Does PTSD Ever Go Away? For Dublin: Getting Better at Managing It

Start typing “does ptsd ever” into Google and the first suggestion it offers is “does ptsd ever go away”. Bing suggests the same question. A lot of people want to know, and I get it.

I live with complex PTSD, and I’ve rebuilt my life. This isn’t a medical answer, and I won’t dress it up as one.

What I wrote in the book

At the back of #dealwithit there’s a section of questions from friends. One of them asked whether it’s possible to be fully healed from abuse.

This is what I wrote: “I don’t think you ever fully heal. I have come to believe that what you do is get better at managing yourself and your condition.”

That was my honest answer when I wrote the book.

A doctor is the person to talk to about your own case.

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Getting better at managing it

What I can give you is how I came at it. In the same section I wrote, “I believed that I was responsible for my recovery and that therapy was simply another tool in my toolbox.” Therapy was part of it, and the work was still mine.

I also never tried to get a whole lot better at once. Earlier in the book I put it like this: “I just try for 1% better at a time.”

If you want something to try this week, pick one small habit you could still manage on your worst day and do it every day. Keep it small enough that a bad morning can’t talk you out of it, and don’t judge the week by whether the PTSD has gone.

Send me a note about Private Mentoring. If you want to talk with me about where you’re at, you can reach me here: Private Mentoring with Dr. John A. King

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This is for personal reflection, not medical or crisis advice.