Meandering Michele’s Mind: You can heal PTSD!
Thursday, December 31st, 2009 • Uncategorized •
Last night I took my Wheaten Terrier, Baylee, to the beach after work. We go every night as a way to unwind, center and relax. I bumped into a social worker I know who works at the mental hospital in the town next to mine. Her name is Julie. We took a long walk together down to a fishing pier. The topic of our conversation: PTSD, natch.
“I can’t believe how often it isn’t diagnosed!” Julie exlaimed. “Nobody wants to give a PTSD diagnosis. And if they do – ” her eyes lit up with irritation, “They won’t and don’t know how to treat it. They just keep giving everyone medication. And the thing is — the thing is: PTSD is a wholly curable condition!”
Julie has been working in the mental health industry for over 25 years. She’s worked all up and down the Eastern coast of the United States. Her experience is vast and her opinions well thought out. She’s very intelligent and proactive.
Against the wind and the sound of the crashing surf Julie vehemently asserted her beliefs about PTSD and what’s wrong with the psychiatric system. She sees it so often: people heal with the right help and support. That’s it. Bottomline.
“There are too few people who will tell survivors the truth: You can heal! PTSD is entirely treatable. But not enough people will tell you that.”
I wanted to leap in the air. I always feel this way when I meet someone who believes as I do, that PTSD is not a life sentence.
It’s the end of a long year in your healing. The end of a long year in my own continued evolution from victim to victor. What I’m thinking about today is how such a little interaction can make such a big difference. Just the strong opinion of Julie made me feel even better about my own beliefs, even stronger about my own convictions, even bolder about my own assertions regarding the potential we each possess to overcome post-traumatic stress symptoms.
If we look for it, each day we can all find one (small) fact that we can add to our belief bouquet. The trick is to be open. To seek it. To look where we don’t expect it. To allow the evidence to present itself from even the most unlikely of sources.
With a strong belief that healing is possible you start the new year off with the right perspective. It’s a good day for making resolutions. It’s a good day for looking ahead and seeing the future year as unchartered territory in your healing journey. How will you draw the map?
What are your resolutions(s) for further healing in 2010??
Tags: healing, Meandering Michele's Mind, post-traumatic stress, ptsd, symptoms
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I feel the exact same way about the problems that often go along with PTSD, like eating disorders. So many people are told that they are impossible to recover from, but that’s NOT TRUE. So many different conditions are entirely treatable, but the right information and support isn’t widely available. I feel like I want to go and start a revolution or something! Thank you for working to change this, Michele
I felt bad for many years and simply cognitive therapy years ago didnt really help. Not to the way I needed it. Since November 6 I am undergoing an intense trauma therapy here in Germany. I am considering myself fortunate to have such an etensixe trauma program available to me which is totally free of charge to me. Within weeks I felt apart to slowly fall into places. It will be zthe same ME just different. Teh same puzzle pieces of me but some are different shaped now and fit together differently. The mixture of integrative bodywork, art therapy, Feldenkrais, EMDR, theraputic sessions and group sessions is so very beneficial. However I am aware it will take me quite some time to process all and everything. Thanks for being out there an dproviding so much support and hope to PTSD sufferer, yepp it can be cured. I am convinced of it. Hugs from Munich
Great point to end the year on Michelle! For sure we can heal – it takes a little more work than just throwing some meds at us to see what sticks – but with the right help, PTSD can be healed. I’m betting that’s true for me also.
Thanks for being so inspiring and positive this year Michelle, and all the best for 2010!
@ Katie — Let’s DO start a revolution! The current systems and approach needs to be completely overthrown. Thanks for joining me here in what could be the beginning of a grass roots movement!
@ Paula — CBT didn’t help me much either — well, it helped me cope, but it didn’t resolve things so I was free. How wonderful you’re heading into 2010 with this new sense of evolution!! A great mix of things you’ve got going there. After all is said and done I do believe a lot of healing is rearranging the pieces that got mixed up. Looking forward to hearing more from you…
@ Ellen — So much of our healing depends on our beliefs! Why don’t the docs help us focus on that?? With your perspective I believe you are on your way to freedom. So glad to have you here as part of the community, and as a survivor proving we are not all doomed.