Articles – TraumatizedAspie.com

Many students who suffer from PTSD wonder how could they possibly do well at school when they are suffered from flashbacks and nightmares and so on. This article discusses tried and tested methods to help teenage-PTSD sufferers succeed at school. How do I stop PTSD flashbacks during school and succeed? Identifying early warning signs with a strong focus on prevention is the key to succeeding in school despite PTSD flashbacks. A 5-minute daily journal can help identify the early warning signs which then allows action plans to be drafted and tested. Are you a teenager suffering from PTSD and associated flashbacks? Do you want to do well at school despite the enormous challenge? Maybe if you have tried different things, and you just feel too exhausted to do anything. Are you on the verge of giving up? Do not despair. You are not alone! In this article, you will learn how to succeed at school despite PTSD flashbacks with just 5 minutes a day of work! So, let's dive straight in! a A Simple 5-Minute Trick That Cures All Ok, it is not going to cure ALL, but it is so close, you may as well call it that. It has been said that to win the battle, you need to know your foe. And this is so true when it comes to dealing with PTSD flashbacks. Many times though we don’t even know what triggered the flashbacks, and if we don’t know, how are we supposed to prepare for them? So here is a very simple trick that you can do. You can either get yourself a simple diary or you can use your school diary, the important thing is to have the white space for you to record what you have been doing throughout the day. The trick is very simple to implement, and it will highlight basically the times and events when you are feeling well. That’s because when you do fill them in, you are well enough to remember to do it. When you don’t feel well, you can’t be bothered. So, the end result is you will see when was the last time you felt okay. If you keep at it for a few weeks, you will begin to see patterns of when things aren’t going so well. This is a particularly effective exercise, because it helps you to catch the moment when you begin to go downhill, not when you are rock bottom. This is a much better approach than looking acts the things that finally take you over into flashbacks. Why? It’s because very often the things that tips us over would not have done so I had we been immensely in a better place. In other words, there are some triggers we simply cannot handle at any time. However, most of the triggers affect us sometimes, and not other times. The point about this exercise is about Identifying Early Warning Signs. As you become more aware of your emotional state, and understanding what kind of activities or events in your life are weakening your ability to withstand triggers, you will be in a much better position to deal with the challenges. Follow Gemma’s Footstep and Succeed I first met Gemma (not her real name) two years ago at a local community mental health service center. Gemma was only 5 years old when she experienced her first traumatic childhood event. Gemma’s ordeal throughout her childhood life makes her very “jumpy” and feeling extremely vulnerable. By the time we met, Gemma was 13 years old and was about to enter the senior school in preparation of national exams in two years time. I wanted to share with you Gemma story, not only because she has been very successful at managing her flashbacks, but also because she has done well at school too. Now that her national exams are finished, expecting an above average result, and enjoying good summer holiday, she has agreed for me to share her success with you. TraumatizedAspie: Gemma, on the surface you look so well and happy, have you always felt that way? Gemma: As you know, looks can be very deceptive. Because of the things that my stepfather was doing to me, I have grown up feeling dirty, useless and I feel a lot of emotional pain that is very hard to describe with words. But, I love my mom, and I know she is going through a hard time too. So I learned to control my facial expressions and I learned to smile even though I feel very differently inside. TraumatizedAspie: Wow, that must be very hard to do, especially when you were so young when all of these things were happening. Can you share with us how things have changed for you? Gemma: Yes. The turning point was when my tennis coach kept on about knowing my opponent’s weaknesses. The idea was that if you knew where the weaknesses are, you can just keep attacking that weakness until you win. With that, I thought if only I need what or where that weakness is in my PTSD, I would’ve been in a much better place to win this battle. My problem was I never knew when flashbacks would attack me. By the time I have recovered from the flashbacks, I was always too tired to look back on what happened. But then I developed a trick to identify my early warning signs, and that helped a great deal. Step 1: Get Some Data – it's only 5 minutes TraumatizedAspie: Yes, many find identifying early warning signs very difficult. What’s the secret? Gemma: It was quite by chance that we had a piece of homework on writing a daily journal. But to be honest, I was so tired that I never did a proper piece of writing for it. Then again, not wanting to get into trouble, I submitted a timetable record of my activities throughout the week instead. By the time I submitted the timetable-styled journal, I realized I had a very good list of times and events that went well or at least okay for me. But then I also noticed gaps where I just couldn’t remember what happened. Usually, shortly after that blank moment, I either have a meltdown, or a panic attack or a full blown flashback episode. Doing a proper journal can be really hard, particularly when you are not well. But doing it in just a timetable style, it limits how much you have to write in it. Normally it's just a few words. That's enough. Step 2: Take a Closer Look at Your Data TraumatizedAspie: Okay, that’s very interesting, but how does it help you in real terms? Gemma: There were a number of things: First, I learned that there are many things that I feel okay with. That’s important, because prior to that, I really thought I was rubbish at everything, and couldn’t see the