cPTSD / Stressed biology - restoration through exercise?

[johnram]

So, i have posted before on what i feel exercise really gives me a boost, but having watched and read more about my cPTSD recently, i have come to appreciate that maybe the fact i am hypervigilant, stressed, tired, addicted etc which drain my cortisol, adrenals etc etc (brain chemicals of which i know names but not a lot of detail), it makes sense that i would get more of a boost from exercise, especially as intensity is raised a bit too.

As if i understand correctly, it gives the brain a boost of dopamine, reduces the stress symptoms and maybe heals some of the damage in the other chemical components

now i have done reading on these chemicals more from an addiction point of view, but i am keen to know if the above makes sense or anyone can offer some thoughts?

thank you

[Not Alone]

This might not be in the same line you were talking about, but it came to mind when I read your post. When I was having a hard time and my usual grounding methods were not helping, my therapist said to do something more physically vigorous to disperse energy and to give my body a stronger experience. Maybe that connects to you have learned about our bodies' chemicals.

[saylor]

Not sure whether this addresses your question exactly, but I can say that I really need exercise, and I just recently realized that it might be related to CPTSD.
It helps me think more clearly (which is important in helping to mitigate my major problems with concentration) and it also helps me dissipate anxiety (by "burning off" excess adrenaline??) Also, it can help me sleep better, and insomnia has haunted me for decades.
I think it may also help with fatigue/exhaustion. And finally, I think that by being stronger physically, I feel more powerful, and less vulnerable to external forces. As an abused child, I had no power. Now I'm strong.
I still suffer a lot and have a lot of problems, but I'm almost always better off, from many standpoints, when I exercise a lot.

[johnram]

This might not be in the same line you were talking about, but it came to mind when I read your post. When I was having a hard time and my usual grounding methods were not helping, my therapist said to do something more physically vigorous to disperse energy and to give my body a stronger experience. Maybe that connects to you have learned about our bodies' chemicals.

that is quite interesting
if i can ask, have you had to do intense exercise then? if so, how has it worked?

thank you

[johnram]

Not sure whether this addresses your question exactly, but I can say that I really need exercise, and I just recently realized that it might be related to CPTSD.
It helps me think more clearly (which is important in helping to mitigate my major problems with concentration) and it also helps me dissipate anxiety (by "burning off" excess adrenaline??) Also, it can help me sleep better, and insomnia has haunted me for decades.
I think it may also help with fatigue/exhaustion. And finally, I think that by being stronger physically, I feel more powerful, and less vulnerable to external forces. As an abused child, I had no power. Now I'm strong.
I still suffer a lot and have a lot of problems, but I'm almost always better off, from many standpoints, when I exercise a lot.

thank you, i can relate completely - these are my exercise experiences, glad they are working for you
currently due to shoulder impingement, i cant exercise as i like for circa 10 weeks now, and its really impacted me, but when i was regularly (near daily) moving, i had a better self empowerment, which i dont have generally given my upbringing

[LearnToLoveTheRide]

Hi

Exercise physiology is so complex and integrated into almost every aspect of the body's functioning that it's very difficult to pinpoint any one specific cause and effect. It's widely accepted though that exercise improves many of the symptoms associated with many mental disorders.

But moderation is important. Exercise does stress the body; the same systems that you're trying to repair and bring back into balance.

Happy training... LTLTR

[johnram]

Thank you, i am broadly aware as i have read a few books on the topic previously...and have noticed the big step changes in behaviour when i am moving more or not.

you make a good point re moderation, i can be quite guilty of going too heavy and then lapsing back into negative patterns after - balance is key, and regularity

how are you fairing LTLTR?  do you exercise

appreciate the comments

[Three Roses]

Johnram, have you heard of the author Peter Levine? He has excellent books on the topic of how trauma affects us physically. I'm trying to read "In An Unspoken Voice" currently. It's harder reading than Bessel van der Kolk's "The Body Keeps The Score", which also lists different types of therapies for CPTSD toward the back of the book, some of which include physical aspects. Good luck! 👍❤️

[johnram]

thank you, thats one i havent seen.

I did try TRE ( Trauma releasing exercises) and went to a few classes, but wasnt sure it did anything

I think i need something body based, so its a good suggestion, just i worry about spending too much time on the healing topics and not living, not sure of where i balance it all - currently i am too much in the healing bucket

[Not Alone]

This might not be in the same line you were talking about, but it came to mind when I read your post. When I was having a hard time and my usual grounding methods were not helping, my therapist said to do something more physically vigorous to disperse energy and to give my body a stronger experience. Maybe that connects to you have learned about our bodies' chemicals.

that is quite interesting
if i can ask, have you had to do intense exercise then? if so, how has it worked?

thank you

Pretty much any exercise that I do is walking. Sometimes I intersperse jogging with the walking. Exercise can be triggering for me. I can't do it in a group, like a class.

