PTSD help

[The-red-centaur]

10 days ago I was assaulted and nearly raped at night in town. I can't deal with it. Anyone got ideas on flashbacks and flooding

[Former-Member]

Hi @The-red-centaur 

From what I am reading, it sounds like you have had a really frightening experience and your body and mind are trying to 'make sense' of what happened by replaying events. It is helpful in some cases, but in the extreme it can feel very triggering.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to ride the wave of emotions?

Or finding ways to stay grounded?

Take care of yourself.

thecolourblue

[Starta]

Hello @The-red-centaur ,

Im really so sorry that happened to you...It’s only early day I mean it’s just happened, I am wondering if you could go and speak to your gp..ptsd isn’t something that you can deal with on your own...I have ptsd and even years after the cause of mine, I’m still struggling...I left it very late to get professional help...Please if you can and feel able to can you speak to your gp so she/he can get you some professional counciling?..

When my flashbacks take hold of me..I light several candles and watch the dancing flame and put on some music I like and know with my earphones in..it seems to help calm me down....by bringing me back to the here and now....(Mindfulness)...Do you have something that you really enjoy doing that takes 100% of your concerntration, so you can take your mind away from your flashback thoughts....Our minds can usually only think one thing at a time, so it’s best if we do something we like to distract our mind from negative back to positive thoughts...

Not sure if I help at all..but I wanted to try...

Please be very gentle and kind to you...

sitting with you...

Starta.

[May23]

Hi @The-red-centaur 

I'm so sorry to hear you were attacked. 10 years ago I was raped so I completely understand the flashbacks and overwhelming emotions that can come on out of nowhere. I wish I could give you a quick fix but unfortunately it doesn't work that way. For me there are still to this day triggers that send me back there. However the way I deal with the reaction to these triggers has changed. Learning to deal with all of the emotions might be tough and take some time but please keep trying. 

Have you tried grounding techniques to bring your mind and body back to the present?

Here if you need or want to talk further

[The-red-centaur]

@Starta I already see a counsellor. I like listening to music too, and playing Xbox. Also I find talking to someone re calms me down.

@May23 thanks. I'm still trying to get back on top of my grounding techniques

[The-red-centaur]

Drunk people suck. So triggered rn.