Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Panic Attacks/Anxiety

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  • UNBEARABLE
    UNBEARABLE Member Posts: 23
    PTSD
    Blue,
    I have been recently been diagnosed with PTSD by two different doctors. However, I am not a survivor but was a caregiver. I saw my husband suffer horrifically and have night terrors and flashbacks of those moments. It is so real--the smells, the pain, the screaming. I actually get physically sick it is so real. Hopefully, time will take care of this.
  • HeartofSoul
    HeartofSoul Member Posts: 729 Member

    PTSD
    Blue,
    I have been recently been diagnosed with PTSD by two different doctors. However, I am not a survivor but was a caregiver. I saw my husband suffer horrifically and have night terrors and flashbacks of those moments. It is so real--the smells, the pain, the screaming. I actually get physically sick it is so real. Hopefully, time will take care of this.

    Trauma, Cancer Patients Have Much in Common
    See link and article below ( i think it can apply to caregivers too)

    Trauma, Cancer Patients Have Much in Common

    David Spiegel, M.D.
    http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/39/14/26.1.full
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104

    PTSD
    Blue,
    I have been recently been diagnosed with PTSD by two different doctors. However, I am not a survivor but was a caregiver. I saw my husband suffer horrifically and have night terrors and flashbacks of those moments. It is so real--the smells, the pain, the screaming. I actually get physically sick it is so real. Hopefully, time will take care of this.

    Hey Bear
    I'm glad you mentioned the post to me under this post I did a year ago, I didn't realize it was up again. I don't get those reminders of answers to posts like I used to from this site so I miss replies.

    I am so sorry about your diagnosis but hey at least now you have a name for what you were going through and can get into treatment as you mentioned. EMDR is wonderful at least for me it sure was. It got rid of two of my trauma memories - well you don't get rid of the memory, you still remember it but it doesn't interfere with your life anymore with EMDR. I didn't need any medications the EMDR helped me with it all. You have to find a licensed EMDR specialist though, I really like psychologists who use it myself, but I'm sure other specialties would be fine too, just make sure your referral to the specialist is sound.

    EMDR has helped so many people like Viet Nam Vets who hold great trauma scenes in their memories that affect them daily. To me we are at war with cancer too, isn't a stretch to me to think that in this we are not different from war survivors, we are war survivors.

    Boy when I think of the way I was treated years ago when I talked to my doctors about this possibility and was looked at like I was nanas I can't tell you how that invalidation felt. I am so happy that today those going through cancer and PTSD plus other side effects of our treatments that we report are now considered valid. VAlidation is so healing for us.

    I hope you look into EMDR and I hope it works for you too. REad up on it and see if you are comfortable with the concept, it's really pretty simple. Of course you may not qualify for EMDR for psychological or physical reasons but no harm in asking and giving it a shot if you can.

    I wish all the best for you in the New Year.

    Blessings,

    Bluerose
  • 3Mana
    3Mana Member Posts: 811

    PTSD
    Blue,
    I have been recently been diagnosed with PTSD by two different doctors. However, I am not a survivor but was a caregiver. I saw my husband suffer horrifically and have night terrors and flashbacks of those moments. It is so real--the smells, the pain, the screaming. I actually get physically sick it is so real. Hopefully, time will take care of this.

    Time does heal
    Hi,
    I think I kind of had ptsd also after watching my husband die. It was very traumatic cause he hemorraged in the bathroom and started to let go of the vanity and I just grabbed him and laid him on the floor. I was screaming and called 911, but I couldn't help him. I still can visualize it every time I'm in the bathroom. Are you on any meds?? I'm seeing a counselor and on meds and it's helped me alot. How long ago did your husband pass away?
    Take care. "Carole"
  • Sievert25
    Sievert25 Member Posts: 19
    bluerose said:

    Hey Bear
    I'm glad you mentioned the post to me under this post I did a year ago, I didn't realize it was up again. I don't get those reminders of answers to posts like I used to from this site so I miss replies.

    I am so sorry about your diagnosis but hey at least now you have a name for what you were going through and can get into treatment as you mentioned. EMDR is wonderful at least for me it sure was. It got rid of two of my trauma memories - well you don't get rid of the memory, you still remember it but it doesn't interfere with your life anymore with EMDR. I didn't need any medications the EMDR helped me with it all. You have to find a licensed EMDR specialist though, I really like psychologists who use it myself, but I'm sure other specialties would be fine too, just make sure your referral to the specialist is sound.