[LearnToLoveTheRide]

Hi Johnram

Yes, I exercise. I started Chinese Kung Fu about 28 years ago and just forgot to stop.

Seriously though, some years have been better than others. I was in a very bad space a few years ago. I was having regular, debilitating panic attacks. I exercised myself out of that period. I started with short walks, then longer walks. After that I started my stretching routine again at the gym, and moved onto 20 - 40 minutes of Tai Chi. After about 4 months, I was able to resume the more strenuous Shaolin forms. As I grew stronger, my panic attacks decreased.

I left the corporate business environment in 2017 as a result of my C-PTSD. I am currently in the process of opening a Kung Fu training studio again. But, I have to be careful not to overdo it. I keep a check on the hours that I train (teach), I watch my diet. Insomnia is currently my biggest hurdle to returning to full health: missing out on a night's sleep really effects my state of mind and mental health.

Take care...LTLTR

[johnram]

[/quote]
Pretty much any exercise that I do is walking. Sometimes I intersperse jogging with the walking. Exercise can be triggering for me. I can't do it in a group, like a class.
[/quote]

glad you can get movement in, i recently bought a cheap homebike, and thats been helping also, as i likewise cant do classes

[johnram]

Hi Johnram

Yes, I exercise. I started Chinese Kung Fu about 28 years ago and just forgot to stop.

Seriously though, some years have been better than others. I was in a very bad space a few years ago. I was having regular, debilitating panic attacks. I exercised myself out of that period. I started with short walks, then longer walks. After that I started my stretching routine again at the gym, and moved onto 20 - 40 minutes of Tai Chi. After about 4 months, I was able to resume the more strenuous Shaolin forms. As I grew stronger, my panic attacks decreased.

I left the corporate business environment in 2017 as a result of my C-PTSD. I am currently in the process of opening a Kung Fu training studio again. But, I have to be careful not to overdo it. I keep a check on the hours that I train (teach), I watch my diet. Insomnia is currently my biggest hurdle to returning to full health: missing out on a night's sleep really effects my state of mind and mental health.

Take care...LTLTR

thank you LTLTR

i take confidence from your description of using exercise as a tool to battle, i have found it immensely helpful, and quite lost without it actually when i am injured, or am in a downward (been in both recently).  However, using resources as best possible - long walks, some hills, some home biking, and maybe some weights that avoid injury triggering

Insomnia is a big issue for me also, if you mind me asking, what are you doing to manage it?  i can get to sleep, but struggle to stay asleep and then toss and turn for half the night

i am trying to find my way out of the corporate world also, but think it will take a few years more of planning and I am still in the midst of my recovery and finding my feet, but know long term, i need a change and better outlets for living.  Corpirate work has been a survival mechanism for me and not healthy at all, truly depressing now that i reflect back, however, it gave me cashflow that allowed me to seek therapy and take my current short break (3/4 months).  without it, i would still be mired in the depth of addictions, of which some i am still battling but the more problematic ones are resolved.

Well done for opening the studio, it sounds like the ideal fit, to be paid for an activity that gives you empowerment over your cPTSD, i have been pondering similar too...

wishing you well and best wishes for the studio

[LearnToLoveTheRide]

Hi Johnram

CBTi has been deemed as a first line treatment by the American College of Physicians due to clinical trials consistently showing it to be an effective treatment for insomnia. I personally know a patient that used it effectively to deal with her insomnia. It took 4 weeks to get her insomnia sorted out.

But since I have young children in the house, I can't just get up in the middle of the night and wander around.

Instead, I use a combination of over-the-counter self-medication and meditation. When I'm laying awake in the early hours of the morning, I use it as a time to relax and observe my inner thoughts and dialogue. Instead of worrying about the insomnia, I use it as a time to be alone, warm and comfortable.

Thank you kindly... LTLTR

[johnram]

Thats quite a good way to think about the insomnia, for me, i can fall asleep, but when i wake, i am worrying over random things, or replaying little life events again and again, e.g. disagreement at work, unfinished work, or argument with a friend etc

may try the course, as i looked it up, and there are some free resources out there

All the best to you and speak soon