" Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by reliving a psychologically traumatic situation, long after any physical danger involved has passed, through flashbacks and nightmares". In today's Life is Sweet post , Marilyn shares her journey to healing through a wide variety of means en route to discovering her true self.
My mental health or lack thereof, only became apparent after years of childhood abuse and trauma, being stuck in a high-pressure brokerage sales job (which didn’t fit my introverted personality), two divorces and subsequent alcoholism, which all resulted in a major melt-down and hospitalization in 1986.
Thinking I was safe in the hands of one of Toronto’s top psychiatrists and a therapist who appeared caring at the onset; I settled in and did was I was told…confident that my recovery was imminent. This was NOT to be the case.
First of all, I was not diagnosed properly nor medicated properly. I staggered around like a zombie for 10 years. My family barely recognized me and were appalled at the many bottles of meds I toted around with me. I also wasted four hours per month in “talk therapy” with a therapist who frequently fell asleep during our sessions.
A.A. solved my booze problem but I was still socially maladjusted. My trusty laptop and the Internet brought me to the site run by an expert in her field of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, where I found out what my real problem was. I suffered from panic attacks, depression and flash-backs…all treatable with guided imagery therapy and music therapy.
I joined Weight Watchers and lost 77 pounds. I saved my money and got a new set of dentures; which did wonders for my self-confidence. While at Weight Watchers, I discovered that I was gluten-intolerant and with the support and encouragement of my Leader became a gluten-free vegan. WOW!! Energy! Goodbye dermatitis & itchy skin. Goodbye junk food and laxatives!!
My next challenge was to find a new Doctor when my psychiatrist “retired” without warning. A local pharmacist referred me to a GP who has just opened a clinic in my neighborhood. The doctor was a quiet, devout Buddhist who wasn’t afraid to incorporate spiritual practices into his “prescriptions”.
He helped me safely eliminate and reduce nearly all the drugs I had been on. However, as my brain chemistry had been altered, minimal doses of two drugs will continue for my lifetime but I was at last, alert and awake. He also prescribed a regular routine of yoga (purely as exercise) and that I return to my childhood faith.
I was fortunate to find a loving and supportive church family (also in my neighborhood) and returned to regular prayer and meditation on a daily basis. I was encouraged to help out at church and soon found myself back “working” after 27 years on disability benefits.
I am now able to recognize my “true self” that had been buried for years under a ton of emotional junk. I’m able to care for myself and put my needs first. I eat properly, sleep well, stay away from toxic people and negativity of all sorts. I check in with God throughout the day and conduct a “wellness inventory” weekly, just to make sure I’m staying on track.
I now have lots of reasons to get out of bed in the morning, smile and, yes, even laugh. Because I love God, I am able to love myself and love others my life has meaning and purpose. That lack of meaning, purpose and a sense of value and loss of hope is the real mental illness. People are dying out there for lack of these essentials.
My mental health or lack thereof, only became apparent after years of childhood abuse and trauma, being stuck in a high-pressure brokerage sales job (which didn’t fit my introverted personality), two divorces and subsequent alcoholism, which all resulted in a major melt-down and hospitalization in 1986.
Thinking I was safe in the hands of one of Toronto’s top psychiatrists and a therapist who appeared caring at the onset; I settled in and did was I was told…confident that my recovery was imminent. This was NOT to be the case.
First of all, I was not diagnosed properly nor medicated properly. I staggered around like a zombie for 10 years. My family barely recognized me and were appalled at the many bottles of meds I toted around with me. I also wasted four hours per month in “talk therapy” with a therapist who frequently fell asleep during our sessions.
A.A. solved my booze problem but I was still socially maladjusted. My trusty laptop and the Internet brought me to the site run by an expert in her field of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, where I found out what my real problem was. I suffered from panic attacks, depression and flash-backs…all treatable with guided imagery therapy and music therapy.
I joined Weight Watchers and lost 77 pounds. I saved my money and got a new set of dentures; which did wonders for my self-confidence. While at Weight Watchers, I discovered that I was gluten-intolerant and with the support and encouragement of my Leader became a gluten-free vegan. WOW!! Energy! Goodbye dermatitis & itchy skin. Goodbye junk food and laxatives!!
My next challenge was to find a new Doctor when my psychiatrist “retired” without warning. A local pharmacist referred me to a GP who has just opened a clinic in my neighborhood. The doctor was a quiet, devout Buddhist who wasn’t afraid to incorporate spiritual practices into his “prescriptions”. He helped me safely eliminate and reduce nearly all the drugs I had been on. However, as my brain chemistry had been altered, minimal doses of two drugs will continue for my lifetime but I was at last, alert and awake. He also prescribed a regular routine of yoga (purely as exercise) and that I return to my childhood faith.
I was fortunate to find a loving and supportive church family (also in my neighborhood) and returned to regular prayer and meditation on a daily basis. I was encouraged to help out at church and soon found myself back “working” after 27 years on disability benefits.
I am now able to recognize my “true self” that had been buried for years under a ton of emotional junk. I’m able to care for myself and put my needs first. I eat properly, sleep well, stay away from toxic people and negativity of all sorts. I check in with God throughout the day and conduct a “wellness inventory” weekly, just to make sure I’m staying on track. I now have lots of reasons to get out of bed in the morning, smile and, yes, even laugh. Because I love God, I am able to love myself and love others my life has meaning and purpose. That lack of meaning, purpose and a sense of value and loss of hope is the real mental illness. People are dying out there for lack of these essentials.