One treatment for my posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) I am interested in is called emotional freedom technique (EFT). It’s a relatively new treatment – developed in the mid-90s – for various psychological issues and disorders. From what I have read about it, EFT for the treatment of PTSD symptoms seems to be gaining some momentum as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice.

Individuals with complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) frequently experience varying levels of dissociative amnesia and they need to learn coping skills for dissociative amnesia in C-PTSD (Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder vs. Simple PTSD). For myself, dissociation was my superpower when I had no other means of coping. However, decades later, certain sights, sounds, smells, stressful experiences or perceived dangers can still trigger my complex PTSD dissociation. Here are some of the coping skills I use for complex PTSD-related dissociative amnesia.

Hi, my name is Tia Hollowood, and I am pleased to be joining the HealthyPlace blogging community as a writer for Trauma! A PTSD Blog. My trauma started early on in life, but now I can say I’m in PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) recovery and I believe that sharing our experiences can help us all (Telling Your Trauma Story: Why You Really Should).

Many people feel a let-down when the holidays are over, but when you have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-holiday depression hits, it can be especially hard. Depression and PTSD often go hand-in-hand and it's something that I am continually dealing with--even during the best of times. Now that the holidays and all their activities, stresses, and excitement are over, depression with my PTSD is popping up and I am doing my best to cope with it. 

When you are living with a mental illness like posttraumatic stress disorder, setting and working toward specific goals is sometimes challenging. As someone who has posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), I know that there are times when my PTSD symptoms are worse than others and those times are often hard to predict. So when I set goals with PTSD, regarding either my recovery or other aspects of life, I try to keep in mind that I may have more to deal with than others who don't suffer from a mental illness (How to Build Confidence and Achieve Your Goals).

It's natural to ask, "Why me?" about your trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but I have found purpose in my PTSD. I have found that when you are able to discover real meaning and purpose in the trauma that have happened to you, not only does it provide you with some peace of mind and a sense of accomplishment, but also helps with managing PTSD symptoms. Here are tips on finding purpose in your PTSD.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) doesn't only affect the trauma survivor, it affects the whole family--including the children (Can Combat PTSD Get Transmitted to Children From Their Parents?). As a parent with PTSD, I think that it's easy to get caught up in what having it feels like for me, and it's easy to forget that it's also affecting those around me, including my husband and my stepson. My husband also has PTSD, so it's fairly easy for him to deal with my PTSD symptoms because he has them too. But before I started this post, I really stopped and thought about how it is for my stepson and other children who have parents with PTSD.

As someone who has posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), I am often on the lookout for alternative therapies for my PTSD recovery. I recently started reading up on the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies that are suggested for PTSD (Alternative Approaches to Mental Health Treatment). Even though I will not abandon the conventional PTSD therapies that are currently working for me (psychiatric care and medication), I think that using alternative therapies as additions to my treatment can be beneficial in my PTSD recovery.

Dissociation due to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is just one of the symptoms that many of us who have PTSD have to cope with, but it can be a disruptive one. Most people who have survived trauma dissociate to some extent; it's one way that the brain protects us from dealing with frightening events. For some of us, dissociation might be a mild sort of "spacing out" when triggered, but for others, it can be a truly unsettling feeling that is difficult to deal with. 

Complex PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) results from experiencing prolonged trauma, over which the person has little or no control, and from which escape seems hopeless. Many times, complex PTSD affects those who suffered ongoing physical, emotional, or sexual abuse during childhood and victims of long-term domestic violence.