    EMDR has helped so many people like Viet Nam Vets who hold great trauma scenes in their memories that affect them daily. To me we are at war with cancer too, isn't a stretch to me to think that in this we are not different from war survivors, we are war survivors.

    Boy when I think of the way I was treated years ago when I talked to my doctors about this possibility and was looked at like I was nanas I can't tell you how that invalidation felt. I am so happy that today those going through cancer and PTSD plus other side effects of our treatments that we report are now considered valid. VAlidation is so healing for us.

    I hope you look into EMDR and I hope it works for you too. REad up on it and see if you are comfortable with the concept, it's really pretty simple. Of course you may not qualify for EMDR for psychological or physical reasons but no harm in asking and giving it a shot if you can.

    I wish all the best for you in the New Year.

    Blessings,

    Bluerose

    PTSD
    I first developed this while going thru a disability and caregiving for my dad, who was dying of esophageal cancer at the same time.

    It took many years of treatment to calm the panic attacks - I couldn't adjust to the loss of control we experience when things like this happen.

    I was dx'd with basal cell Monday and have been having severe problems since that day - can't eat, don't want to get out of bed, etc. Yup, it's the PTSD - the loss of control - the flashbacks, hitting me up again.
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    Sievert25 said:

    PTSD
    I first developed this while going thru a disability and caregiving for my dad, who was dying of esophageal cancer at the same time.

    It took many years of treatment to calm the panic attacks - I couldn't adjust to the loss of control we experience when things like this happen.

    I was dx'd with basal cell Monday and have been having severe problems since that day - can't eat, don't want to get out of bed, etc. Yup, it's the PTSD - the loss of control - the flashbacks, hitting me up again.

    Hello Sievert
    I am so sorry about your recent diagnosis. I hope you have kept in touch with your counsellor if you have had panic attacks in the past so that you may start up with him/her again to get you through this new diagnosis.

    Like I was saying to another survivor here PTSD is very specific, wasn't sure if you had actually gotten the diagnosis once or just thought you had it, but regardless a good counsellor will help you through - a psychologist always worked the best for me - who specialized in traumas and stress.

    One step at a time Sievert, try to not think too far into the future with the new diagnosis except for setting a goal for yourself to reach after the treatments are done and the cancer is gone. I think having a goal is very important.

    Keep posting on this site, as you have seen, lots of survivors here that understand what you are going through and can help.

    Hang on, you can do it with support.

    Blessings,

    Bluerose
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    3Mana said:

    Time does heal
    Hi,
    I think I kind of had ptsd also after watching my husband die. It was very traumatic cause he hemorraged in the bathroom and started to let go of the vanity and I just grabbed him and laid him on the floor. I was screaming and called 911, but I couldn't help him. I still can visualize it every time I'm in the bathroom. Are you on any meds?? I'm seeing a counselor and on meds and it's helped me alot. How long ago did your husband pass away?
    Take care. "Carole"

    Hi there Mana
    Flashbacks can be a part of PTSD but there are other symptoms that go with it too so hard to know if you had PTSD or not, a psychologist/psychiatrist would be able to test for it for sure and I am glad you are seeing someone to help you through. I think most survivors if not all need a counsellor on standby for times when they are low and experience new emotional issues. I have a couple of them and see them as I need them and they have sure helped me through the tought spots.

    I was on anti anxiety meds when I came into a bad patch but I wasnt able to take anti depressants as I was allergic to a couple of them. I found the anti anxiety meds, the 'pams' meds that ended with that suffix, just took the edge off and for me that's all I needed. However thats just in my case as that was properly diagnosed for me but for you it could be different - we are all different of course.

    Hope you are doing better today.

    Blessings,

    Bluerose
  • Sievert25
    Sievert25 Member Posts: 19
    bluerose said:

    Hello Sievert
    I am so sorry about your recent diagnosis. I hope you have kept in touch with your counsellor if you have had panic attacks in the past so that you may start up with him/her again to get you through this new diagnosis.

    Like I was saying to another survivor here PTSD is very specific, wasn't sure if you had actually gotten the diagnosis once or just thought you had it, but regardless a good counsellor will help you through - a psychologist always worked the best for me - who specialized in traumas and stress.

    One step at a time Sievert, try to not think too far into the future with the new diagnosis except for setting a goal for yourself to reach after the treatments are done and the cancer is gone. I think having a goal is very important.

