Shows
bitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - Christmas Special: Magical MemoriesThis episode is a relaxed chat between myself and my son about his and my childhood memories surrounding Christmas. It has often surprised me how, throughout my difficult experiences growing up, Christmas has always had an element of real magic, wherever I was and no matter the circumstances. It is one of the cultural treasures I have taken with me from childhood and passed on to my son as he grew up. Even now, although I don't celebrate Christmas at home as I used to, the joy of helping and sharing a special time with oth...
2022-12-2013 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - How Childhood Trauma affects my AdulthoodIn this episode Pat, who has a background in working with Addiction, Substance Abuse and Mental Ill Health, finds out how an emotionally unstable childhood has affected me as an adult. The longest lasting effect on me has been my expectation that I should give more to others than what I receive in return. Or that I should expect nothing in return at all. This has caused a lot of havoc and misery in my life. Only in recent years have I recognised this issue, however. It is through receiving my diagnosis of PTSD and tr...
2022-12-1313 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - How does Sensory Overwhelm affect Travelling?In this episode my son and I are discussing how Sensory Overwhelm affects me when I'm out and about. It is something I have to manage on a daily basis as living with PTSD causes Mental Fatigue in me much more quickly than before. Absorbing information from our environment, in the form of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste is what we do continuously. Our brains then have to process and file that information as well as make decisions on how to respond to it. Since living with the effects of severe trauma I have c...
2022-12-0614 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - Braving Group ActivitiesIn this episode Amanda and I continue to discuss how PTSD has affected my ability to socialise and build relationships. I describe how difficult it was for me early on living with the disorder, to approach people and join group activities. As I was determined to find ways to reintegrate socially, giving myself many little breaks to withdraw and step back eventually helped me achieve my goals. Joining group activities in particular seemed very unnerving for a long time but I found that it was worth persisting in the end. These groups have helped me min...
2022-11-2913 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - Eating and Cooking with PTSDIn this episode my son Oliver and I talk about how important but difficult it has been for me to eat well, while living with PTSD. Struggling with cognitive function, like planning and completing tasks, or with frequent dissociation, can make cooking a potentially unsafe activity. Another issue is medication or other factors that contribute to lack of appetite. This can reduce the motivation to eat healthily or cook wholesome meals. We also discuss trying to find the happy medium between ready meals and food supplemented with fresh vegetables or fruit.
2022-11-2714 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - Making new FriendsIn this episode Amanda and I continue to explore how PTSD has affected the way I relate to people, especially during the first two years after I became unwell. We talk about how difficult it was for me to form new acquaintances because of my unsettled living arrangements and my new exacerbated fear of people. Crucial during that time were short neutral or positive experiences with others, rather than extended contact. At the same time, my ability to socialise again grew once I had moved into long-term accommodation. Feeling liked and respected by new...
2022-11-1514 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - Self Image affected by TraumaIn this episode Chris and I are discussing how our Sense of Self has been affected by severely traumatising events in our lives. Both of us, for very different reasons, have felt estranged by the mirror reflection of our faces as we felt a total stranger was looking back at us. This felt unnerving and frightening, at times. Chris underwent significant facial reconstruction after a horrific cycling accident, while my face assumed a ghost-like appearance following a total breakdown that resulted in PTSD. Remembering 'Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs' Triangle which identifies different levels o...
2022-11-0814 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - How does PTSD affect my Relationships?In this episode Amanda and I talk about how my way of relating to others changed drastically overnight, following my sudden breakdown, several years ago. I didn't realise that I was severely traumatised and the way I absorbed events changed, too. It felt as though I was wading through constant fog. Life felt impossibly difficult, confusing and deeply frightening. That is also how I began to feel about most of my relationships at the time. Struggling to communicate to others what was happening to me and being unable to conduct myself as before caused alienation...
2022-11-0114 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - Denial of TraumaIn this episode Scott Irvine tells me the devastating story of the sudden death of his fiancée, when he was in his early twenties. After an initial period of disorientation and antisocial behaviour, he turned his life around with a new, well-paid job. Putting the sad events behind him and banishing his late girlfriend's memory from his mind, he remembers very little of their relationship - even to this day, decades later. We talk about how his unpreparedness to deal with the trauma nearly led him to boycott goals he worked very hard for. How...
2022-10-2514 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - Customer Care is crucialIn this episode my son Oliver and I discuss the importance of good customer care and what a real difference it makes to a person's peace of mind. This is especially true for someone living with mental ill health or sensory difficulties. In our conversation we talk in more detail about how he helped me buy materials for two custom made tables, which I had never done before. That purchase was very important to me as it helped me save a lot of money. Oliver's appreciation of my concentration issues and my tendency to experience s...
2022-10-1813 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - How does PTSD affect my Shopping?In this episode my son and I talk about how PTSD affects my weekly shopping, as well as using self-serving tills or online shops. Especially in the early days of living with severe PTSD, shopping often felt like a very difficult or even frightening experience. At the same time, it was an important part of my barely existing social life as it brought me in contact with other people, albeit briefly. We talk about the importance of making a satisfactory purchase and how repeated good shopping experiences have helped me feel improved mental health.
2022-10-1113 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - How does PTSD affect my Daily Life?In this episode Amanda and I talk about the most prominent difficulties I face every day, as a result of living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Amanda has a long career in various settings within the field of Mental Health. She is an employment specialist looking exclusively after clients with mental ill health diagnoses. It comes almost as a surprise to her that my main struggle is with low energy levels. We discuss what causes that and how I can deal with it effectively to maximise my daily effectiveness.
2022-10-0413 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - When the Bubble of Certainty popsIn this episode Michael and I chat about how we build a set of references in terms of what we feel is safe to do within our comfort zone. During a traumatic event, this comfort zone suddenly disappears, the Bubble of Certainty pops. Michael Ward has 55 years of climbing experience under his belt and has written extensively on this subject. He shares his traumatic fall while climbing when young and how that shaped his experience for a long time, as he was trying to overcome his resulting fear. I expand the picture by s...
2022-10-0113 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - What is PTSD?In this episode my friend Gaby and I discuss and compare our respective personal experiences of Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Gaby has enjoyed a lifetime of outdoor activities. Last year she experienced a traumatic chain of events when she was airlifted to hospital with a life-threatening injury. I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2019 and have been on a challenging journey building a new life with the disorder. In our conversation we discover some similarities between our individual reactions to stressful situations as well as distinct differences.
2022-10-0114 minbitesized PTSD Insightsbitesized PTSD Insights - IntroductionIn this introduction my son Oliver and I discuss the motivation behind my podcast and what I want to achieve with it. My main motivation is to support others living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and to contribute to the wider discussion of the daily realities of life with the diagnosis. I want to help spread a better understanding in the main stream and ultimately, achieve successful integration of more people living with PTSD, in every aspect of their lives.
2022-10-0109 min