trauma PTSD stress healing

I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2007. I had a lot of big stressors in my life for a time period. I am finding hard to put in to this format. I may bounce back and forth a bit during my posts so please be patient with me. I am so much better now then I ever was! Before the sressors and before the event that finally consumed me leading to the PTSD diagnosis. I know I have changed so much and I am still not done changing. It has been almost 11 months . About 8 months ago I realized I was in trouble and reached out for help. I felt like my body was shutting down. I remember feeling like my soul/spirit left my body nothing was making sense to me. You have to know the basics. I'll keep it brief. I stopped an attempted suicide by one of my staff members. This person is doing well now. You would think I would be rejoicing since their life was saved but no it was the opposite. From there life was going to be different and I could fight it or allow it to take its place. I fought it. I was use to being in control of my feelings and certianly did not see the lodgic in loosing it (my mind etc) over this situation. If you feel like you are out of control with worry, fear, anxiety, nightmares etc seek some professional help. That is how I started to get better. I will write again soon. Keep in mind you do not always get what you want and some day you may be thank ful for that. I know I am.

Causes, symptoms and treatment of trauma

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Causes, Symptoms And TreatmentBy [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kum_Martin]Kum Martin
Post traumatic stress disorder can be simply described as a human mind response to the trauma. Any catastrophic event that eventually disturbs the entire course of a person's life can cause trauma and mental agony. Every person, who experiences a trauma, also gets affected due to the stress created by the shock. While some people recover quickly from the disturbances, some others have a deeper impact on their minds resulting in disturbed psychological symptoms and impaired functioning. Such psychiatric conditions that develop following a trauma are together known as post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
According to statistics, substantial numbers of people in our society suffer from PTSD. Apart from being detrimental to an individual's life, PTSD also results in consequences that are not beneficial to the society. Suicidal tendency and the problem of alcohol and drug abuse is high in people suffering from PTSD. Some of the patients might even end up indulging in criminal activities. The most probable victims of PTSD include people who are victims of violence, physical abuse, sexual assault, child abuse and other similar atrocities. Also included in this list are survivors of natural and man-made disasters, war veterans and victims of terrorism.
It takes weeks, months and sometimes years to develop the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. This disorder can occur in patients of any age group including children and elders. Some of the symptoms of the disorder include impaired memory, troubled concentration, restlessness, nervousness, anxiety, fear, depression, irritated behavior, feeling emotionally numb, flashbacks, self-destructive behavior, feeling of shame or guilt and increased vigilance.
Treatment of patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder involves psychotherapy and medication using anti-depressants.
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Effects of StressBy [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dr_Peter_Lind]Dr Peter Lind
Think for a minute what the body goes through during events of stress. No matter what goes on in our lives, the body is resilient to almost everything we put it through; almost everything.
But there will be breakdown sooner or later.
One of the effects of stress is dysfunction of the adrenal glands; an adrenal enlargement. These are the stress glands of choice in the body. These glands literally become fatigued and "stressed". Caffeine, sugar, inactivity, emotional stress, physical stress all have a profound effect on the adrenal system and lowers any chance of dealing with stress.
Another effect in reaction to stress is the activity of the lymphatic system; an intense shrinkage or atrophy of the thymus, the spleen, the lymph nodes and lymphatic structures throughout the body. They cannot keep immune surveillance. Do you know people who are always sick? Check out their level of stress and you'll find a correlation.
Another effect of stress on the body is bleeding in the lining of the stomach and intestines. The stomach and intestinal lining literally ulcerate.
Another effect of stress is when your mind and body cannot fight against the amount of stress that you are experiencing. These effects of stress show up on the body.
So are these symptoms and effects of stress bad? If we listen and learn from our symptoms we can lessen the effects of stress and become healthy. This can almost be overwhelming to think about and deal with. Isn't every symptom related to stress? Absolutely. Everything we do is related to some kind of stress.
It is only when our mind and body do not overcome the amounts of stress that we have full-blown effects of stress.
Symptoms are important -- if we listen and learn from them. They speak volumes about a person's health and state of well-being.
The symptoms of stress are symptoms related to the causes of stress: physical, electromagnetic/geopathic, thermal, allergies/sensitivities, toxins/poisons, nutrition, and emotions.
Most people are interested emotions that relate to stress. Emotional stress is what people consider when they think about stress. Emotional health is paramount to your health and well-being. To get a grasp on your stress you have to take time to understand your emotional state. When you do this you can change it for the better.
