Free writing sounds lovely. Let your mind go free, write whatever comes to mind for 10, 15 or 20 minutes. This article makes it sound wonderful and relaxing. https://alternativehealthfortoday.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/free-writing-therapy-as-a-method-of-relaxation/ The author of the above article does not live with my mind. I absolutely believe that free writing has its place in healing. For me however,…
Wow. Mindfulness is what I would call a MEGA tool. It helps people with all sorts of issues not just PTSD. A lot is written about it. All 3 of my counselors talked about using mindfulness, being present, counting breathes, and several other references. This to me is like hitting the pause button when you…
Small triumphs reinforce using PTSD symptoms. So what do I mean by that? Last night I flew to see my daughter. Flying causes me a lot of anxiety because I have to pay attention to someone else’s schedule and not miss my flight when they have delays, lay overs, and other traps for a time…
Hyper-focus is one of the symptoms of PTSD for some people. This is the ability to devout 100% of your attention on one thing. It is considered a negative thing because a person may block out the rest of the world so completely they don’t notice their house is on fire. So why would I…
Keep It Simple Sweety Yup, do not underestimate the power of combining several simple solutions. Before I started counseling, I figured out that simple changes can make a profound difference. During counseling I learned many more simple changes to make in my life. At first, I was hesitant to try them, too easy. But continued…
Every once in a while I back myself into a corner with my writing and I am not sure how to proceed. I am writing about different tools for a coping toolbox. PTSD is an extreme emergency survival tool. Unfortunately, it is like driving a tank down a residential street. Gas mileage is terrible and…
First, I had to know what it was. My entire childhood was so full of lies to protect ‘family image,’ I didn’t even realize how much I lied. Sometimes the lies were omitting the truth but that was necessary for my survival. I would get punished for telling the truth. If I reported truthfully to…
I believe this is one of the most powerful tools I was ever blessed with. Thank you first counselor. He taught me the power of the ‘I’. I came to his office complaining, “He did that…..” “She did this……” I didn’t understand that as long as I phrased all my thinking in what the other…
http://ptsd.about.com/od/relatedconditions/a/PTSDanger.htm Here is another perspective on the subject of anger. The article maps out the difference between destructive and constructive anger. Also the article has many links on how to manage anger. Using a time out was one of my favorite solutions. I would send myself to my room. I put out a stuffed TV…
Yup, I needed anger in my tool box. I don’t mean the kind of out of control that shuts off your brain type anger. Babies use anger to get their needs met. However, let a baby cry long enough, often enough the baby stops fighting for what it needs and dies. With that side note,…
PTSD - Accepting, Coping, Thriving 