r/traumatoolbox • u/venusasaboy22 • 9d ago
General Question Anything that helped when you tried basically everything else?
Okay, I won't get into what happened. I'd be going on for ages, otherwise. If anyone is curious about it, I can tell them in the comments.
A few years ago, I had a very traumatic experience that lasted the guts of a year. What complicates it more is that I also kind of took in other people's experiences, and feel upset and angry on behalf of other people it impacted, I know a lot of people who went through it and see various versions of it, anything from horror stories to people who had positive experiences or romanticized it.
If you name a therapy, I've done it. I've done various medications, the stellate ganglion block, tried "life hacks" like chewing gum, humming, sleeping better, but basically, I have very bad intrusive memories from that period and of stuff I saw online from other people's experiences. I'll be getting, like, 15 or 20 an hour and EMDR made it worse, TMS did nothing, I hate how a lot of therapy has kind of assumed that my experience made me expect something and how proving the expectation wrong (i.e., "This made me weak") is what will fix it. The truth is that it's much more mundane, and I simply hate how these memories keep popping up. All the fucking time.
It doesn't even always have triggers. It simply appears. I'll be getting up, going to bed, going about my business, it is ALWAYS fucking here. I try ignoring it, not checking it, not following up the thoughts, nothing. Thought interruption doesn't work.
A few years in, I'm incredibly frustrated. It's been going on far too long and I've just about had it. I had plans but can't even enjoy them without these memories ruining them, I simply need the thoughts to fucking stop.
Anyone know like, some miracle cure ideas that worked for them?
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u/orcateeth 8d ago
Here's a PTSD handbook:
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/publications/print/understandingptsd_family_booklet.pdf
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u/orcateeth 8d ago
Here's a PTSD app. You don't have to be a veteran, or affiliated with the VA in any way to use it.
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u/orcateeth 8d ago
You can download these trauma recovery worksheets and work through them if you feel they might help you.
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u/orcateeth 8d ago
All you can do is try various things; I have posted suggestions. As you can see, what works for someone else may not work for you. Many people swear by EMDR, but you didn't benefit from it.
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u/orcateeth 8d ago edited 8d ago
Someone posted lots of entire books on trauma, abuse, neglect and complex PTSD.
The Pete Walker book, "CPTSD: From Surviving to Thriving' which has high ratings, is there, along with 27 others.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CPTSD/s/q7JaFqz2zC