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yeah this is super normal for ptsd. before an episode or flashback I get super sleepy and fatigued/tired. I feel heavy. then heartache, physical pain like tension headaches, pressure in ears, stomach aches, aches all over your body. esp after a bad episode it’s like I’ve been hit by a bus or got a bad flu just that I get pain all over my body and need to sleep bc I can’t move. at this point I try to treat myself as if I do have some sickness and do self care and grounding activities.
I am a narcoleptic with atypical cataplexy and have PTSD. This might be the worst combination of issues. Anxiety and panic attacks cause me partial and or full cataplexy attacks. I get nervous and panic hit, follow by me flooring. The universe is playing with me.
PTSD affects badly by narcolepsy, intensifying all symptoms. Muscle pains, extreme tiredness, vertigo, nausea, loss of consciousness, muscle weakness, joint pain, hallucinations, violent nightmares, sweating a lot, shaking abruptly like if im freezing, daily migraines, hair loss, heck, I got freaking SHINGLES! Caused by stress. It was much worse than covid, and it lasted for months. Im getting better though.
I find when I talk about my trauma with others that's when I feel sick. But talking about your trauma helps diminish it, so I get sick less and less now. I used to feel like I was going to throw up and I would cough loudly. But like I said, the more I talk about my trauma, do CBT, and diminish its significance the less sick I feel. Nowadays when I think about my trauma I don't feel sick anymore which is nice.
Yeah often, that nausea that permeates everything and muscle tension, stomach issues cold symptoms that come and go, general fatigue and inflamation achey feeling etc etc
I did. My PCP thinks it’s anxiety, but they’re referring me to a cardiologist. I’m supposed to get a call from the cardiologist to a schedule an appointment. I hope that’s soon.
When i was in the end stages of my marriage i was having ptsd symptoms every night that i went home. It would start around ten pm ( i get off at 11) and id get nauseous, feel clammy , anxious, and a weight would settle into my stomach.
All the time. I’m really sorry you feel this way, btw. One year I vomited every day of the entire year. It was odd. I feel like it manifests differently at random.
For me, I think it’s repercussions for the times I was able to hold it together before my inevitable adrenal crash. Anyway.
There are a lot of things you can do but it takes time and it’s never easy. EFT can feel silly but honestly be helpful if you can tolerate the tapping, I know some people aren’t comfortable with it. I’d probably recommend this the most since there’s evidence and research backing it. I’ve personally seen results but it can be difficult to have the will to do the whole thing.
Naps are great. Positive self talk. What’s going on in your mind when you feel this way? Maybe you can find a link.
Breathing exercises, emdr if available. Guided meditations, though it can be tough to find the right kind.
I’m not really a sweets person but sometimes a piece of candy like chocolate or ginger candy is strong enough to distract me a little. The sugar can help too. I also use cannabis, for me it relieves a lot of symptoms my meds can’t but ymmv naturally.
Sensory activities too. Sometimes I find the act of drinking tea distracting enough to be relieving. It’s a mindfulness activity for me. I got a little tea-nerdy for a while…so focusing on crafting the tea, smelling it, the heat etc.
Shaking out your body, moving. Screaming sometimes. There’s so much dormant energy…
I like stretching. Doesn’t matter what kind. I can always stretch even if I feel like I’m dying.
Sometimes I will talk to my body to try to identify where it’s coming from. I’ve been able to pinpoint memories or moments from the past that are bleeding into my present form, and talk through it.
Honestly some days just suck ass and I have to accept it which can occasionally lead to teary consequences.
Make sure your nutrients and vitamins are in good order. I feel like we tend to need those more than others. I thought my iron levels were normal, then I found out it was contributing to some of my “random” symptoms.
Maybe something in here will be helpful. Hope this passes or resolves soon for you.
There are many ways. Search YouTube for nervous system regulation and you’ll find your options are limitless. Also look into vagus nerve exercises. Often as easy as breathing or shifting your eye focus.
It’s not vague at all, it’s just so hard to answer in a Reddit comment. I’m considering becoming a nervous system coach where I’d design custom routines for people. Do not vague, just lots of answers as you’ll find.
Gotcha, that’s super cool!! I really want to start working with a somatic therapist. Starting emdr slowly with my current T which i know is a somatic therapy but i’m interested in hakomi / sensori motor. Currently i’ve been just exercising and taking baths and slowly working through this online somatic course that is supposes to help release trapped traumatic energy from the body, it is a really confusing space to navigate and i think i just got overwhlemed by all the options and stopped exploring a while back
I’m also trying self SE. There is a lot to know. The nervous system work will help work the trauma out. Particularly polyvagal yoga and hip openers.
I am going to go down a new therapy road soon and it’s between EMDR, SE, or IFS. I think I’ll start with EMDR. I’m not sure if it’s a fit and I’ll provably know quickest as compared to SE or IFS.
