Orla Kelly - Learning to Re-connect the Pieces of a Life Shattered by PTSD

by

Orla Kelly

Copyright 2014 Orla Kelly

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may bereproduced in any form or by any means, without acknowledging thecopyright holder and without written permission of the copyrightholder. This book is licenced for your personal use only. Althoughthe author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that theinformation in this book was correct at press time, the author andpublisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to anyparty for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors oromissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence,accident, or any other cause.

This book is not intended as a substitute for themedical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult aphysician or qualified therapist in matters relating to his/herhealth and particularly with respect to any symptoms that mayrequire diagnosis or medical attention.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of thisauthor.

Book published by Orla Kelly SelfPublishing Services .

If you are one of those people who think thatreading a book is going to solve Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD), then let me save you some time in reading beyond this page.You see, I have invested in so many self-help books to last me alifetime and they havent solved any problems.

However I have learned this!

Any two persons may read a book and take onboard something different to the next person, even if both peoplehave the same condition. However we all respond differently todifferent stimuli, different words, phrases and even responddifferently in the way information is presented, so this book isnot a fix it as such.

Instead what it does, is opens your mind (ifyou allow your mind to be receptive), so that you can read thewords, and for something to stand out from all other things on thepage and really hit you between the eyeballs and make sense.

You see, we all know what makes sense andwhat doesnt, but convincing ourselves at a much deeper level is somuch harder, and we can spend a lifetime trying to overcome theobvious and not so obvious obstacles we place in our pathway to alife of peace, deep acceptance of ourselves, belonging,completeness, fulfillment and personal contentment.

I wrote the book this way, because whetheryou feel entitled to a life that encompasses the above, or even ifit seems like a distant dream to you at this moment, you were meantfor a life much greater than the one you are currentlyexperiencing.

Just remember this is just one moment intime, and time is always moving forward, and it can take you in thedirection you want it to if you open your mind to rid yourself ofthe heavy burden you find yourself with.

Learning to Re-connect the Pieces of a LifeShattered by PTSD looks at the effects of PTSD on your whole self.By whole self, I mean your physical, emotional, mental andspiritual being. All are connected, and when even one is out ofsync, there is a pressure on the other parts, and they end upworking overtime until there is physical, mental, emotional andspiritual collapse. Having PTSD, impacts all aspects of life as youknow it, and you are almost a stranger in your own body.

You need to do whatever it takes to restorebalance and harmony to your life, because it is not just your lifethat is deeply affected. It has like a domino effect on thosearound you, particularly those closest to you, and although lovedones will love and support you unconditionally, I dont believe youwant to take them with you on the PTSD journey to hell andback.

You may not agree with everything in thisbook and that is okay too. Just try to take on board some of what Ihave written about for your own sake, because you deserve to live alife that is not THIS life you find yourself experiencing!

So take a walk with me through these pages,sit back and relax, read once then come back to try to read onechapter a day at least. Pick the chapter you most feel in need ofreading and see where it takes you to.

Remember even though you have experiencedsomething that no-one should ever have to experience, you havesurvived and need to keep doing so because the world needs moreunsung heroes like you.

This book is dedicated to everyone who issuffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You are not alone.You are not forgotten.

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds thestrength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelmingobstacles. Christopher Reeves

When something traumatic happens to you, or youwitness something traumatic, your whole world is turned upside downand you may find yourself questioning everything you ever believedin. The world feels like a far more dangerous place than you everenvisioned, and it is hard to just get by! Even the words get byare like hard work.

Questioning yourself, questioning whathappened, how and why it happened, questioning those involved andasking how things could have been different, are re-lived andre-experienced over and over in your mind. It spills over into yourdaily life, and slowly you feel like you are driving yourselfinsane! Insane with grief, anger, frustration, helplessness,hopelessness, resentment and regrets.

As a result, you are also dealing with amyriad of negative, depressing and frightening emotions that leaveyou feeling like you are on a roller coaster over which you arestruggling to maintain control, hold on, stay safe, stay sane andsurvive the white knuckled ride to hell and back! On the good days,you may even ask What Now? or consider what does your futurehold? Where will it take you mentally, physically, emotionally andspiritually?

Even thinking about the future may seem hazy,as you struggle to make it through even today. Maybe the thought ofwhat happens next is too scary to even contemplate, as you strugglethrough the here and now. Although the only time you ever have toaccomplish something is the present, it is only by working at thepresent that the future can carry any hope. So you need to bevigilant about the messages you are hearing inside your head, theimages you are seeing, the activities you are doing, theconversations you are having and the way you respond to andinteract with the world around you.

A lot to take in I know! However, it is onlyby regularly checking in with yourself that you can really seewhere you are at in terms of progress.

Sure there will be bad days, and often evenmore bad than good days, but a day is just that-a moment in time,so do not put more emphasis on time than you should, because theprogress is what is relevant, not the time-frame.

It is a marathon to the finish not a sprint,so you need to build up your mental, physical, emotional andspiritual muscles and resolve for the long run!

So instead of asking why me-what next? saysomething like, okay I am here, I dont want to be, so I am goingto dig, claw or do whatever is within my power to build myself upagain and heal as best I can, and what isnt in my power, Illask.

Blame

Sometimes even though you try to holdeverything together, you may lash out or say or do something tocause hurt and distress to others. Of course you do not mean it,and are filled with regret afterwards. You may then go on to blameyourself for what has happened, and the chances are it will happenagain!

When reliving trauma over and over, you maybe filled with self-blame for any part you had or were forced tohave, even if it was against your beliefs and free will.

It is almost like you got yourself into thesituation by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You keepanalyzing things and question what you could have done, ifanything, to make things turn out differently, and this is headwrecking stuff. You may also blame yourself for how everything hasturned out, and especially if your life seems a mess.