Self-care is necessary for my sanity. One of the toughest aspects of dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is that symptoms can happen at any time. Without warning, there can be PTSD-related nightmares or flashbacks, crushing depression, or a little bit of mania mixed in with some rage and irritability.
Ain’t PTSD grand? Well, instead of kvetching, it’s essential for us to have self-care habits set up and routinely practiced to help us deal with these PTSD events when they happen.
I recently had one of those Bad Days, requiring all of the self-care skills in my arsenal. It was the first day with any down time that I had experienced in several weeks. I was fighting a head cold with a possible fever. I ached all over. I hadn’t been able to exercise in two days. I couldn’t bend my neck because I slept on it weird. I had been hearing and reading a lot about death and dying, from dogs to women my age to extended family members. I missed the wide open spaces and painting-like beauty of Yellowstone, where we had recently spent a week. I had a PTSD trigger, the effects of which spread like gum on the bottom of your shoe on a warm day. I continue to struggle with how I am a Christian and where I belong.
You know, the light stuff.
Acknowledge Our Self-Care Needs
I got up and looked in the mirror. I was supposed to be heading to the coffee shop where I write at least a couple of times a week. My hair was greasy.
I could put on a hat, I thought. I could also take a shower. I didn’t really remember the last time I had taken a shower. I have a little saying that my friends and I have created – if you can’t remember the last time you had a shower, then it’s time. I didn’t want to admit it, but I needed to practice some self-care.
So I took a shower. When I was done, I felt the placky fur on my teeth. I could think about it all day, I thought, or I could simply brush my teeth. So I brushed them.
One Self-Care Step at a Time
[Tweet “That is how life must be. One simple choice, one decision for self-care, one step after another. “]
Sometimes – maybe all the time – that is how life must be. One simple choice, one decision for self care, one step after another. On those Bad Days when I feel particularly crappy, I’ve started asking myself certain questions:
Have I taken my meds?- Have I had enough water to drink?
- Have I eaten a meal lately? (No, not just ice cream or coffee)
- Am I physically tired and do I need sleep?
- Have I been overwhelmed with noise and activity?
- Have I taken a shower?
- Have I talked with an adult?
These questions seem so simple, but they are amazing to me, and go a long way toward helping me feel a little more sane and a little less like giving up. They remind me of this set of questions that I’ve been seeing around my Facebook feed over the last few weeks: Everything is Awful and I’m Not Okay
I absolutely love it. So much of recovery and feeling safe and sane is self-care. The next time you are feeling like you just want to get in your car and drive until the gas runs out or that there’s no point in getting out of bed, take a look at this list.
You are worth the effort.
About PTSD Parent
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