Dealing with unexpected PTSD triggers

Linda Lee @LadyQuixote

ptsd

About a month ago, on August 5, to be exact, my PTSD was triggered very badly by an unexpected hate attack from a person I barely know. I was shocked by the deep, intense, soul shaking, emotional PAIN I felt. I thought my PTSD was healed better than that!

Now that nearly a month has passed since this deeply hurtful experience, I feel like I am back to normal. (Or what passes for normal in my case, lol.) I’ve had time to do a lot of thinking, praying, and talking things over with my loving Chaplain husband and with a very wise and dear Christian friend. This is the conclusion I have come to:

I am human. And being human is not a shameful thing. In fact, being human, a creature made by God, in the image of God, is wonderful and awesome. Yes, by the grace of God and thanks to a lot of good therapy, I have done a tremendous amount of healing since the days when my PTSD was at its worst. However, this does not mean that I am now invincible. If you cut me, I will still bleed. And if I feel that you are attacking my basic worth and value as a human being, I will still be triggered. Why? Because I’m not super woman. And not being super woman is perfectly okay!

Here are the links to two inspiring posts on the topic of PTSD triggers by the author Alexis Rose. If, like me, you have been dealing with some trauma triggers recently, I believe these posts will encourage you.

https://atribeuntangled.com/2019/09/04/thank-you-symptoms-but-ive-got-this/

https://atribeuntangled.com/2019/08/23/getting-triggered-by-the-news-2/

Thank you for stopping by and God bless. Comments will be open for a time. I would love to hear from you.

Here’s a great big grandmotherly ((HUG)) if you want one.

With love, 
Linda Lee Adams @LadyQuixote 

40 thoughts on “Dealing with unexpected PTSD triggers”

  1. seekingdivineperspective September 4, 2019 / 10:51 am

    Hate attack from someone who barely knows you? What’s the matter with THAT person?
    I’m guessing that person has his/her own issues. I’m sorry (s)he took them out on you. I’m glad you have a wonderful, supportive husband, and especially the faith that gets us through such things.

    PS Just for the record, I barely know you, and I love what I know. 🙂 ❤

    Liked by 3 people

  2. Marie Abanga September 4, 2019 / 11:30 am

    Oh darling so sorry you were attacked. Healing is never over. I hope you are back in very better place now. All the best as I hasten Angels and serenity your way

    Liked by 4 people

  3. gracemercyjoy September 4, 2019 / 12:16 pm

    Thank you for this post, a reminder we all need when a random, unexpected and emotionally violent attack lands on us. Human with a beating heart that bleeds when knifed is a sign of life. Jesus wept and bled, he groaned when hit, he was perfect all the while. Your sharing this redeems the experience by providing comfort to others that are surprised they still bleed too. This is what resilience looks like, we get hit, we fall down, we get back up, we use that experience to comfort others. Beautiful!

    The unexpected hate attack can leave even the most grounded people without PTSD shaken, in fact emotional violence that happens repeatedly creates PTSD in the first place. Why do some people get targeted for the random emotional assault? I really believe an empathetic nature is a target in a world becoming more sociopathic day by day. A soul that hungers after the kingdom of God is a target too.

    In the end those assaults on our worth can be very informative that we really have grown. I may still bleed when knifed, but I don’t bleed out because I’ve learned some first aid for myself. Those attacks let me know, there is room for more growth, not arrived yet, but its clear there is some growth nonetheless.

    Liked by 3 people

  4. Sue Cass September 4, 2019 / 12:43 pm

    So sorry for the hurt you’ve encountered. I watched 2 Cardinals yesterday and one was picking up a seed and feeding the other in such a loving way and I thought, birds are more loving than humans. You just proved my point. Glad you’re better.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote September 4, 2019 / 8:33 pm

      What a sweet story! We have a lot of birds in our trees, and I love watching the things they do.

      Liked by 2 people

  6. @PreacherBiker September 4, 2019 / 1:25 pm

    This was very moving and true love you

    Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

    Liked by 1 person

  7. CynthiaBaileyRug September 4, 2019 / 1:37 pm

    Sometimes those emails really can hurt, can’t they? I’m sorry you went through that. Sending hugs to you! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote September 4, 2019 / 8:54 pm

      Yes, hateful, judgmental, gaslighting, and truth-twisting words can rip you to shreds. Even when you know that something must be really wrong inside a person’s head, to cause them to act like that.

