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| | Notices | Welcome to PTSD Forum. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a life threatening, debilitating disorder that can break down a sufferer’s body through anxiety and stress. Further it poses a significant suicide risk resulting from the brains neurological imbalance and chemical depression. Sufferers often live in denial, thus this community is aimed at helping PTSD sufferers help themselves through others experiences, guidance and education. We are here for the sufferer, spouse and families surrounding PTSD. Spouses and family are too often forgotten in this equation, and often they receive all the worst that PTSD has to offer. If you're involved in any way with PTSD, get registered and help yourself now. Non-active members will eventually be deleted. If you are not a sufferer, carer or someone within the mental health industry, and active, then there is little reason for you to be a member of this forum. Non-active members with zero posts are deleted periodically during the year. |  | | 
19-11-2007, 11:22 AM
|  | | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Linden, VA
Posts: 36
| |  Easily Overwhelmed?
I don't know if it's a normal part of what is PTSD or not. But when there is alot going on in the house, like if the kids are especially loud and active, I get incredibly overwhelmed and start getting incredibly anxious.
Tonight it got so bad I had my husband go back and get me my anti-anxiety med, which I only take as needed.
Dealing with PTSD, understanding it, it's still foreign to me.
Is it normal to get easily overwhelmed by external stressors or loud noises? Does this happen to anyone else?
Or am I just nuts. |
19-11-2007, 11:28 AM
|  | | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: U.S.A. Kansas
Posts: 3,540
| |
Yep, pretty normal. There is a PTSD cup explanation of this but I have to go find it... Will try to get that link posted when I get a chance. |
19-11-2007, 11:32 AM
| | | | Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 88
| |
yes that might be the words sometimes notice that with sound better now for months when i can um think better and organise thoughts might be the words,sometimes i can't think when someone asks me question like instant clouds in my head and overwhelmedt oo and sometimes people say i don't hear or respond at all .Things are much better for some pieces of the time can listen to music etc couldn't do that for last couple of years at all .yeah i got lots of experiences i don't see or understand yet.Thankyou. |
19-11-2007, 11:37 AM
|  | | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: dover,de
Posts: 246
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the past month my grandchildrens behavior has been getting to me, seems like they have gotton so spoiled...maybe its just the ptsd |
19-11-2007, 11:39 AM
| | | | Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 88
| |
its weird trying to fit the experiences to the words,getting something then losing it or just not getting it. |
19-11-2007, 01:02 PM
|  | | | Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,034
| |
This happens to me, too. I find that I have a certain thershold for how much I can stand going on around me. For example, I can handle a loud restaurant or bar as long as I'm against a wall and there aren't many strange people around me. If there's a lot of movement or strangers, I'm done. I found that once I started to notice what I could and could not tolerate, I noticed similar patterns in other situations. |
19-11-2007, 01:44 PM
|  | | | Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,356
| |
Oh, yes, I have been able to get easily overwhelmed for a long time. Too much of any kind of sensory stimulation will do it to me. I used to put it down to being hypersensitive. Since being diagnosed with ptsd, however, I've learned this is common with us. Be patient with yourself. I was diagnosed a couple years ago and I'm still coming to grips with it at times.
Also, the "ptsd cup" post that Veiled mentioned is in the Information section under Anger Management: The PTSD Cup Explanation
I never think to look for it there, because I get the overwhelmed stuff more than the anger, but that's where it is. |
19-11-2007, 02:09 PM
| | | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Linden, VA
Posts: 36
| |
That helps a little with the understanding, especially since I learn best with pictures. I get overwhelmed then that hooks up with anxiety and top it with irritability and I'm a joy to have around.
Then I start feeling guilty for feeling this way which is self defeating I suppose. |
19-11-2007, 04:36 PM
| | | | Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,356
| |
DeepestScar, yes, that is self-defeating - I've learned the hard way it doesn't do any good to go that route. We have an illness. It's just that it doesn't always show on the outside. My previous therapist (now retired) and current psychologist have both given me physical medical analogies for what we have. One example is, if you had to have your legs amputated, would you blame yourself for not being able to walk? Until you got prostheses and learned how to use them, that is. Heck no! So, we have to hang in there and learn new ways of being and doing, given the limitations of ptsd, many of which we may still be learning. I know I am. It's a huge learning curve, and we need to cut ourselves some slack sometimes. |
19-11-2007, 09:04 PM
|  | | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Tampa, Florida
Posts: 2,255
| |
Too much input for me leads to a sort of sensory overload. It's like all of my senses become way too sensitive and everything is too loud/bright/hot/etc. Even the thought of having to go through the overload makes me scared. Probably why the thought of crowds does me in. The holidays are tough for me because his family all together is damn near a crowd.
Agreeing with Hodge...(BTW-good analogy). Beating yourself up for something you can't help doesn't help at atll. We've all got a really big learning curve to work through and it takes time, patience and practice.
Be kind to yourself as you learn.
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