    Keep posting on this site, as you have seen, lots of survivors here that understand what you are going through and can help.

    Hang on, you can do it with support.

    Blessings,

    Bluerose

    Hey Blue Rose
    Yes, I did have a formal diagnosis of PTSD. However, that was about 10 years ago and I was in AZ, haven't seen or needed a counselor since 2006.

    I did speak to my Internist about feeling badly and he has put me on Lexapro. 5 days in now and I am getting back on track. Also with the help of a little valium I had left over from awhile back.

    The support in here helps immensely; also having a sister in law who is a breast cancer survivor and an aunt who has already had about 4 Moh's to talk with.

    Thanks for the blessings!

    Marsha
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    Sievert25 said:

    Hey Blue Rose
    Yes, I did have a formal diagnosis of PTSD. However, that was about 10 years ago and I was in AZ, haven't seen or needed a counselor since 2006.

    I did speak to my Internist about feeling badly and he has put me on Lexapro. 5 days in now and I am getting back on track. Also with the help of a little valium I had left over from awhile back.

    The support in here helps immensely; also having a sister in law who is a breast cancer survivor and an aunt who has already had about 4 Moh's to talk with.

    Thanks for the blessings!

    Marsha

    Hi Marsha
    Just a short note to mention that, as you might know, PTSD can flare up now and again with flashbacks, startle responses etc and so it wouldn't hurt if you checked in with a good PTSD expert just to see if you are on track.

    Did you have EMDR for your PTSD? I had that therapy and it helped immensely with 2 trauma scenes I had never causing any more problems for me even 15 years after the therapy.

    Hope you are doing better.

    Take care.

    Bluerose
  • Sievert25
    Sievert25 Member Posts: 19
    bluerose said:

    Hi Marsha
    Just a short note to mention that, as you might know, PTSD can flare up now and again with flashbacks, startle responses etc and so it wouldn't hurt if you checked in with a good PTSD expert just to see if you are on track.

    Did you have EMDR for your PTSD? I had that therapy and it helped immensely with 2 trauma scenes I had never causing any more problems for me even 15 years after the therapy.

    Hope you are doing better.

    Take care.

    Bluerose

    EMDR
    Not familiar with that one. I had 3 rounds of ECT, which seemed to help.

    The last 2 days have been much better - however, I have an Internist appt on Monday and am going to ask for the name of a good therapist. At this point, a few sessions may be in order!

    I have heard the term before, but do not remember what it is - can you explain?
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    Sievert25 said:

    EMDR
    Not familiar with that one. I had 3 rounds of ECT, which seemed to help.

    The last 2 days have been much better - however, I have an Internist appt on Monday and am going to ask for the name of a good therapist. At this point, a few sessions may be in order!

    I have heard the term before, but do not remember what it is - can you explain?

    Hi Sievert
    EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and I forget what the R stands for. lol.

    You can google the EMDR Institute which is in the U.S. and get all the skinny on what it is all about but basically it's a therapy used for Post Traumatic Stress disorder and of course you need to be properly diangosed by a reputable psychiatrist/pshychologist first. I have had great experiences with psychology in this type of therapy for me personally.

    Anywho it sounds odd but it makes total sense when you read all about the reasonings behind EMDR and how it works but the therapist asks you to sit comfortable and then to think about the incident that happened that left you traumatized and keeps replaying in your mind. As you think about the scene of this trauma moment, at the same time, you are supposed to follow with your eyes the therapists hand as he moves it slowly from left to right over and over. Nothing is said but you just keep thinking of the trauma and watching his hand moving. Sounds odd I know but for me and many others it totally worked.

    The best way it was described to me is that it's all about creating a distraction for the brain by the waving of the hand while you are thinking of the trauma, thereby freeing the 'stuck' memory of that awful moment and allowing that memory to be filed in your memory like normal non invasive memories are. Trauma memories aren't filed normally by the brain they stick there and are therefore played over and over.

    When a true trauma scene plays out for a person all around them seems to stop except for the trauma, they often remember nothing else at that moment but the trauma - they block out everything else around them. To me my theory, flawed as it might be but makes sense to me, is that the brain does this for protection of overload by the trauma - blocks everything else out so you can handle the horrific incident that was traumatizing. So EMDR works by providing a distraction to the isloated trauma scene by the waving of the hand - that is the distraction. This is done til the memory of the trauma is let lose and can be filed like any other regular non traumatic memory.

