Nu Vibez and Roleplay Guide Magazine - February 2014

PTSD is not just for the Military! - p3 locked away in a trunk, le to watch as it, using my body, set out on a path of reckless destruc on … of my life! I was a helpless bystander. In more technical terms, there is an internal struggle that occurs. While the human brain recognizes its reac ons are “overkill,” the chemical response triggered bypasses this logic, causing the body to react physically to a serious threat, in a manner that is not a custom of the person or eﬀec ve for the situa on. A human's ins ncts are very sharp and animal-like, the mind rever ng to a me when it was “kill or be killed.” Your base survival ins ncts kick in on the most minor of details or situa ons and the brain translates what is not, in reality, a threat, and responds with a vengeance. When suﬀering from PTSD, adrenaline and cor sol run rampant through the brain, crea ng dependence -- an addic on and the body has become the drug dealer, deciding for you, when you will take it. As a result, the body becomes chemically unbalanced making even the mee ng of your simplest needs (such as food and sleep), diﬃcult or impossible to achieve. In the average human body, these are good things designed to help us escape a perceived threat. The adrenal glands secrete the hormone Adrenaline, responsible for a variety of func ons such as heart rate and blood pressure, which swi ly saturates the muscles giving the body a quick jolt of what some perceive as 30 - Nu Vibez Magazine - February 2014 super-human strength and speed. At the same me, these same glands secrete another hormone called Cor sol which shuts down func ons not needed during mes of perceived threats, such as appe te and sleep preven ng the body from being fa gued by hunger or the need for rest while danger is present. In a person with PTSD, however, the brain perceives even safe and secure environments as threats be it through misunderstandings of surroundings, or even hallucina ons by way of example. These happen frequently, triggering adrenaline and cor sol far too o en for the human body to tolerate and thus, a chemical imbalance is created and we begin to selfdestruct. In my own case, these chemicals were so high in my body were so high that the thought of ea ng posi vely repulsed me. I couldn't even prepare food for myself for ﬁve weeks, stomaching only coﬀee. To add insult to injury, I smoked incessantly, adding even more dangerous chemicals to my already over-taxed system, further compounding the problem. Of course I knew be er and yet, I was helpless to do otherwise. By the me I was able to get the chemical levels low enough where I actually wanted to eat, my body rejected food. This went on for a further four weeks and all the while, I could not sleep! I needed to learn how to take care of my base needs all over again.

Nu Vibez and Roleplay Guide Magazine - February 2014 | Page 30