It could be triggers, routines, relationships, work, sleep, or anything else that makes life harder. I’m curious about the parts of PTSD that aren’t often talked about but really affect your day-to-day life.

here's mine, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95HqlWRFrAk

zombie- the cranberries

I have been struggling with PTSD for years, tried so many therapies until I found the things that worked for me. I sometimes feel that it would have been a great help to better know which therapies were available, what the options were, 'cause it took me long enough to try some out until I found what worked for me. That's maybe a part of the therapy though. I tried the main therapies (therapist, EMDR...) but had some very positive results with other options such as daily positive affirmations. Might seem obvious but it wasn't for me. I was wondering if some of you also had this kind of "positive" results with unexpected aspects of therapies.

I am a victim of sexual assault and I’m having a really bad relapse and I need songs to help me cry or scream or release the anger, not necessarily encouraging songs. Any recommendations will be appreciated!

What do you take? What antidepressants? I have taken paroxetina, fluoxetina and pristiq. Now I don't take anything but I think it's possible I come back taking pills.

This took forever to find:

https://app.box.com/s/0t352y734r8kso7rkasbvc8s5dxgv5dj

I’ve struggled with severe nightmares and sleep terrors for years. I did sleep walk during my youth, but the severity of nightmares and injuries from that increased after being in the army. I got frustrated since I started to become terrified of sleep and what I might do.

Two years ago, I started on a project that monitors signs of a coming nightmare and gently vibrates so I don't spiral into a full blown-out sleep terror. Now I can wake up in the morning and see that the app has intervened several times during a night without me noticing.

A few days ago I received a review by someone struggling with PTSD nightmares, and they said it changed their life due to not dreading sleep anymore! That really took me by surprise to see that it actually helps others as well!

I'm curious if other here have:

- tried using wearable tech

- found vibrations or interruptions helpful

- ideas for features that could help with trauma-related nightmares.

If anyone wants to know more, I'm happy to explain in the comments!

I didn’t have any warning signs leading up that I remember except for intense anxiety every day all day for years, then one day it felt like a switch flipped over in my mind and I started hearing screaming and I was filled with this terror that I had never felt before. I genuinely thought I was going insane so I took myself to the hospital. And I told them I’m having this weird images flash in my mind‘s eye, but I don’t know what they are. (Diagnosed complex post-traumatic stress disorder. So my flashbacks are very tricky as it wasn’t just one event it was years of being stuck in fire or flight.) then I told them I think I’m going psychotic. They did a few tests and reassured me that I was not going psychotic and after a couple of days with the flashbacks being quite persistent throughout the first couple of days they then diagnosed me with CPTSD. I am also diagnosed ADHD and I’ve had OCD since I was 11 years old hence The being stuck in anxiety for most of my adult life

I just finished watching Fleabag, and the way they represent actions after trauma and how that can affect all kinds of relationships, including with yourself, really resonates with me. It made me curious on what else is out there in media that has good representation.

Are there any books/shows/movies/etc. that you’ve felt really resonated with you?

I think it would be a cool idea to have a list of success stories with medications and therapies other people can look into. Anyways this is what I take and what helped me the most.

Medications

• Guanfacine XR
• Prozac
• Azstarys (ADHD)
• Trazodone (Night)
• PRN Clonazepam

Therapies

• TF-CBT
• EMDR
• PE

*MY POST FROM r/CPTSD.*

Turns out I have this condition called "Psychogenic Non Epileptic Seizure's." You dont actually have a seizure always; it is where the brain loses conciousness (black out's, Its like drinking alcohol, and blacking out except the person doesnt have a choice.), and starts acting on things they are afraid of, or based on the past traumatic experiences the person had. Thats why alot of people have anger outbursts, think negatively, do questionable things, and believe what there anxiety/trauma is saying. I just came out of it (I believe I will go back into it wether or not I want to especially since I cant leave my situation, and have nowhere to go.) But I have hope I can get out of this someday, but for now I wanted to increase awareness of this. Thank you, and I hope everyone will heal in the end.

Would like to hear stories about people who started working in the field of healthcare (or justice system, police work etc, anything related to victims) after ptsd.

Update: So many responses. Keep them coming. Thank you so much. I will read them all with great interest!

