PTSD (post tramatic Stress Disorder) during training

[advfhorn]

Has anyone else dealt with "flashbacks" or PTSD feelings during training? For me it most often happens during kumite, especially if I get my back against a wall. It has also happened during self defense. Or have any of you helped a student thru this?

[Wastelander]

I don't personally have PTSD, but I know martial artists who do, and we have one student at our dojo who does. Triggers and reactions are different for every person, so it's hard to make generalizations. Whenever someone starts having those feelings, I have found that it's usually best to stop whatever is going on, immediately. After that, though, it depends on the person. Some people want to be left alone to deal with it. Others want to be comforted by people they trust. Some may need medication. Etc.

[Harkon72]

I suffer PTSD and hyper vigilance. My best advice, don't medicate, listen to yourself and own your feelings. Relax and you may begin to make choices about how you feel, but it can take a lifetime to make progress. My wife takes a lot of the strain, she never judges me. It's not about what you have, it's about what you went through; hang in there, those that really care will give you their time and you can then have time for yourself.

[bushido_man96]

I suffer PTSD and hyper vigilance. My best advice, don't medicate, listen to yourself and own your feelings. Relax and you may begin to make choices about how you feel, but it can take a lifetime to make progress. My wife takes a lot of the strain, she never judges me. It's not about what you have, it's about what you went through; hang in there, those that really care will give you their time and you can then have time for yourself.

I can't even begin to imagine what its like to experience this, nor have I ever had to experience this in the class setting. Thanks for sharing this information with us.

[Nidan Melbourne]

My fiancé suffers from ptsd and i also teach many children who suffer from it also.

When my fiancé has an episode it is usually due to stress and being put into positions that remind her of her abuse. But she has been working on it for some time now to recognise it (onset) and how to control it.

With the kids they feel most comfortable moving off the mats and going into the toilets that are in the room. These kids i have taught for several years so they feel most comfortable with me there. As they find it easy to let all those emotions out, and have someone who will listen to them.

For all of them meds is the last thing they should need

[sensei8]

Often all I can do is offer that shoulder to cry upon and that ear to listen; being there for them whenever they might need it. If my help isn't enough, then I refer them to licensed professionals!!

Often, I wish I can be of much more help, and that can be frustrating for all concerned. I can only offer very little in this area because I've never suffered this myself!! And often, I'm reminded my those licensed professionals that only others who have experienced this, and have rallied over it, are much more equipped to help them.

I don't take what they're going through lightly!! That wouldn't help them, and I want to help them anyway that I can.

[Nidan Melbourne]

all the people i know that suffer from PTSD, i remind them that they can come to me for anything and that I am not going to tell anyone unless they let me to.

Because it is not my business to tell anyone else what they are going through. Everything that the person tells me or doesn't tell me I will hold close to me because it takes a lot for them to tell me. And they have the belief that the trust that i will keep it private.

All the kids that I teach that have PTSD, I will often sit down near them and if they want to talk i'll let them or if they don't thats cool.

Most of the kids I have advised their parents that they need to talk to a psychologist. Although many of them haven't needed to see someone because they have found that they could trust someone to the point they found skills to cope with their episodes. Even recognizing what is causing their episodes.

For them it was being hit during kumite to certain points of their body. But what we did with them was to have private sessions with them to work on it. As this was recommended by their psychologist. This is working slowly but we are seeing some results.

[addied]

nice post

[Himokiri Karate]

Not to go into detail but when I was going through PTSD (nothing to crazy when I look back) I found myself not being too passionate about training and I was going through the motion.

I was polite but very distracted and a compliment and criticism had neither a positive or a negative effect.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Ideally I personally would avoid getting involved in trying to deal with someone who has PTSD if I knew for sure. People with any kind of problems related to emotional or psychological trauma and shock make me very ill at ease.

I dislike to see a fellow suffer and even more so when I know there is nothing I could do right then and there to help them without making them feel worse. Just as anyone who is not trained in helping such people, the best and only thing to do is lend some ears to listen if they are inclined to talk and offer help in finding professionally qualified help.

Other than that I would try to leave them alone and let them manage it, unless of course their behaviours resulting from PTSD was severely affecting other people in a very negative or dangerous way. That is usually only in extreme cases though.

The only real experience I had with PTSD was as a young teenager when I was visiting the town museum for a school assignment. There was an old man walking back and forth in front of a section about the last world war and then he started to look as if he was about to fall over. He went out to the bench outside and sat there staring into nothing with tears rolling down. Curiosity got the best of me so I went out to see what happens to him. I found out he was the last soldier surviving soldier from our town. All I asked him was if he was alright and he started telling me everything he went through for over a hour. All I did to change his mood was say "thank you for fighting". That was all he needed and later explained that it reassured him to hear that.