Posts Tagged ‘PTSD’

Brain ZAPS

{ September 6, 2011 @ 9:35 pm } · { The Treatments }
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So, I have been kind of quiet in Blog land lately and the reason for that is the withdrawal has hit me.  I mentioned in my earlier post that it’s no picnic withdrawing from medications and in fact I have been out of it for the last couple of days.  My body is experiencing fatigue, anxiety, loss of appetite, appetite for high carb. foods, headaches, body aches, irritability, nausea, and, oh yes, BRAIN ZAPS.  Brain zaps are aptly named because when you are experiencing one it feels as though your mind is being “zapped” by lightning, you’re short circuiting, and you have an excruciating headache.  I never knew what to call these until I started looking up my symptoms and found that other people have experienced this phenomenon.  Who would have known?  Hopefully, these will go away soon.

Thanks for reading,

Lauren

Titration

{ September 2, 2011 @ 1:13 pm } · { The Treatments }
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For a couple of years now I have been on medication for PTSD.  Under the watchful eye of a psychiatrist, I have been prescribed Prozac, Ambien, Xanax, and Venlafaxine in various doses and combinations.  Currently, I am “titrating” off of all of my medications, meaning, I am tapering off of them in a controlled and safe way.

The only medication I have left is Venlafaxine (Effexor) and I am currently on the lowest dose.  Getting off meds is not easy.  There is definitely a withdrawal component that makes you feel like an addict!  The addictive nature of these drugs is one that does not make it easy to just quit cold turkey.  Stepping down from the Venlafaxine has taken 3 months!  Side effects that I have experienced during my withdrawal are “brain zaps,” loss of appetite, hunger at times, fatigue, and generally not feeling well.  However, it really is worth it to withdrawal if you and your psychiatrist deem it appropriate.

If you have PTSD, you generally need medication to help support your psychotherapy.  They go hand in hand in my book.  The best advice I can give on this subject is to take medications and titrate off of medications with the help and support of a good psychiatrist.  For me, now is the time to get off all of these medications and I really am looking forward to not needing them anymore!

Thanks for reading,

Lauren

You Don’t Smell as Bad…

{ August 30, 2011 @ 6:35 pm } · { The PTSD }
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This morning, as I hugged my husband good-bye, my husband proclaimed “You don’t smell as bad as you used to in the mornings.”  Now, to some this may seem as an major insult, but to me, this “compliment” is a source of pride.  During my extreme throws of suffering with PTSD, I would ultimately wake in the morning smelling of sweat, a foul reminder of the nightmares, insomnia, and anxious restlessness that accompanied my “sleep.”  To not “smell as bad” means that there has been a critical change in my night-time routine.  It means that the PTSD is less and less reactivated during my hours of sleep.  It means, I am getting better.

Thanks for Reading,

Lauren

PTSD

{ August 27, 2011 @ 1:16 am } · { The PTSD }
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PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and Childbirth

It’s pretty rare to hear that acronym and childbirth in the same sentence.  However, it is not rare at all to develop PTSD from a traumatic childbirth experience.  It’s important to note that the trauma is in the eye of the one being “traumatized.”  In my case, pain, fatigue, feelings of helplessness, postpartum hemorrhage, poor communication, and a pervasive feeling that I was going to die on that hospital bed contributed to my PTSD. From the limited information I can rustle up, I have read that anywhere from 1-6% of women develop PTSD from childbirth.  That is a significant statistic when you are one of the percentages that deal with it, or one of the many loved ones that care for someone falling in that percentage.  It is truly bothersome to me that this mental illness is not linked to childbirth on a regular basis in an effort to get those afflicted into treatment quicker, and to apply preventative measures that limit the cases in the first place.   I can’t tell you how many times I have begun to explain that I have PTSD from a traumatic childbirth experience when the listener responds, “Oh Postpartum Depression, oh, I know what that is!”  Postpartum Depression and PTSD are different diagnosis, although both mentally debilitating to the person afflicted with the diagnosis.  It’s important to differentiate PTSD and Postpartum Depression because the treatments for both are very different and the illnesses deserve to be looked at as two separate entities.

Thanks for Reading!

Lauren

The Trauma(s)

{ August 22, 2011 @ 1:26 pm } · { The Trauma(s) }
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I just want to expound upon the somewhat vague ideas of physical and emotional trauma alluded to in the purpose portion of my previous post.

The following traumas are results of my childbirth experience:

Physical Traumas:  Third degree tear, hip dislocation, postpartum hemorrhage, Fecal incontinence

Emotional Traumas:  Diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and related Anxiety Disorder

I hope to address all aspects of the traumas and treatments in future blogs.

Thanks for reading,

Lauren

The Purpose

{ August 22, 2011 @ 10:27 am } · { The Purpose }
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Hello Friends!

The purpose of this blog is to talk about the physical and emotional traumas that can result from the act of childbirth.  Mother’s often joke about the “pain” of childbirth and for some women, it is true, that the experience is just that, an experience, a small portion of your life in which you birth your child.  However, for others, such as myself, the physical and emotional ramifications of childbirth have been more than “an experience.”  It has been a lifestyle change, a journey, and ultimately a calling that has led me to write down my thoughts as a way to advocate for others in similar situations.

I wish I could have written about my experiences, feelings, nightmares, and triumphs the whole journey, however, blogging about said material proved an undeniable trigger.  It is only in my recovery that I can begin to recollect the experiences without an overwhelming sense of fear, insecurity, and anxiety.  I hope my blog can serve as an inspiration, and an informative guide to those currently struggling with any, all, or more of the circumstances that I will blog about.

Thanks for Reading!

-Lauren

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