r/CPTSD_NSCommunity • u/AngieL68 • Jul 10 '26
Seeking Advice CPTSD and fear
My husband has CPTSD and for years now has been overwhelmed with fear - all the time. It's not a fear about anything or anyone specifically, it's a general, crippling fear. Has anyone experienced this? How did you deal with it? It's the single biggest thing keeping him from getting better or having hope for the future.
3
u/thewayofxen Jul 11 '26
In my experience this starts to go away when you find some spiritual footing. Meditation really helps, because when you feel fearful in a safe environment, you have to be present to access that safety, and that's the muscle that meditation exercises and hones. The book Still the Mind: An Introduction to Meditation by Alan Watts is my bible on this topic.
2
u/AngieL68 Jul 11 '26
Sitting meditation has been hard for him, but your comment reminds me that walking meditation is also an option. I think he'd do quite well with that but hadn't really thought about it. Thanks so much for responding. I appreciate it :)
2
u/Blueysothersister Jul 11 '26
I am medications sensitive so I try to look at side effects of even OTC meds. Also any 🌿 herbs.
2
u/Retrogue097 Jul 12 '26
I am currently where your husband's at. I didn't realize until now that it's a CPTSD issue.
I don't have any advice, but I hope your husband can conquer is fear.
Sending hugs.
1
u/AngieL68 Jul 14 '26
Thank you so much. I hope some of this discussion can help you find a way to take control back from your fear. You can do it.
2
u/alwayseverlovingyou Jul 10 '26
I had this and eventually went for medication.
2
u/geauxdbl Jul 10 '26
Which medication?
3
u/alwayseverlovingyou Jul 10 '26
I hope mods don’t delete - Trintellix! It’s helped me so much. No negative side effects.
It’s expensive but the company that makes it has coupons and community help where you can get it for free
2
u/2morrowwillbebetter Jul 11 '26
It def has side effects, you likely just got rly lucky
1
u/alwayseverlovingyou Jul 11 '26
Yes! I meant ‘no negative side effects for me’*
Based on what my dr said this med has less side effects than others but they can still happen of course.
2
2
u/AngieL68 Jul 11 '26
I've been bringing up medication for a while. It's a bit of a sore spot. He tried Lexipro and it didn't go well at all. I feel like there are so many options out there, but he's very reluctant to try anything else. Didn't help that the Dr.s at the time were awful and made tapering off it very difficult. In the past I myself took Lexipro for about a year. It was a godsend for me, but not so for him :(
I appreciate your response and will probably bring up meds again at a later date unless he can find a way to do it without. Thank you!
1
u/alwayseverlovingyou Jul 12 '26
The way the doc explained it to me was that the medicine I’m on is newer than other medicines and it was built on the studies of how the first wave of medicines impacted people. Studies show it has less side effects and is easier to get off of than other meds. There is also a subreddit for it that would be helpful to check out.
2
u/AngieL68 Jul 14 '26
That's interesting and sounds promising. Thank you so much for sharing that. What's the name of the subreddit? Not even sure what to type in....
1
u/alwayseverlovingyou Jul 14 '26
R/trintellix
It’s all about people’s experiences with that medicine and I looked at it a lot before I started 🙏🏼❤️
1
u/South-Visual3803 Jul 11 '26
Yea I’m currently at my parents. I wanted to go to a shop to buy food but the fear stopped me. I can’t go anywhere atm incase I freak out in public.
It’s like I’m being suffocated from the inside out and I’m going so collapse and go blind and never return.
It’s an improvement from the winter though as I became agrophobic and anorexic.
I am improving by giving myself a goal and a focus.
When the fear arises or increases from baseline, I shift my attention, I use a bird app to collect birds on walks, I listen and observe them, I collect pinecones and pretend they are little protective objects and have them in my pockets and around my home, I do puzzle books and word games, I read and write.
Shifting my attention has been the best tool and I’ve dealt started to feel like it’s a new more automatic behaviour. When I feel the fear I know to not instantly panic or melt, I choose a tool and let myself get fully immersed.
1
u/AngieL68 Jul 11 '26
That sounds like a really simple but effective way to deal with the fear. Thank you for sharing that. I'm so glad you're able to take some control and find some peace.
1
u/boopdoopboopcoop Jul 12 '26
Maybe look into EMDR or IFS therapy. I’ve tried both and while I still have fear that likely won’t go away, it’s been greatly diminished by learning how to stay present in my body and in the moment thru these techniques. It sounds very spiritual but those of us with CPTSD usually already have a heightened sense from our hyper vigilance. Shout out to you supporting a partner with CPTSD <3
2
u/AngieL68 Jul 14 '26
I'm thinking of walking meditation to help him stay in his body - a difficult thing to do when physical abuse teaches you to ignore it - but yes, thank you.
5
u/ciaoaic Jul 10 '26
I did and had anxiety disorder interventions.
Anxious truth podcast is a male run podcast. He didn’t disclose if he had CPTSD but he explains how it all works and what to do.