We all have our breaking point, the place where the emotional or physiological terror has become too much.  This devastating place can be a form of abuse or assault, a motor vehicle accident or any circumstance where we feel psychologically or physiologically threatened.  We call this condition PTSD, or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and it can happen to any of us regardless of personality or ability.

It is important for people with PTSD to develop as much kindness and compassion for themselves as possible and then…to develop even more.  Someone who has experienced a life threatening event and develops PTSD, does not feel like the same person.  They may feel like the "I" they knew is gone and can't be found; their confidence, buoyancy and ability to relate to the world has disappeared. This person begins to feel afraid of aspects of life that previously had felt safe.  They may be avoiding aspects of their life which remind them of the trauma.  Perhaps their feelings have grown flat or numb, making it harder for them to connect with others and then they feel more isolated and alone.  At the same time, they likely feel a kind of hyperarousal, are easily irritated and angered while they have also developed a kind of vigilance, caution and hopelessness about the world..  To make matters worse,  it is likely that they  can not  sleep, are reliving the events and their concentration and memory are impaired. Again, someone with PTSD needs enormous empathy and support.

It is so important for someone with PTSD to seek some form of treatment, whether it be family doctor, minister, support group or therapist.  This is a condition which can get worse without intervention as the person retreats from the world and has trouble finding themselves and others.  People often feel a sense of shame as they have tried to get control over their symptoms, but in spite of their desire and effort, they simply can not do it.  Try to recognize that this condition is not your fault, your physiology has been altered and you need help re-regulating yourself.

People who have this condition often need to tell their story to someone outside of the family in order to feel alive and whole again.   They have lost parts of themselves and need to let someone else know the tragic nature of their circumstance.  At the same time, people need tools to gain a sense of greater control.  In addition to talk psychotherapy, I used a wide variety of techniques intersensory integration, somatic experiencing,mindfulness meditation, guided imagery, progressive relaxation and breathing techniques.

Resources:

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/

http://www.helpguide.org/artic...