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It is imperative we gain influence over anxiety.
Many of PTSD symptoms are anxiety related, extreme anxiety in some cases.
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Stressors, Intrusion symptoms, changes in mood, avoidance, changes in reactivity and firing of our fight or flight mechanism are DSM designated symptoms. (Full article in responses)
My nervous system was so out of control I went agoraphobic for six months, a type A driver went into hiding.
Fear is that thunderous jolt in the solar plexus, our adrenal stress response aka fight or flight mechanism firing violently, a lethal threat has been perceived.
How do we react, how do we function, how do we navigate life with this extreme anxiety?
Avoidance and dissociation are huge culprits to our wellbeing.
We need more positive social interaction, we need to take many more risks.
Hopefully theses are educated risks.
Being aware of our subconscious minds’ impact on behavior is imperative.
PTSD uses thoughts, visuals and smells to trigger us.
Be prepared, have a plan, resist leaving this moment, resist those thoughts and discount those negative emotions.
PTSD is a bluff, nothing bad happens after a trigger fires, except we go back to near normal in about 10 minutes.
No permanent damage for our defense mechanism working, our fight or flight mechanism launching for protection against a lethal threat.
Our breath controls the nervous system, the amount of cortisol and adrenaline that flows through our body.
Practice focusing on your breath, a simple grounding exercise.
Again, one skill can be used a million times for relief.
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PTSD - A Way Out.com 
Posted by Marty on March 29, 2022 at 1:29 pm
Posted by Marty on March 29, 2022 at 2:48 pm
In the most recent publication of the DSM, the DSM-V, PTSD symptoms are grouped into five different clusters. One or more symptoms are required from each of these clusters in order for a patient to receive a full diagnosis.
Those clusters include:
1. Stressor – (one required) The person was exposed to injury or severe illness that was life-threatening, which includes actual or threatened injury or violence. This may include at least one of the following:
Direct exposure to the trauma
Witnessing a trauma
Exposure to trauma by being a first responder, such as police, firefighter, medic, or crisis counselor
Learning that someone close to you experienced the trauma
2. Intrusion Symptoms (one required) – The person who was exposed to a trauma then re-experiences the trauma in one or more ways, including:
Flashbacks
Nightmares
Distressing and intense memories
Distress or physical reactions after being exposed to reminders, known as “triggers”
3. Unpleasant Changes to Mood or Thoughts (two required) –
Blaming self or others for the trauma
Decreased interest in things that were once enjoyable
Negative feelings about self and the world
Inability to remember the trauma clearly
Difficulty feeling positive
Feelings of isolation
Negative affect, and difficulty feeling positive
4. Avoidance (one required) – This occurs when a person tries to avoid all reminders of the trauma, including:
Avoiding external reminders of what happened
Avoiding trauma-related thoughts or emotions, sometimes through the use of drugs or alcohol
5. Changes in Reactivity (two required) – This occurs when a person becomes more easily startled and reacts to frightful experiences more fully, including symptoms of:
Aggression or irritability
Hypervigilance and hyper-awareness
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty sleeping
Heightened startle response
Engaging in destructive or risky behavior
Difficulty sleeping or staying asleep
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Posted by rudid96 on March 29, 2022 at 3:40 pm
It’s always helpful to read and reread the helpful reminder in today’s post. PTSD symptoms often feel as if one’s life is lived like a hot-air balloon. ‘Breath’ is our life-long safety. Carrying this laundry list of symptoms is tedious.
Posted by Marty on March 29, 2022 at 4:17 pm
Repetition is our friend