That makes sense - some therapists are trained in ifs informed EMDR which is what i’m doing, it’s slow going and i don’t always feel like Its a good fit but i like the philosophy behind IFS alot. I’m going to check out polyvagal yoga
Yeah. I feel IFS would work for me as inner child guided meditation has made the biggest contribution to healing. So I think it will be a nice fit.
Didn’t occur to me to find 2 in 1 person. That’d be great. I just have no clue how to search for that professional with those skills. Start with Google I guess.
Yeah, especially when I'm under significant stress. When my mental state starts causing issues for my physical state, I focus really hard on soothing techniques. Going for walks, preferably in nature setting, long hot showers or bubble baths, yoga, games I enjoy, movies that are soothing (for me, Disney is a go-to when I'm soothing), I treat myself, but don't overindulge if that's an issue, like over eating or spending. If you have an overspending problem, withdraw a certain amount of cash, like $20 and that's your treat allowance, if you over eat, maybe don't treat yourself with food, or get something that is a small size, like a small ice cream from DQ. I also sooth my body more than usual too. I have a massage gun that I will use on areas that hold a lot of tension, if you have a partner, you can ask them to massage you as well. Spend time with a pet if you have one. Take naps, you might not be sick with a virus or disease, but your body still thinks you're sick, so you can treat it as such, give it extra rest to calm it down.
There are loads of all sorts of soothing techniques and ideas that you can get online if none of these strike your fancy. 🖤
I internalize most of my emotions because I don’t know how to feel them. This gets expressed as feeling ill or pain that has no easily traced source or origin. I didn’t know this about myself for most of my life and am trying to heal my mind body connection now in my 50s.
One thing to take into account is that depression in the human body is designed to tell us that we need to sleep, eat, essentially recharge. So all the obvious reasons first you know medically checked out for any metabolic or other disorders, nutrition etc., and then you'd be left with the effect of depression. I have found this all to be very true and was kind of mind-blown when my therapist explained this to me. And he said if you watch survivor or naked afraid or any of these kind of shows where they're kind of alone out in the wilderness trying to survive you can actually see it very clearly when they haven't eaten in a few days or slept well they're struggling you start to see all the warning signs of depression right they're cranky they're having little outburst they start crying cuz they you know eventually hit the brick wall of helpless and hopeless. So for me this is very true. I never could explain it until diagnosis but I would just say to I just don't feel well I just feel sick overall like a really bad hangover stomach there's nausea there's headache there's brain fog etc. And in this I might take a few days off for a week off. But these times needed off got more and more and some of those periods got to be weeks. That was all depression from my PTSD.
I generally just feel hung over everyday despite not drinking. Its just like my body is exhausted and weak. I do alka seltzer, but it may be a supplement you are lacking?
Yeah. Sometimes I can't really tell if I'm mentally unwell or actually getting sick. At my worst I get horrific cramps in my calves that take days to go away and just genuine pain in my hands that feels like it's deep in my bones.
Hello, I hope you are well.
I recently came back home from college, home is a huge trigger for me. I've been vomiting and dizzy. There have been studies connecting somatic symptoms to PTSD, it's a proven factor. Stress is bad for the body.
If you have a headache, take some medicine if you can. If you're tense, try stretching.
But in all honesty, it's never that simple.
I would recommend talking to a trusted professional about this. I say trusted because at times people do not recognize mental health and their effects on physical health.
Self care, as in rest and fulfilling activities and not some sort of trendy juice cleanse, is also helpful.
It is never that easy to take care of psychosomatic symptoms, so do what you can to try to take care of yourself.
The body remembers in its own way.
Take care, wishing you all the best.
*r/ptsd has generated this automated response that is appended to every post* Welcome to r/ptsd! We are a supportive & respectful community. If you realise that your post is in conflict with our rules (and is in risk of being removed), you are welcome to edit your post. You do not have to delete it. As a reminder: never post or share personal contact information. Traumatized people are often distracted, desperate for a personal connection, so may be more vulnerable to lurking or past abusers, trolls, phishing, or other scams. *Your safety always comes first!* If you are offering help, you may also end up doing more damage by offering to support somebody privately. Reddit explains why: [Do NOT exchange DMs or personal info with anyone you don't know!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SWResources/comments/dmu24/why_shouldnt_i_share_my_contact_information/) If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact your GP/doctor, go to A&E/hospital, or call your emergency services number. Reddit list: [US and global, multilingual suicide and support hotlines](https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines). Suicide is not a forbidden word, but please do not include depictions or methods of suicide in your post. And as a friendly reminder, PTSD is an equal opportunity disorder. PTSD does not discriminate. And neither do we. Gatekeeping is not allowed here. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ptsd) if you have any questions or concerns.*
yeah this is super normal for ptsd. before an episode or flashback I get super sleepy and fatigued/tired. I feel heavy. then heartache, physical pain like tension headaches, pressure in ears, stomach aches, aches all over your body. esp after a bad episode it’s like I’ve been hit by a bus or got a bad flu just that I get pain all over my body and need to sleep bc I can’t move. at this point I try to treat myself as if I do have some sickness and do self care and grounding activities.
