I just read my diary over. I am surprised by the progress I am making...some days. I DO feel like I am progressing when I read this over but how long does it take? I know I have improved greatly but there are some days my mind still can go to a dark place where I feel really sorry for myself. I know when i was first diagnosed....I had the idea that I was going to have 10 cbt sessions and be cured.....I know differently now. I have had 50 plus ALL the work I did here while dealing with my somewhat stressful daily life. For those of you that feel like you are further along in your healing. How long did it take???? I hope that made sense.
Pand

Hi Pandora,
I've been working on mine for 3 years and still need to keep going. I wonder if it has to do with how many issues that a person has to resolve.

For instance, if you have one trauma and a few childhood issues it might not take as long as some one who has multiple traumas and a history of abuse. Or it could take a person with one single issue twice as long as some one who has had many.

I believe it's unique to the individual how they process the trauma and pain. Everyone handles things differently.

Also, I think it depends on the individuals past traumas, support systems (if any), and how much they have had to deal with that is not trauma related like neglect.

There are probably a lot of factors that one would have to consider, and it's hard to compare one persons progress to anthers.

But progress is progress and congratulations on making that happen. Keep up the good work!

Hope this was helpful
Tammy

Thank you!!!!! It actually made alot of sense....I know I had multiple traumas and not a lot of support so you are right....

I need to focus on the positive....I really am making progess and I never thouht that I would be able to say that.

IMO.... I think it's a daily battle. Something that we continually work on. It is a progress. Symptoms will lessen, but unless we keep up with changing ourselves daily, with attitude, grounding, stress reduction, and everything else we do...It can and will creep back in and set us back. That's just my opinion.

Just keep pushing forward Pand, you are doing a good job!!!

Pandora, well done though you still have further to go. Regardless how you do it, you still have a couple of years of learning ahead of you yet, and even then, you will learn constantly with PTSD. It doesn't matter how far alone in healing you are, you must never forget the basics of self analysis, the basic techniques, etc, as these are what you will always find yourself doing and must continually rehash and self analyse. You must catch yourself constantly doing things that you know will hurt you, correct the problems before they become causes, so to speak. You get better at it the further along you get. You will always have periods of relapse. Big word, always. You will, there is not cure. If you are stressed enough you will relapse, though how long and bad depends on you then... how fast you want to work your way out and back into your daily routine.

Exposure takes time, exposure to life, exposure to situations, though you will always require to limit your exposure to stressors and make it your lifestyle, make it part of your behaviours to limit how much stress you consume in any period. Keep going forward though and use your progress to push yourself, that is the idea of being able to read your progress. You have something to measure and gauge, something to use in order to push yourself... you have proof now, use it to continue pushing every boundary in your life to find its maximum. Some boundaries will kick your arse, some will move a little further for you whilst kicking your arse. Those that move, those that improve, hit them again and again to see whether you break a boundary down or find a new limit. Lifestyle.... management, exposure.... and the big one.... TIME.