Do What You Gotta Do... (approx. 2 min. read)

I’ve had quite a bit of feedback, and it sounds like I need to share some of the things I do to get me through and the first one is use those words as part of a mantra; “Do what you gotta do, to get you through.” It’s not good grammar, but it’s short, sweet and to the point. When you’re in that moment, do whatever it is you have to do to get you through; whether its meditate, breathe, talk yourself down, wrap yourself in a blanket, or cuddle with a loved one; family pets included.

Take care of yourself, as well as your body by eating well, and exercising. …And yeah I know, most people dislike exercising intensely, but I haven’t been able to find much else that works as well to alleviate my stress. Cut out negative people; even if they’re family.  Negative people make you question yourself, and you don’t need to be questioning yourself anymore than you already do. Negative people are energy vampires, and it’s important to try and distance yourself from anyone that is telling you to “get over it.” Surround yourself with people that are positive and believe in YOU. Positive people give off positive energy and positive energy helps you to feel good about yourself, and will help you to become a PTSD survivor, instead of a sufferer.

Find a support group; I did. I found a forum that I believe has helped to save my life: www.myptsd.com and I just got my award for being part of the site for 9 years. This site (myptsd.com) is run by a very compassionate man called Anthony and is comprised of PTSD sufferers, PTSD supporters and it has just about everything you need to know about PTSD diagnosis, signs and symptoms. There are currently 461 members and I have to tell you it wasn’t long before I was calling them my PTSD family. The best thing about this group…You never have to leave the safety of your own home.

One last thing I would like to say before I sign out this week; what works for me might not work for you. You might not be in the right headspace, or you may have tried the things I’m suggesting, and they didn’t work for you. As I mentioned earlier; you have to do what YOU gotta do to get YOU through and if I’m not saying anything that helps you, find someone or something that will. Honestly. You owe it to yourself, despite what you may have been told in the past.

Stay safe, and stay strong.

References:

https://www.myptsd.com/13-steps-for-managing-flashbacks/119/