      Reading your blog has been a big help to me, too. Thank you. 💘💘

      Like

  8. Tricia September 4, 2019 / 2:28 pm

    Hey Linda, so sorry you had to deal with such a hater. Makes you wonder how people get through life like that.

    Glad you were able to overcome it. Great advice you offer too!

    Liked by 1 person

  9. simplywendi September 4, 2019 / 2:33 pm

    I am so very sorry this happened to you but I thank you for this post. I had a similar issue happen within the past week and my ptsd seems out of control and i feel so off, but i am working on it. Thank you again for your willingness to share…..

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote September 4, 2019 / 8:59 pm

      Aw, Wendi, I am sorry you’re going through this, too. I hope you will be very gentle with yourself, and don’t beat yourself up, like I did for awhile, for having normal human emotions. ((HUG))

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Bruce September 4, 2019 / 2:47 pm

    Hi Linda Lee, sorry to hear that you experienced this attack. Sometimes I’d just like to scream, “what in the heck is the matter with you people!” Not you, but anyone who viciously attacks someone else. I’m really glad your husband is there, I’m pretty sure he gave you some hugs, I know I would do the same for my wife. I’ve always had this fantasy where I have a Thompson sub machine gun mounted under the hood of my car and I press a button and it slowly rises to zero in on the offender. Key word is “fantasy”. I won’t tell you what happens next but it does sometimes bring a smile to my face. However, that’s obviously not an option. Can’t seem to find the button either! I’ve read a lot of your posts and I know where your heart is, just shrug it off as flak, cause that’s all that it is. Tell your husband to give you another hug for me! Grace and blessings.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote September 4, 2019 / 8:45 pm

      Thanks so much, Bruce. I’m not fond of guns, because I literally had to wrestle a gun out of a mad man’s hands, less than two weeks after my middle child was born. The adrenaline that kicked in, which gave me the strength to take the gun away, was motivated by my raging maternal instincts. So, I guess in that moment I sort of was a super woman. 😊

      I know what you mean though, wondering why there’s so much hatefulness in the world, and wishing you could put an end to it. Thanks so much for your kindness.

      Like

      • Bruce September 4, 2019 / 11:42 pm

        I know what you mean about guns, I don’t even own a sling shot. Grace, peace and blessings.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Wally Fry September 4, 2019 / 11:01 pm

    Sorry to hear this! I hope all becomes well.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote September 5, 2019 / 11:10 am

      Thanks, Wally. I’m sure you are familiar with Romans 12:18 — If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (NIV) I’ve been thinking and praying about that. My hope is that someday, it will be possible.

      Like

  12. Object of Contempt September 7, 2019 / 9:09 pm

    It can be so painful when people refuse to take “invisible” wounds seriously. When the pain seems to subside, people with PTSD can do that to themselves, too… in a sense. We can forget that our spirits are still tender. I don’t think time really brings the healing. I think strong, close relationships do that. I’m not hurting as much now as I used to, but I don’t really have any relationships I can trust. Certainly none with any intimacy on any level. Yes… You still bleed. But with that tenderness in your spirit, I think the pain is certainly going to be more intense.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote September 8, 2019 / 9:15 am

      Thank you, my friend. It blesses my heart to see a comment from you.

      Like

  14. Alexis Rose September 9, 2019 / 7:40 pm

    Thank you for the shout out my friend. Continued healing, blessings and supportive hugs from my heart to yours. ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  15. ourlittleredhouseblog September 13, 2019 / 10:12 am

    So sorry Linda that you are going through this. There seems to be so much hate out there with some people at the moment that it has gotten to be where I just want to spend all day in my peaceful garden. With all the tension out in the world all the haters think this is their time, so are having fun bullying, and stirring up drama and chaos. It is easy for them to do when they don’t have to look the person in the eye and just push buttons on a screen to pass on hateful words to hurt the sensitive people and their hearts. Just continue surrounding yourself with the people that always have good intentions towards you and your husband and the ones you love. God bless you both and have a great weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

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