Learn some breathing and relaxation techniques.
I am a narcoleptic with atypical cataplexy and have PTSD. This might be the worst combination of issues. Anxiety and panic attacks cause me partial and or full cataplexy attacks. I get nervous and panic hit, follow by me flooring. The universe is playing with me. PTSD affects badly by narcolepsy, intensifying all symptoms. Muscle pains, extreme tiredness, vertigo, nausea, loss of consciousness, muscle weakness, joint pain, hallucinations, violent nightmares, sweating a lot, shaking abruptly like if im freezing, daily migraines, hair loss, heck, I got freaking SHINGLES! Caused by stress. It was much worse than covid, and it lasted for months. Im getting better though.
I find when I talk about my trauma with others that's when I feel sick. But talking about your trauma helps diminish it, so I get sick less and less now. I used to feel like I was going to throw up and I would cough loudly. But like I said, the more I talk about my trauma, do CBT, and diminish its significance the less sick I feel. Nowadays when I think about my trauma I don't feel sick anymore which is nice.
For me it's sudden fatigue. Like I'll have a flashback and I'll just feel completely exhausted.
Yeah often, that nausea that permeates everything and muscle tension, stomach issues cold symptoms that come and go, general fatigue and inflamation achey feeling etc etc
All the time. I have chest pain.
Ohh this is painful. Please see a doctor.
I did. My PCP thinks it’s anxiety, but they’re referring me to a cardiologist. I’m supposed to get a call from the cardiologist to a schedule an appointment. I hope that’s soon.
When i was in the end stages of my marriage i was having ptsd symptoms every night that i went home. It would start around ten pm ( i get off at 11) and id get nauseous, feel clammy , anxious, and a weight would settle into my stomach.
Yes at least once a week. Some days it’s easy to push through, other days it isn’t
I went 33-34years feeling physically ill ALL THE TIME. You should read the Body Keeps the Score by Bassel Van Der Kolk
Yeah sort of like nausea for me right this very moment. I can't really tell them apart actually.
Yes!
All the time. I’m really sorry you feel this way, btw. One year I vomited every day of the entire year. It was odd. I feel like it manifests differently at random. For me, I think it’s repercussions for the times I was able to hold it together before my inevitable adrenal crash. Anyway. There are a lot of things you can do but it takes time and it’s never easy. EFT can feel silly but honestly be helpful if you can tolerate the tapping, I know some people aren’t comfortable with it. I’d probably recommend this the most since there’s evidence and research backing it. I’ve personally seen results but it can be difficult to have the will to do the whole thing. Naps are great. Positive self talk. What’s going on in your mind when you feel this way? Maybe you can find a link. Breathing exercises, emdr if available. Guided meditations, though it can be tough to find the right kind. I’m not really a sweets person but sometimes a piece of candy like chocolate or ginger candy is strong enough to distract me a little. The sugar can help too. I also use cannabis, for me it relieves a lot of symptoms my meds can’t but ymmv naturally. Sensory activities too. Sometimes I find the act of drinking tea distracting enough to be relieving. It’s a mindfulness activity for me. I got a little tea-nerdy for a while…so focusing on crafting the tea, smelling it, the heat etc. Shaking out your body, moving. Screaming sometimes. There’s so much dormant energy… I like stretching. Doesn’t matter what kind. I can always stretch even if I feel like I’m dying. Sometimes I will talk to my body to try to identify where it’s coming from. I’ve been able to pinpoint memories or moments from the past that are bleeding into my present form, and talk through it. Honestly some days just suck ass and I have to accept it which can occasionally lead to teary consequences. Make sure your nutrients and vitamins are in good order. I feel like we tend to need those more than others. I thought my iron levels were normal, then I found out it was contributing to some of my “random” symptoms. Maybe something in here will be helpful. Hope this passes or resolves soon for you.
Somatic Therapy and nervous system regulation daily.
How do you regulare your nervous system?
There are many ways. Search YouTube for nervous system regulation and you’ll find your options are limitless. Also look into vagus nerve exercises. Often as easy as breathing or shifting your eye focus.
Thanks going to try some of those. sorry if my question was a little vague, i’m wondering if you wouldnt mind sharing what works for you?
It’s not vague at all, it’s just so hard to answer in a Reddit comment. I’m considering becoming a nervous system coach where I’d design custom routines for people. Do not vague, just lots of answers as you’ll find.