    You don't forget the trauma at all but it no longer interferes with your life. It doesn't repeat over and over because it is now a regular memory. It doesn't bother you anymore but you clearly remember it, you just aren't forced to keep reliving it over and over.

    EMDR is usually done in conjunction with behaviour modification therapy or some other form that is fit for the individual's personal situation. If you have this done through psychiatry they may use a med too for this or that but for me I only needed the EMDR and a little behaviour modification plus an anxiety med now and then from my GP and that was it.

    Not everyone apparently can benefit from EMDR so clearly you need that diagnosis first and then you might bump into doctors who don't like the therapy for one reason or another, it's more widely accepted today than every before. There have been some studies down a bit back that warned of issues with it, physical issues like heart hastles or something, but I never had an issue with that at all.

    Everyone who hears of any therapy or drug or food that they should look into though needs to pass it by their doctors first in case for some reason it's not good for them for one reason or another. It worked for me but you are a whole different person with different issues so it might not work in your case or might not be able to be used because of some health issues. You have to do your homework on it or any other thing that is mentioned by anyone so just let me mention that from the getgo.

    All the best with everything. Let me know how it goes, I would be interested.

    Check out the EMDR Institute's website, they go into it all and I'm sure you will find it interesting.

    Blessings,
    Bluerose
  • Sievert25
    Sievert25 Member Posts: 19
    bluerose said:

    Hi Sievert
    EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and I forget what the R stands for. lol.

    You can google the EMDR Institute which is in the U.S. and get all the skinny on what it is all about but basically it's a therapy used for Post Traumatic Stress disorder and of course you need to be properly diangosed by a reputable psychiatrist/pshychologist first. I have had great experiences with psychology in this type of therapy for me personally.

    Anywho it sounds odd but it makes total sense when you read all about the reasonings behind EMDR and how it works but the therapist asks you to sit comfortable and then to think about the incident that happened that left you traumatized and keeps replaying in your mind. As you think about the scene of this trauma moment, at the same time, you are supposed to follow with your eyes the therapists hand as he moves it slowly from left to right over and over. Nothing is said but you just keep thinking of the trauma and watching his hand moving. Sounds odd I know but for me and many others it totally worked.

    The best way it was described to me is that it's all about creating a distraction for the brain by the waving of the hand while you are thinking of the trauma, thereby freeing the 'stuck' memory of that awful moment and allowing that memory to be filed in your memory like normal non invasive memories are. Trauma memories aren't filed normally by the brain they stick there and are therefore played over and over.

    When a true trauma scene plays out for a person all around them seems to stop except for the trauma, they often remember nothing else at that moment but the trauma - they block out everything else around them. To me my theory, flawed as it might be but makes sense to me, is that the brain does this for protection of overload by the trauma - blocks everything else out so you can handle the horrific incident that was traumatizing. So EMDR works by providing a distraction to the isloated trauma scene by the waving of the hand - that is the distraction. This is done til the memory of the trauma is let lose and can be filed like any other regular non traumatic memory.

    You don't forget the trauma at all but it no longer interferes with your life. It doesn't repeat over and over because it is now a regular memory. It doesn't bother you anymore but you clearly remember it, you just aren't forced to keep reliving it over and over.

    EMDR is usually done in conjunction with behaviour modification therapy or some other form that is fit for the individual's personal situation. If you have this done through psychiatry they may use a med too for this or that but for me I only needed the EMDR and a little behaviour modification plus an anxiety med now and then from my GP and that was it.

    Not everyone apparently can benefit from EMDR so clearly you need that diagnosis first and then you might bump into doctors who don't like the therapy for one reason or another, it's more widely accepted today than every before. There have been some studies down a bit back that warned of issues with it, physical issues like heart hastles or something, but I never had an issue with that at all.

    Everyone who hears of any therapy or drug or food that they should look into though needs to pass it by their doctors first in case for some reason it's not good for them for one reason or another. It worked for me but you are a whole different person with different issues so it might not work in your case or might not be able to be used because of some health issues. You have to do your homework on it or any other thing that is mentioned by anyone so just let me mention that from the getgo.

    All the best with everything. Let me know how it goes, I would be interested.

    Check out the EMDR Institute's website, they go into it all and I'm sure you will find it interesting.

    Blessings,
    Bluerose

    Thanks
    I will do some research!