little accomplishments I made through the week. Second, I learned that long before the final breakdown, there’s been a period of stress building up, and then the balloon popped. Finally, I learned that sometimes there could be the same kind of stress build-up, but I was okay in the end. On closer look, I noticed activities that helps to deflate that stress balloon, and so I cope better. So, I would say that 5 minute a day journal really saved my life. It just gives me enough to work things out and see the patterns. I think that's where most people get it wrong. They have this great big journal and they write loads. It's heard to keep up and even if you could, you can't see what's going on. Yes, so definitely, keep it simple, and then you can look at the data and start making guesses as to what those early warning signs are. It's actually quite fun once you get started. I think you have to try it to understand it. Step 3: Do Some Experiments TraumatizedAspie: But you didn’t just stop there, did you? You did some really interesting experiments too. Can you share with us what you did? Gemma: There were several really basic ones: First, I had a suspicion that energy levels matter. So, I began to record my energy levels. To my surprise, I learned that emotional energy as well as physical energy expenditure has a great impact. It is as if there’s nothing left for dealing with the triggers and so full blown flashbacks happened. With that, I learned to moderate my activities, even on the fun and exciting stuff, I learned to not overdo it. Second, I looked at food intake. I was really surprised to find that missing breakfast didn’t affect me all that much. That said, I must have a substantial meal before 11am. So brunch is the answer for me. Another thing I experimented with was sports. My mental health nurse told me that exercise helps to create more energy and also releases happy hormones at the same time. I was sceptical about it. How could exercise, which takes energy, create energy. It just doesn't make sense. The great thing about doing that simple 5-minute journal was that I could experiment with that idea, or anything else for that matter. In time, I learned that exercises do create energy, but it's mainly things like a very short run, a good walk, or yoga etc. They are not talking about competitive sports. Step 4: Keep Doing What Works TraumatizedAspie: okay I’m just thinking about our readers now, and I think they would very much like to know, how long do you have to keep doing this diary for it to work? Gemma: It’s been three years, and I am still doing it. It’s like the more you know yourself, the more ideas you have about how to manage your physical and mental health. It’s so cool that I think once you’ve started, you wouldn’t want to stop. The thing is, if it's working, why stop? You've got to do what works and keep at it. Sometimes, I feel it is unfair that I have to keep trying so hard, but you know what? Like my nurse said, at least I am working hard against something that I can win. Now, that's encouraging! Step 5: Work with Your Teachers TraumatizedAspie: Gemma, that sounds really amazing. But school environment can be a little bit unpredictable, couldn’t it? How do you manage that? Gemma: I would say definitely keep working with your teachers. They are there to help. Even though not all teachers are like that, there are at least a few who do care. Those are the ones I approached first. I had thought about telling my teachers before, but I never knew where or how to start. But then the 5 minute journal changed everything. Because I have data and I was trying different things out, I was in a much better position to explain to my teachers the problems that I was having and how I thought I could I manage it. When my teachers learned about the experiments, they were very keen to help me out. For example, I had a laminated picture of a fuel gauge and a few emoticons that I’d put on my desk. For every lesson, I’d make a mark on it to show my energy level and my mood. It’s discrete enough for classmates to not notice, but clear enough for teachers to do how hard to push me or to leave me alone for that day. That was really good. Another example would be when teachers would ask if I was a bit sluggish because I hadn’t eaten. That’s helpful too. I needed to be reminded sometimes. Credit card sized image for printing to help students indicate their mood and energy levels to their teachers Look Forward to Your Success In Gemma’s case, she was nominated model student for the year, and also appointed as one of the four mental health champions at school, doing things like assembly talks and posters around the school to build awareness. So that’s Gemma’s story. What about yours? Related Questions Should I tell my teachers about my PTSD? At TraumatizedAspie.com, we strongly encourage you to work with your teachers. Caring teachers can be an important ally, and can help you analyze your situation better than battling it on your own. However, a word of caution, take care with who you share your sensitive information. How do I tell my teachers about my PTSD? When telling your teachers about your PTSD, by asking an appointment to discuss some personal situation, you will get their undivided attention when you speak. You should keep it simple, and brief. For example, I want to tell you that I am going through some very tough situation and I am suffering from PTSD symptoms such as flashbacks and nightmares. If I tell my teachers about my PTSD, will they report to the authorities? No, informing your teachers or school that you have PTSD won’t trigger a report to the authorities, no more than if you say you have cancer or any other illness. However, if you also mention that you are being abused at home and it is ongoing, or somehow it is perceived that you are not safe at home, then the school has a legal duty to report their concerns. Should I tell my classmates about my PTSD? No. PTSD is a very private and personal thing. If someone chooses to use that information in a spiteful manner, it will add immense pain to what is already a very painful condition. If your classmate happens to be also your very best friend, that is different. But generally speaking, PTSD should only ever be disclosed in the strictest confidence.