Life has been testing me every day. Testing my resolve and my patience. Trying to get me to break down from frustration or sadness. So far, I have been pushing back every chance I get. But recently, I discovered something about myself. I have a new fight on my hands. A fight against reality and the triggers of my mind. Triggers of the past I have dealt with people avoiding me. The whispers and glares in my direction. Constantly being ignored. I fought against the mind game of thinking I was not good enough. Until recently when I recognized that …
PTSD
The Triggers of the Mind
You are going about your day. It is even becoming one of the better days you’ve had in a while. When suddenly your mind fills with negative thoughts. This happened to me recently. Triggers can come in various forms. Sounds, conversations, certain words, smells, anything that you can absorb through your senses can trigger your mind. Many times, these triggers can remind you of positive experiences. Maybe remembering a loved one that passed away. But it is the triggers that result in negative thoughts that can be dangerous. Because in this case, it becomes a trauma response that ultimately can …
Is PTSD Affecting your Life?
WARNING: This was very difficult for me to write and may be difficult for many to read. That one day back some 20 years ago in September that changed everything in the United States. I remember driving into work hearing about it. Coworkers at the time that lived nearby. I heard of people saying they were supposed to be on one of the planes, but for some reason they weren’t. Friends telling me about family and friends they lost. After that and to some degree even now, my heart races every time I see a shadow of an airplane cross …