PTSD...

i understand pain, i understand loss, i understand sorrow, i understand survivors guilt, i understand 'i could have saved him, and i didnt'... i understand nightmares, despair, fear and the abyss... what i dont understand is the psychological break from reality... is this real or just an invention of hollywood... (in laymans terms if you could)...

[Silver]

How much have you researched ptsd ~ I myself don't precisely know what the experts mean when they use the term post traumatic stress disorder...I wasn't fully aware that it meant that someone with it is suffering a psychological break from reality. I guess my understanding of the term is that someone is simply suffering tremendously from something very traumatic and that it is extremely difficult to carry on with varying degrees of everyday life. ?

i, ummm, ahem... dont study... your definition is pretty close to mine...

[Silver]

So, northstar, was there anything you wanted to share or say about ptsd or hollywood for that matter? It looked like there was some particular movie(s) that may have portrayed it in a way you reacted to, in what way I have no idea...?

[Kaere]

Originally Posted by northstar

i understand pain, i understand loss, i understand sorrow, i understand survivors guilt, i understand 'i could have saved him, and i didnt'... i understand nightmares, despair, fear and the abyss... what i dont understand is the psychological break from reality... is this real or just an invention of hollywood... (in laymans terms if you could)...

I see PTSD every day, in the real world (ie mine).

The psychological break from reality comes when a person can't get away from those feelings you described. The cannot take it anymore - and so they make an escape route. It's not as easy or as simple as you've described.

It is NOT an invention of hollywood or any sort of sign of weakness.

Agree strongly with Kaere. Have studied this somewhat.

Can say more and keep it layman -- it's about the nervous system being unable to handle things. The mind produces images of fear and the nervous system, already overloaded with fight/flight stuff, believes them. And they are contagious.

It's a very serious business, but there are good understandings of how to treat it coming up.

ahhh... ok, thank you kaere very much... dont know why i needed to know that, i just did (smile)... it fills out my knowledge... thank you

thanks prokopton... i did tons of drugs back in the day, and came real close, so i can use my imagination to fill out the rest...

Babette Rothschild is a great healer of PTSD. That video contains an excellent visual metaphor involving a coke bottle if you are interested, which shows how the nervous system can be healed.

yes... 'find the (car) break'... i think that comes natural to me (to find for another)... in fact, i had a few myself back in the day... the coke thing was a bit basic, but it showed its point... thx