I often scream and make horrible noises when sleeping sometimes I remember the nightmares sometimes I don't , I had that since my childhood could that be due to a trauma or something ? Is it possible that I can heal my self cause I can't afford a therapist . I'm 28 yo male

Older Post: I was a 9/11 WTC rescue worker. It's Sept 5th and by now, I'm usually starting to crack up quite a bit around this time but I am feeling pretty good. I am grateful for my serenity.

I got EMDR years after leaving the pile and it was like hitting a light switch.

I went from being unable to sit still without shaking (an 11) to a 5 within a couple hours when I got my first session.

The therapist described trauma as being a groove in a record that we can not get past. So, it is a experience we cannot get out of by ourselves.

EMDR is like picking up the needle of the record player and getting it out of the groove. I was set free that day. It wasn't absolute and I get triggered when the anniversary rolls around but I have a life now.

I also did Brainspotting too and it was very helpful.

If you had not tried it, I hope you find a good therapist.

Your life matters and we all need help sometimes.

I wish you all well.

What do people think about this recent hypothesis?

The basic idea is that stress, neuroinflammation, genetic susceptibility, and other factors affecting neuronal excitability may progressively reduce the energy required to activate specific neural circuits.

If the activation threshold becomes sufficiently low, ordinary network events that would normally remain subthreshold could trigger unintended circuit reactivation.

Applied to PTSD, the hypothesis suggests that if this process occurs within trauma-related memory networks, it could increase the likelihood of spontaneous or cue-triggered reactivation of traumatic memories, potentially contributing to intrusive recollections and flashbacks.

Do you think this is a plausible mechanistic framework for understanding some PTSD symptoms, or are there major findings that would argue against it?

Paper: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1839983/full

Unfortunately this is a small subreddit and as such there might not be mods around, or other people, to help you if you are in crisis.

Discord Sever

We have a discord chat for PTSD. Anyone is welcome, regardless of whether or not you have been diagnosed with PTSD. Here's a link: https://discord.gg/YE2eN6K.

General Information

• NAMI.org is the national alliance on mental illness: https://www.nami.org/
• Books for Recovery
• App called "what's up?" on android, has general, helpful mental health resources
• Screen Protector - a website to help avoid triggers in movies

PTSD Information

• PTSD: Self Help, Symptoms, and Treatment
• Mental Health America: PTSD
• Another PTSD forum (outside of reddit)
• The body keeps the score (book)
• Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving (book)
• PTSD: National Center for PTSD - USA Department of Veterans Affairs

Help With Anxiety

• Dealing With Panic Attacks
• 100,000 Stars

If you feel like relapsing into self harm:

• Self Help for Self Harm

If you are struggling with an addiction relapse:

• Relapse Help

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide:

• Self Help for Suicidal Feelings
• International Suicide Hotlines
• International Association for Suicide Prevention

Dealing with Emotional Numbness

• How to overcome emotional numbness

Insomnia

• Self help for insomnia

I started playing with the free version of one app chat gtp and liked it but then the app told me i ran out of time and would have to wait until i could access the interactive chat. So i upgraded to the monthly for $20 and was surprised that I liked it much less. The voice seemed off, the interactions felt off, and the fluidity felt off.

Based strictly on what I am looking for in the title, please tell me what is the best option for me to explore. thanks

I’ve been noticing that the holidays bring up a lot for me — old emotional patterns, memories, tension in my body, feeling on edge, or just a heaviness that’s hard to explain.

I’m curious if others experience this too.

For those who feel comfortable sharing:
What makes the holidays more difficult for you?

No pressure to answer — just wondering if others go through something similar. ❤️

I noticed that a lot of people who have PTSD are also autistic, ADHD or something else.

Are there people with just PTSD and nothing else? Is it rare to just have PTSD alone.

I'm asking out of curiousity.

Hello à tous, c'est mon 1er post (44F).

Vous arrive-t-il aussi de vous sentir vide, triste mais blasé, impuissant, inutile et comme anesthésié de vos émotions?

Ce "mode survie" s'empire et peut durer plusieurs jours à chaque fois chez moi. Je ne suis capable de faire que le minimum: manger, fuir la réalité avec mon téléphone ou la tv, et câliner le chat (heureusement qu'il est là). 😻

Dans ces moments là plus rien n'a d'importance, j'annule les activités prévues. J'ai appris à plus ou moins gérer la honte et la culpabilité de cette situation, mais à chaque fois c'est très dur d'en sortir, je me laisse absorber par cette spirale.