In order to understand the seriousness of stress you have to understand the three hallmark changes that occur during the type of stress.
A. Acute: a stress that is immediate and short-lived.
B. Chronic: a stress of long-term duration with no end in sight.
Once the body is engaged in the fight against the stress it may not be long until it begins to show the damages. It depends on the health of the person in the first place. In a weak, ill-healthy person, the fight is difficult and the damages can be life-threatening.
Instead of putting attention to the effects of stress, the focus needs to shift to the cause and elimination of stress.
Spend time focusing on your stress triggers. What is it that triggers your stress response? Once you begin to find these you can begin a process of changing your response to it. Instead of responding the old, destructive way, pick a new productive response and become good at it. Here is where you can develop a new pattern and behavior more suitable to reducing stress.
Work on this process for a month and notice the difference. You may find that your symptoms of stress will melt away and fall by the wayside.
To find out your effects of stress, go to [http://www.stress-less-living.com]Effects of Stress for a free stress package of information. Permission is granted to reprint the article, free of charge, providing that the article remains unchanged.
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - The Body Responds To TraumaBy [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Cynthia_McKenna]Cynthia McKenna
Trauma can affect our physical and emotional well-being. It results when an event causes a person to feel an overwhelming sense of vulnerability and loss of control. Some people will get through a trauma without many after-effects. However, some people will be profoundly affected.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs when a person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which:
they have witnessed or experienced an event that involves actual or threatened serious injury or death of self or otherstheir response to this event includes intense fear, helplessness, and/or horror
The following symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder will show up quickly, and will last for more than one month. Following a severe trauma, a person may experience: feeling numb, or “in a daze”tries not to think about the event but has intrusive memories of the trauma - images, thoughts, sensory memoriesrecurrent, stressful dreams of the traumatic eventintrusive, vivid memories of the trauma that cause a person to feel as if they are reliving the event (flashbacks)hypersensitivity to stimuli that remind them of the traumatic eventavoidance of people or places that might be reminders of the traumachange in eating and/or sleeping habitsincreased irritabilityeasily startledconstantly checking their surroundings to make sure they are safetrouble focusingsense of loss or sadnessHelp is available for those with PTSD. Many people find relief through talking with a therapist or counselor. The therapeutic relationship can help normalize the symptoms and let the person know that they are not alone in their struggle. Treatment often includes learning various relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety and bring about a sense of peace. Therapists may also use special treatment modalities to help the person resolve the trauma. These treatments might include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, also known as EMDR, or hypnotherapy.
Recovery from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be a slow process. Again, it depends a lot on the person’s history of trauma and their individual coping style. PTSD does not have to dominate your life. You can get help. You can get your life back.
© 2006 Cynthia McKenna LPC, NCC - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Cynthia McKenna LPC, NCC is a therapist and life-coach who helps people have more joy and peace in daily living. Cynthia works with clients throughout the country by email and phone, and also sees clients in her Texas Hill Country office.
If you think you or a loved one has PTSD and you would like to schedule an appointment, or if you want to subscribe to Cynthia's e-newsletter, [http://Cynthiamckennacounseling.com/contact.htm/]Contact Cynthia McKenna
Visit Cynthia McKenna's website: [http://CynthiaMcKennaCounseling.com/]http://CynthiaMcKennaCounseling.com
Check out Cynthia McKenna's Blog: [http://counseling.typepad.com]CounselingBlog
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surround yourself with positive sounds

In our busy lives we have so much noise it is hard to remember some sounds are harmful and others are soothing to us. It is hard to quiet it down. When dealing with trauma/stress it helps to make sure you have sounds you like that are soothing to you or make you happier. This could be a favorite singer, meditation or nature sounds or even a comedian. Try to plan on it once a day at a time you can listen and enjoy. At other times shut the noise off. Turn off TV radio etc. You may be surprised to hear your own breathing (and what it may sound like with the stress). Just some ideas.

internet is full of info

The internet is full of info on possible causes and the basic symptoms. I will try to post some helpful articles to make it easier instead of digging through all the info out there.
I know there are many things that can help you through this process which I will try to post as well. i.e. meditation, breathing exercises etc.
A variety worked for me after of course I stopped fighting it. You may have to try new things to feel better, but it varies.