SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

I was watching a program on recovery from ptsd. I feel this whole experience is a form of ptsd. Many on here also have said the same. They feel like they now have ptsd.

well anyway--in helping those heal. One thing they said was to stop when you have the triggers and try to distract yourself with some new thoughts. the triggers are like when your emotions shut down and freeze you. Its like a deer in the headlights. You can't move on because you are incapable--you are frozen. In order to move on try distraction.

Physical distractions work to retrain the brain. Move your eyes side to side to lull it into a new pattern.

For traumatized children they advocated sitting down and giving yourself a butterfly hug by wrapping your arms around you to hug yourself--seems like it could help adults too?

in addition try concentrating on breathing in and out.

then they said for trauma victims sometimes talking isn't always the best response to them. they can't process their true thoughts in the middle of triggers. What they crave most is knowledge that they are now safe. So simply saying your are safe now and reassuring them is best rather than talking through feelings.

anyway--maybe this will help people that feel stuck. I notice many on here say that often.

maybe looking up online how to handle ptsd will give more ideas.

i have had treatment for it using electrical stimulation. It has helped a lot.

Sure, we can do all those things, and we probably should. But the fact that we HAVE to do this because the person who was supposed to have our back stabbed us in it pisses me off.

I wouldn't try to self diagnose PTSD - if you think you have it, I'd see a professional (understanding that this may not be an option for various reasons for monetary or other reasons). Depending on the severity you may be doing yourself more harm than good. A lot of the PTSD techniques are simple - mindful meditation, controlled breathing, exposure therapy, EMDR, etc. And even with a pro, in my experience it's hit or miss what techniques work with each individual. Just my 2 cents.

Thank you for the tips. I'm not sure if it's PTSD or just an anxiety attack, but there are times when I'm triggered and all the feelings of DDAY come back. The floor is falling from beneath me and it's the end of all my security and life. It doesn't go away right away. It takes time, but certainly distracting the mind and remembering that you are safe now helps.

I don't think WS's understand this fully.