The most difficult thing I ever had to do was to recover from PTSD. It's the one personal accomplishment I'm most proud of.
Recovering from PTSD isn't like healing from a disease. It's more like going through physical therapy to learn how to walk again. It's learning to live with a disability.
You'll never get rid of your triggers because you have memories (and you have a right to have and keep memories). But they'll no longer take over and hijack your mind.
You'll become more self aware, and you'll be able to spot your triggers and choose your response (or no response). I got triggered yesterday, and what went on was just "oh, that's a trigger. Yeah, alright, I understand. Now let's let it go".
Does it always work like that? No. Sometimes you're tired, sometimes you're already stressed, sometimes it's a charged or emotional situation. But it's one thing to have no control over your mind, and another to be able to manage perfectly 90% of the time.
If you have PTSD and need some help or guidance or simply someone to listen, please reach out. My DM's are open.
Final note: What they call PTSD doesn't really describe our experiences well. It's not a single or straightforward incident that left us traumatized. It's repeated and complex. But PTSD is the term we have so imperfect as it is, it's the one I use.
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