I know you feel like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment Frogee.The "Go To" for us all when we are in this level of crisis is to withdraw.
But I really hope you don't , please keep talking , on the forum we have many members whom have suffered Anxiety and PTSD either because of their heart problems or they had these issues before a heart incident and the cardiac event made them worse.
Even if we may not to be able to be there to help you , we can help you by being hear to listen and understand.
Sometimes just being able to write a post and get some messages is what can get you through the day.
If you aren't going stick with us , please contact local Psychiatrist or Cardiology services to explain that you are in crisis with your PTSD and need to come in and talk to someone as an Emergency. Talking therapy and CBT training would help you a great deal while you cope with this new thing even though I know that talking can be another thing you may want to hide from. Facing this problem feels hard and too huge , but therapy can help make this problem that looks like a giant boulder right now get chipped away until it's a pebble you can cope with holding in your pocket again. As an ex services person you may even be able to contact the services you were in to get immediate counselling that fits in with your experience.
Talk to whichever friends or family you have , be honest with them and ask for help.
Be honest with yourself too, you need to slow down , at least while you heal and inside you know it.
Exercise has become an addiction for you to replace your feelings of being controlled by your medications. Unfortunately, it has been having a negative effect on your body, particularly your heart , and now , you need to find new ways to distract your thoughts but also take care of your body.
You can face that challenge, just as you did it before when you faced getting off the medications , you just need some help to go through that withdrawal and help you find a better balance of activity that will help control your PTSD as much as extreme exercise did.
You need support in the early days to do that.
Not just hugs and talking but a bit of tough love too.
Friends or Veteran Groups , local therapy but also local mental health support groups and eventually joining groups that are social and combine some physical activity and fun.
You need buddies to tell you to slow down , that doing something other than 6 hours of cardio is going to be so much better for you or that running until you virtually can't see is going to make you very unwell.
You need people to help you learn that going slower is just as good as going faster as a way to cope with your Mental Health needs.
You have trained once in the Services. You trained again in the gym to get over your medications. You can train again in finding a new way to distract your mind while you care for your body . You were successful before , you are determined, so you will succeed at this new challenge too.
You just need support to do it.
Please get some help , reach out locally now , you are in crisis , please keep talking to us too, we will listen .
I have an ex services friend whose story could mirror yours except he had a heart attack while recovering from COVID.
He got help , it was hard , we stood by him , he's living his new life now and doing better than before. There is a way out of your position and the life on the other side is better when you let yourself accept that it can be and get that help.
A very knowledgeable, compassionate and helpful reply to Frogee's post, Blearyeyed, and I really hope our friend and fellow forum member can take some comfort and help from your advice and seek out the support so greatly required.
Get in touch with charities that deal with mental health and you will get the help you need. Do not suffer on your own and you will find you are not alone .
Join Gransnet it's for woman and men and you don't have to be a grandparent. In the health forum there is a thread called Black dog all there are suffering from mental health problems plus physical. But they will understand how you feel and you won't be alone. There is no judgement just help , support, advice if you want it but best of all friendship. It's not a doom and gloom thread. And covers everything from how you are feeling, what medication people are on and what helps them,everyday living .
Good morning Frogee please don’t withdraw stay with us and keep talking you are not alone. Blearyeyed and others have given some good advice which I hope helps you get the help you need. I hope you decide to stay on this forum it is so supportive and helpful. Please keep in touch and know you are not alone. Take care 🤗🌞X
Be kind to yourself but stay on group if you can it's a place uou can vent those feelings without being judged and getting them out instead of locked inside you will help Will think and pray for you
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