"OUT OF THE DARKNESS" POST 121

PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition which is brought on by an extremely stressful or frightening event in one's life, either by being part of the event or witnessing it.   Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontollable thought patterns in regard to the traumatic event.  People who go through traumatic events may have a hard time adjusting or coping for a while.  With time and taking good care of themselves, they usually get better.  For those few whose symptoms become worse instead of better, they will lose their ability to function in their daily routines.  The disorder usually starts within about three months of the traumatic situation.  When it affects your ability to function in society, help will have to be sought out.

PTSD symptoms are put into four different groups:

Intrusive Memories

Avoidance

Negative Changes in Thinking

      and Mood

And

Changes in Physical or         

     Emotional Reactions

We hear mostly it seems, of the PTSD symptom of Intrusive Memories among the people returning from war.  So many of these victims end up living on the street because of not being able to cope in their everyday lives once they have returned.  It's such a sad thing to think about.  These traumatic memories can resurface over and over again as though playing on a loop within their mind. For some, it may be actually reliving the event as flashbacks.  They can have severely disturbing dreams as well.  Intrusive thinking in regard to traumatic events can and will cause severe emotional distress.

Many people who have been through something terrible tend to push it continuously out of their mind as though it would just go away.  It rarely does.  If you avoid the emotional pain you are experiencing, whether you are aware of it or not, by just continuing to be avoidant of the event all together, it can cause a  downward spiral into a deep depression that is hard to recover from.  They could want to distance themselves from places, activities or people that remind them of the trauma.

 Symptoms of changes in thinking come about as negative self-talk and negativity towards others as well.  They even could begin thinking negatively about the world in general. A person will start to carry negative emotions such as fear, guilt, blame, anger or shame.  They can feel emotionally numb.  They can start feeling detached from their family and friends and lose interest in things they once enjoyed.  People who have been through such a traumatic experience can have a difficult time feeling positive emotion.

When someone experiences changes in physical and emotional reaction, they will be easily startled,  have self-destructive behavior, trouble concentrating, trouble sleeping, sexual dysfunction and anger outbursts.  Physical reactions in their body such as sweating, shaking and/or rapid heartbeat can occur.

PTSD symptoms can become worse if you are already generally stressed, even though you are not feeling stressed within the post traumatic stress dynamic.

These issues are some of the most important that people need to heal,  as we just keep piling more trauma on to an already  overwhelmed heart.  There are many of us who have childhood traumas that have never been dealt with.  This was something I needed to work on, for sure, and I did.  I am clear of it today.

This is a necessary part of helping yourself heal spiritually.  Trust me when I tell you, you have no idea how heavy this has  been to carry within you for so many years.  I feel like a new person, since I've healed my shadows, as they are called. The traumas literally make your whole body heavy with pain.

Through meditation, call on the Creator to help you get started with your healing today.

💞🕊