Ever feel like you can’t move, talk, come home, wake them, or enter a room without triggering your PTSD survivor? Welcome to the world of PTSD! Unfortunately, there is no magic solution that will erase the original trauma or eradicate the ensuing perpetual survival mode. Originally a life-saving defense mechanism, the involuntary exaggerated startle response…
I was thinking about inventing a MOOD-O-METER. 🙂 Basically it alerts us to the mood(s) of our S/O from the moment we wake up until after they fall asleep. That way we can gauge what kind of day/hour/moment WE will be having. It is also capable of tracking sudden mood shifts, keeping us informed at…
Feeling alone, overwhelmed, helpless, abandoned, hopeless, angry, depressed, or confused? Take a slow deep breath and give yourself a hug. You are normal! Most of us who love and care for someone else have huge hearts. And it seems like the harder we try to fix things or understand them, the more frustrated we get!…
Ever fall into bed exhausted, but your brain won’t shut off? Feel like life keeps getting busier and faster? Wonder just how much more you can s-t-r-e-t-c-h? I love rubber bands. Last week I lost one of my favorites to overstretching. I guess it had been too tight for too long. And it snapped!…
As loved ones and caregivers, it’s easy to get stuck in “fix” mode, as we’re always tuned to and tending to their needs. Often 24/7. 365. And if we’re lucky we’ll save a little space for our own needs. But something seems to be missing. Is there more? Arrghhh…just the thought of “more” is overwhelming!…
Being seriously ill is no fun. Toss in a good dose of PTSD and you’ve got the perfect storm! My husband had been sick for a while and suddenly took a downward turn – right before bedtime – crumpled over, high fever and feeling like he was on death’s door. I hadn’t been feeling well…
As we launch into another trip around the sun, I don’t plan to make any resolutions except to eat more, spend more, and laugh more! Fun, huh? As a loved one of a veteran with PTSD, and a trauma survivor myself, I’ve been learning a lot about self-care and how vital it is, especially spiritual self-care.…
I was always a bubbly person, with a laugh ready to rip at any moment. But the more time I spent in the world of PTSD as a trauma survivor and a caregiver, I noticed that my joy was dwindling. They say that those of us who love our PTSD survivors are prone to acquiring…
Hope you can tune in and enjoy these PODCASTS. 🙂 Jeremiah Johnston: “PTSD, Veterans and the Church” https://myfaithradio.com/2019/ptsd-veterans-church/ Interview with Welby O’Brien, author of LOVE OUR VETS: Restoring Hope for Families of Veterans with PTSD www.LoveOurVets.org Bill Arnold: “Restoring Hope for Families with PTSD” https://myfaithradio.com/program_podcast/restoring-hope-families-ptsd-millennials-trust-factor/ Interview with Welby O’Brien, author of LOVE OUR VETS:…
A faith-based perspective published on CBN.com April 21, 2020 https://www1.cbn.com/health/3-most-neglected-areas-self-care-during-trauma-stress-and-loss .When thrust into survival mode, self-preservation dominates all we think and do. The mandate is do whatever it takes to survive! Get through alive. Self-care, on the other hand, is considered just a luxury, a thing of the past. Or could it potentially be even…