, and a person is mostly well adjusted, whenever that song comes on, her body and mind will react as if she were in the rape once more. Our minds and bodies get us through tragedy, but these triggers can bring us back to the feeling of helplessness and terror. Fast heartbeat, crying, being appalled by sexual activity with a trusted partner. Anyone who has experienced grave trauma will benefit from specific PTSD counselling.

In 2002, I lost my youngest daughter to a car wreck. I have great faith in a higher power, but was in need of support. Along with the millions who have health insurance, that is too expensive to use, I searched and found a 12-Step program as a support system.

It was during this time, while reading and pouring through the literature, I found stories of those who suffered for years diagnosed, they spoke about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS).

The more I learned about it, the more I actively searched for counselors who offered this type of counselling. At the time, the only counselling available was geared toward Veterans.

Seek and you will find...

I located one practitioner, who offered counselling for PTSD. It took some juggling to make contact, when I did, she let the Counselor know, that I could only afford one session. The Counselor charged $125.00 per hour.

I asked the nice counselor Jill, to please give this to her in the Reader's Digest Condensed® version. In A Nutshell. Ms. Jill did an excellent job. It is my desire to share what I learned, to pass on this helpful knowledge. Hoping this will help others find their own path to wellness and peace.

I have a burden for the younger people, because adults are given the responsibility of protecting these gems. Children often do not have words to describe what is happening to them, or they bury it for survival purposes. Later, as adults we have issues .

When something terrible happens to a person , it may be buried for a time, but until the terror, sadness or trauma is "Felt", it will continue to pick at the wound. It will not go away without a few tears and some pain.

As a child, I had the bad luck to have a mean and spiteful babysitter. She burned and scarred my little hands, front and back. That was a lesson to me, not to play around the ironing board.

I was very young, and cannot recall everything. There are some dark and frightening moments that have found there way to the surface. She liked smothering me, give me air,smother...while I type this, I can feel physical affects, like quickness of heartbeat, shortness of breath, and a reluctance to revisit.

Sharing this, I feel scared, and a little panicky. Years away from that abuser, I am no little helpless child any longer, but the trauma remains. It is no longer a mysterious ailment that pops up during a innocent conversation, or brings fear for seemingly no reason.

I continue toward healing, and have worked through many things. One example, for the sake of others, is; The Babysitter used to say, "I want to talk to you later Lori! She would play this out for hours or days. It was torment, because she took pleasure in then tearing me down.

When I became an adult, at the job, in a loving relationship or friendship, if someone would say, Lori,"I need to talk to you later about something", I would begin a slow descent into hell.

Blood pressure, heart rate, depression.

Before the PTSS counselling, I did not associate these sorrowful feelings with anything other than life being unfair, and people were out to hurt me. Unaware, those simple words, transported me right back to a defenseless child who was going to be harmed mentally and maybe physically.

By learning that past trauma can remain buried deep in our minds, hearts and tissue, and getting an ah-ha moment when you can learn to grip your response with what you now know. Knowing is half the battle, or a third or whatever the measurement is.

Understanding is the beginning of healing. The other thing the Brave psychologist taught Lilly, is the opposite of storing trauma, and that is the stored Good Memories and experiences.

My favorite thing in the world is to be in the woods during the Fall, going into the Ozark mountains. I will locate a giant Oak tree, snuggle down into her mighty roots and imagine a loving Mother that is protecting me from everything. The scents of the Ouachita Forest are forever etched deep in my tissue memory. From there my ears can hear, relating to the heart, the song of Piney Creek. Other sounds and smells can bring me back to the feelings of safety and happiness in moments. It brings me calming and peace whenever I thinks of it, or I am there.

Those who have had it rough, and have deep tissue memories of horror, has a positive weapon ready to be made. Make or Recall good feelings, and happy moments.

If there is even one time you were safe, or had someone step in and stop the terror, think about that Good. Anyone who escaped from a kidnapping, or recovered from a beating due to the brave actions of a loving person, can imprint the healing memories to counter the Stressful memories.

I hope this helps, if even one person. We are all in this together . If we are blessed enough to survive hell, we can bless others in letting them know that people do survive, and can thrive.

If one person can go on to have a decent life, then everyone has the same chance. Often, it depends on us.

I recently experienced a reunion with someone who helped me during her childhood . They were empathetic to me as a child, because she was abused growing up. It had been 30 years, and upon their reunion, I learned that the person who helped me, back then, was still tormented by an abusive parent who had passed. They felt like that parent had "ruined" their life...

I was shocked that she who had the tools available, to move on, she stayed in torment. We are only ruined if we decide to let our experience ruin us.

My life is not perfect, and I admit to issues needing work, but my life is not ruined. I am blessed and lucky to be alive.