As you work through cptsd recovery and beyond, people recommend a comfort kit and a toolkit of coping techniques. Some suggest making it visual/physical bc when you’re in the moment it’s hard to remember.
Plus we all know consistency is key but thats what I struggle most with.
Any ideas on how to make a real comfort/tool kit and how to stay consistent with the techniques and tools?
I just need to vent please. About 3 weeks ago 3 life changing things happened in 10 minutes and of course that triggered my cptsd symptoms. I found out my dad has cancer and tried to call my partner. He knew I was finding out that day but ended the call. Basically he didnt want to talk because we had a fight the day before and decided to let things cool off before we talk about the fight (we were still talking about other things). He felt he didnt have capacity for me anymore oh and apparently he was hungry. On top of that I got a nasty email from my mom blaming me for her threatening to disown me over something ridiculous. Thats the gist.
The thing is, I have a psychiatrist and great friends and even my boss is supportive. What I ned to vent about is that no one really gets it. One of these in isolation would make anyone upset. All three would make anyone very upset and emotional. Now add cptsd on top of it and it’s so much more than that; it’s not gonna go away with a bubble bath and ice cream; it’s not a few days or maybe weeks of feeling sad. It’s probably going to take me weeks to get back to some level of *my* normal. And my normal is nowhere near that of someone who doesnt have cptsd or sth similar.
Forcing myself into a sleep/wake up routine only makes it worse. Going swimming helps but I cant get myself out of bed to do it before work unless someone is driving me there and I don’t have to think about it. Waking up already in fight/flight mode and then trying to convince yourself to do anything that you don’t absolutely have to is exhausting! Even just doing what you have to is exhausting! But ppl always offer advice or thinks ‘oh you did it today, see it’s so good? So you should do it every day!’
Also being told that my guilt/shame etc around my mom is just societal pressure is severely underplaying the effects of childhood trauma. No I don’t feel guilty because I’m supposed to be nice to my mon. I feel guilty (or rather scared) because at one point my literal survival and quality of life depended on her. That’s not the same as ‘wear whatever you want; who cares what society thinks!’
As I said, I do have support. I am taking meds; I am gathering new tools and doing my best with compassion and grace. But f#%€ it gets lonely and it’s exhausting and I’m tired of being tired. And I hate the messages that come a few days later ‘are u feeling better?’ Or not even checking in cause ‘it’s over now right?’ I just needed to vent and wondering how others stop from being resentful. Or maybe you explain it every time or just ignore it? I honestly dont know!