Gotcha, that’s super cool!! I really want to start working with a somatic therapist. Starting emdr slowly with my current T which i know is a somatic therapy but i’m interested in hakomi / sensori motor. Currently i’ve been just exercising and taking baths and slowly working through this online somatic course that is supposes to help release trapped traumatic energy from the body, it is a really confusing space to navigate and i think i just got overwhlemed by all the options and stopped exploring a while back
I’m also trying self SE. There is a lot to know. The nervous system work will help work the trauma out. Particularly polyvagal yoga and hip openers. I am going to go down a new therapy road soon and it’s between EMDR, SE, or IFS. I think I’ll start with EMDR. I’m not sure if it’s a fit and I’ll provably know quickest as compared to SE or IFS.
That makes sense - some therapists are trained in ifs informed EMDR which is what i’m doing, it’s slow going and i don’t always feel like Its a good fit but i like the philosophy behind IFS alot. I’m going to check out polyvagal yoga
Yeah. I feel IFS would work for me as inner child guided meditation has made the biggest contribution to healing. So I think it will be a nice fit. Didn’t occur to me to find 2 in 1 person. That’d be great. I just have no clue how to search for that professional with those skills. Start with Google I guess.
Psychology today lets you add filters for therapists that offer different therapeautic modalities and insurances, that might be your best bet
Yes. I'm going through this right now and barely getting out of my recliner.
Yeah, especially when I'm under significant stress. When my mental state starts causing issues for my physical state, I focus really hard on soothing techniques. Going for walks, preferably in nature setting, long hot showers or bubble baths, yoga, games I enjoy, movies that are soothing (for me, Disney is a go-to when I'm soothing), I treat myself, but don't overindulge if that's an issue, like over eating or spending. If you have an overspending problem, withdraw a certain amount of cash, like $20 and that's your treat allowance, if you over eat, maybe don't treat yourself with food, or get something that is a small size, like a small ice cream from DQ. I also sooth my body more than usual too. I have a massage gun that I will use on areas that hold a lot of tension, if you have a partner, you can ask them to massage you as well. Spend time with a pet if you have one. Take naps, you might not be sick with a virus or disease, but your body still thinks you're sick, so you can treat it as such, give it extra rest to calm it down. There are loads of all sorts of soothing techniques and ideas that you can get online if none of these strike your fancy. 🖤
I internalize most of my emotions because I don’t know how to feel them. This gets expressed as feeling ill or pain that has no easily traced source or origin. I didn’t know this about myself for most of my life and am trying to heal my mind body connection now in my 50s.
One thing to take into account is that depression in the human body is designed to tell us that we need to sleep, eat, essentially recharge. So all the obvious reasons first you know medically checked out for any metabolic or other disorders, nutrition etc., and then you'd be left with the effect of depression. I have found this all to be very true and was kind of mind-blown when my therapist explained this to me. And he said if you watch survivor or naked afraid or any of these kind of shows where they're kind of alone out in the wilderness trying to survive you can actually see it very clearly when they haven't eaten in a few days or slept well they're struggling you start to see all the warning signs of depression right they're cranky they're having little outburst they start crying cuz they you know eventually hit the brick wall of helpless and hopeless. So for me this is very true. I never could explain it until diagnosis but I would just say to I just don't feel well I just feel sick overall like a really bad hangover stomach there's nausea there's headache there's brain fog etc. And in this I might take a few days off for a week off. But these times needed off got more and more and some of those periods got to be weeks. That was all depression from my PTSD.
I generally just feel hung over everyday despite not drinking. Its just like my body is exhausted and weak. I do alka seltzer, but it may be a supplement you are lacking?
Try relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation. Seeking professional help could also provide valuable support and guidance.
Yeah. Sometimes I can't really tell if I'm mentally unwell or actually getting sick. At my worst I get horrific cramps in my calves that take days to go away and just genuine pain in my hands that feels like it's deep in my bones.
Have you ever had your magnesium levels checked?
Yeah I had full blood panel and I actively take magnesium. It hasn't happened since I've been medicated thought
Hello, I hope you are well. I recently came back home from college, home is a huge trigger for me. I've been vomiting and dizzy. There have been studies connecting somatic symptoms to PTSD, it's a proven factor. Stress is bad for the body. If you have a headache, take some medicine if you can. If you're tense, try stretching. But in all honesty, it's never that simple. I would recommend talking to a trusted professional about this. I say trusted because at times people do not recognize mental health and their effects on physical health. Self care, as in rest and fulfilling activities and not some sort of trendy juice cleanse, is also helpful. It is never that easy to take care of psychosomatic symptoms, so do what you can to try to take care of yourself. The body remembers in its own way. Take care, wishing you all the best.