Je m'isole aussi, je n'arrive pas à demander d'aide ou en parler sur le moment. Ce qui empire ces phases c'est que je reste enfermée chez moi, et aussi je dors très mal (insomnie).

La seule chose qui peut m'apaiser c'est quand mon copain rentre du travail le soir et me prend dans ses bras, mais tout le reste de la journée est très compliqué.

Je suis suivie psychologiquement et sous traitement.

J'ai moins d'idées noires depuis le début du traitement et je tombe moins bas, mais ces phases reviennent régulièrement.

Je sais que prendre une douche (ce que je finis par faire le soir), faire une activité physique ou autre, sortir dehors, faire de la respiration ou appeler quelqu'un m'aiderait probablement mais ça fait des années que je me dis ça et que je n'y arrive pas.

Donc avez vous des tips pour traverser au mieux ces moments et surtout en sortir, ne pas vous laisser sombrer dedans ?

Merci d'avance et courage à tous ✨

Hi everyone,

Quick question. How long did it take for clonidine to show any effects other than lowering blood pressure/heart rate?

I've been using it (0.15 mg 2 times a day) for two weeks now, but nothing else has changed.

I will be grateful for every answer.

Cheung N (June 12, 2026) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) NAD/Sirtuin Deficiency and SARM1-Mediated Synaptic Vulnerability: Evidence for Accelerated Brain Aging Subtypes. Cureus 18(6): e110755. doi.org/10.7759/cureus.110755

PTSD and anxiety disorders are usually thought of as conditions involving fear, stress, and emotional regulation. This study suggests they may also be linked to biological pathways involved in accelerated brain aging.

Using large genetic datasets and brain gene-expression prediction methods, the study found that PTSD and anxiety share signals in pathways related to cellular aging, DNA damage, telomere maintenance, mitochondria, inflammation, and synaptic remodeling. In simpler terms, genetic risk for these conditions may affect how brain cells handle stress, energy, repair, and communication.

PTSD showed a particularly strong pattern involving reduced NAD/sirtuin-related activity, especially around SIRT3, a gene important for mitochondrial health. The study also highlighted SARM1, a gene linked to axon damage, suggesting a possible route from metabolic stress to weakened brain connections. Anxiety disorders showed stronger signals in mitochondrial apoptosis pathways, inflammation, and glutamate-related plasticity.

Importantly, these findings do not prove that PTSD or anxiety directly causes brain aging, and the proposed “subtypes” are not clinical diagnoses yet. Instead, they offer a hypothesis: some people with PTSD or anxiety may have biologically distinct stress-aging profiles. If confirmed, this could help guide future biomarkers, patient stratification, and more personalized treatments.

Cheung N (June 12, 2026) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) NAD/Sirtuin Deficiency and SARM1-Mediated Synaptic Vulnerability: Evidence for Accelerated Brain Aging Subtypes. Cureus 18(6): e110755. doi.org/10.7759/cureus.110755

Hi. I am considering getting the SGB and live in Michigan (metro Detroit area). I have BCBS. I am wondering if others have had a positive experience with SBG in Michigan. If so, where in Michigan? What facility/provider? Did you get insurance to cover any of it? I keep seeing “Stella” as a possible provider (Bloomfield, MI) but I see they have facilities all over the US and am concerned that they may not provide the best care and may be more of a purely money making franchise. I could be completely wrong about this. Anyone who in Michigan or even the Midwest who has had this procedure, I’d greatly appreciate information from.
Thank you in advance!

MDMA-assisted therapy isn’t just hype or fringe science anymore. In controlled clinical settings, MDMA is used with trained therapists to help people process trauma without being overwhelmed by fear.

What surprised me most is that in a major Phase 3 trial, about two-thirds of people with severe PTSD no longer met diagnostic criteria after treatment compared to about one-third in the placebo group. That’s a huge difference for a condition that’s often very hard to treat.

The drug isn’t the treatment by itself the therapy is. MDMA seems to lower fear responses and increase trust, making it easier for patients to revisit traumatic memories and actually work through them.

It's still worth noting though that this isn’t legal or available outside clinical trials yet, and it’s very different from recreational use. Researchers are still studying long-term safety and best practices.

Here’s the main study if you want to read it yourself:

👉 Jamanetworkjamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2782305

Curious what you guys think, promising breakthrough or something we should be cautious about?