Just a thought .......

[SarahH]

Just thought I would share some thoughts.............. stop reading now if you don't want to hear a success story:D

Two years ago I was admitted into a psychiatric unit with acute anxiety brought on by a re-occurrence of my PTSD which was first diagnosed in 2001.
My PTSD was work related, I was Police Officer. Pensioned off in 2010 I thought my anxiety was under control and with my GPs support I weaned myself off Citalopram......BIG mistake!! Ten months later my anxiety came back with a vengeance.
Skip forwards.....I won't bore you with details of symptoms and my 18 days in hospital, they are all common to people on NMP who go through bad times.

Anyhow, after being introduced to Pregabalin, my saviour at the time, I have gone back to work (albeit part-time and a stress free job) I have learnt to live with the person I am. I will ALWAYS have symptoms of PTSD/anxiety but with the right balance of medication and using the tools in my box of "coping strategies" I lead a happy life which is "normal" for me but maybe not "normal" to most in society.
I re-started Citalopram about a year ago (very slowly) as it worked so well for me before and began reducing the pregabalin in the last week.(I don't need to be on both as the Citalopram should be all I need for the anxiety).
I now have a bit of a social life as well, which has been fantastic for a 50 year old singleton :D.

So for all you who are suffering right now in the grips of what you think will never go away.....IT WILL....... if people did not recover then we would have hundreds of psych units full of people who never leave.

You may never be the same after a "breakdown" but you will get better and maybe have a life where you stop and "smell the coffee" instead of running around trying to fit so much in your life that you burn out.

I left a job that was my passion, but put simply, it made me ill....... now I realise that leaving it was the best decision I ever made....... sure I am broke, but happy and that at the end of the day is what we are all aiming for in life.


thank you for reading... waffle over... enjoy the sun everyone :yesyes:

Sarah

[MyNameIsTerry]

I'm glad things have worked out for you Sarah, we all need hope that we can recover because it can seem such an uphill task that its not worth fighting for. Its part of the anxiety trap isn't it? It can't kill you, but it can make your life miserable if you don't keep trying. But its damn hard!

I agree with you about not being the same. The charity I used to go to had the same statement in their material "recovering isn't a matter of returning to a previous state" which I take to mean you can grow from it or end up worse off if you don't fight to recover. You also learn so much about people and how the mind works that I don't think you can return to the old you in that respect because you feel more empathy for people suffering than you did, even if you cared before because now you have felt how bad things can get and don't want others to go through what you did. I can't remember ever hearing or reading an anxiety sufferer saying other than "I wouldn't wish this on anyone".

[SarahH]

Hi Terry,
Thanks for your comments. Nice to see someone read my post:blush:. I don't know what stage you are at with your illness but your comments are always intelligent and helpful so you don't need me to tell you that you will recover. But yes I have never been the same since my first breakdown in 2001 but in some respects I am a better person for it. Everyday I wake and do a "mental inventory"... then get on with my day. Some days are a struggle, but in the grand scheme of things there are people far worse off then me so I try to support them in what ever way I can. That in turn helps me (in a weird way).

Sarah

[MyNameIsTerry]

Thanks Sarah,

I'm not at that stage yet, Loads to go, and recent blips are showing me I perhaps wasn't quite as far forward as I thought, but its not certain yet.

I can't see how anyone can be the same. Recovery must mean feeling happy to be alive and to be happy with what you have got on top of the extra compassion you will feel towards others suffering.

I know what you mean. Giving back is like finding fulfillment in yourself. You find purpose through others. It tends to help me too because with not working and having no dependents, I feel pretty surplus to the world.

[hopefulaussie]

[Quote: So for all you who are suffering right now in the grips of what you think will never go away.....IT WILL....... ]

I also suffer PTSD and have for many years. I also again left a career that I had passion for and now are broke. I am reaching out with both hands and trying to grab a hold on that elusive hope as tightly as I can.
Thanks for your positive post SarahH

[SarahH]

Terry you are NOT surplus to the world ....no-one is:D


Kanji, life with PTSD can be lived quite happily. As I am sure you are aware. But it never goes away completely. In some ways I think I am a better person for my experiences.

Sarah

[hanshan]

Hi Kanji,

I see you have used the kanji for hope - so never give it up. I suffered for years, but now am okay.

[Dazza123]

I used to be very up and down with anxiety and depression for about 7 years. There could be times when I was very normal and happy and doing stuff, then I would be in a state for quite a while. My real problems started 3 years ago when something happened which scared the life out of me, and it has just been very bad and constant since then.

I know it will get better at some point, I just hope that time comes sooner rather than later.

Its good to hear you have started moving forward. I hope we all can.

I just keep telling myself that nothing stays the same, and it couldn't get any worse (touch wood/head) so at some point things have to improve for everyone :)

[SarahH]

Dazza you are right... if you were wrong people would not leave NMP when they feel better.:D

Sarah

[MrAndy]

well done Sarah i know what its like to come back from the brink of collapse it aint easy but you did it and you should be proud of what you have achieved

[MyNameIsTerry]

Terry you are NOT surplus to the world ....no-one is:D



Thanks Sarah :flowers:

I'm sure you know what I mean, when you are isolated it can feel like that. I feel like a bit of a shadow sometimes because aside from on here and with my family, are don't have much interaction with the rest of the world...other than feeding the wildlife! I'm used to being in some form of customer service role helping people so its hard being outside of everything.

[blue moon]

Hi Sarah
Good to always read success stories,I have PSTD but have had it under control,thanks to my husband and another psychiatrist I do still on rare occasions have slight setbacks but nothing like it was.
Petra:D

[SarahH]

Thanks Petra and Terry,

I think we can all get better to a certain extent and then depending on the severity of the breakdown I think "live" with our anxiety symptoms.

Well I hope so anyway:D

Sarah