"The Affects of PTSD"

In this episode of Honestly Speaking Alone Together, we talk about the hidden weight of trauma, the triggers no one sees, and the journey toward healing. If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or alone in your pain-this conversation is for you. You're not alone and healing is possible.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Welcome back, you guys. Welcome back to Honestly Speaking, Alone Together, a place where real conversations happen. Life isn't always neat, polished, or easy. And here we're not pretending that it is. This podcast is about faith, grief, healing, truth, and the moments that shape us. It's about speaking honestly about the struggles we face, the lessons we learn, and the hope we find along the way. Some conversations may challenge you, some may encourage you, and some of them may simply remind you that you're not alone. So take a deep breath, settle in, and let's talk about the things that matter most. Hi, I'm Erin Sparks, and this is Honestly Speaking, Alone Together. So we are back with an episode that is going to be called When the Past Won't Stay Silent, and it's Healing from PTSD. I know a lot of people deal with PTSD. Um, and sometimes PTSD can be shamed, um, depending on what it is. We know a lot of PTSD can come from um military personnel, um, but also PTSD can come from um domestic disputes, um childhood trauma, you know, and so forth. Uh wrecks. I just had a wreck two days ago, and um please believe me, I have PTSD from that now. Um, but we want to start and give just some background on you know PTSD. So just again, just like to welcome you back. This is a safe place, a real place, and a healing place. And today we're talking about something that doesn't always get understood, and that is PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder. So let's be honest, y'all. PTSD isn't just being reminded of something painful, it's feeling like you are reliving it. It is your heart racing out of nowhere, panic in safe places, flashbacks you didn't ask for, being triggered by smells, sounds, or memories, and also feeling on edge all the time. Sometimes people, you know, will say, just move on from it, it's gonna be alright, just let it go. But if it were that easy, you already would have. PTSD is not weakness. Let me say that again. PTSD is not weakness, it is evidence that you survived something your mind is still trying to process. So sometimes we will get those triggers and those moments that whatever happened, it pops up again. And so, you know, you may have survived it, but your mind is still trying to process it. And let me tell you the hardest part. You can look completely fine and still be fighting a war inside your mind. You can smile in public and break down in private, you can love God and still feel overwhelmed. That's what he's there for, for us to reach out to him, not just on the good days and when things are looking up, but also in the bad times. And I need you to hear this struggling does not mean you're failing, friend. No, it does not. So let's talk about something else that's real, where faith and trauma can coexist. There's this pressure in Christian spaces to just pray it away. Prayer is good, but sometimes in things in our lives, they're gonna take more than just prayer. You're gonna need community, you're gonna need sometimes therapy to help you through. But healing is not denial. Even in the Bible, people experienced deep distress. David cried out in anguish. Elijah felt overwhelmed and exhausted. Job experienced deep loss and grief, and God didn't shame them, friend. He met them, and he will meet you too. Not the perfect, not the put together, the broken. So triggers are not your enemy, friend. Let's get that part under, you know, subs subjection. Triggers are not your enemy. Triggers can feel like setbacks, but they're actually signals. They're your mind saying, hey, something, something here is it still needs healing. And that's a good thing. Because in those moments that we are triggered, and it really seems to like it's setting us down a path, or it like I said, we feel like we are going backwards. No, it's something here that still needs healing. So instead of judging yourself, try this, dear friend. Pause, breathe, ground yourself, remind yourself, I am safe right now. Healing doesn't happen by avoiding everything, and sometimes that's so easy for us to do. We like to avoid things, but when we avoid things, all it is doing, it is suppressing, suppressing, suppressing, and then in the right moment or the wrong moment, it pops up and out. Healing happens gently by walking through it with God. So here are some practical steps for healing. Um, give yourself permission to heal slowly. Healing is not a race. Sometimes we want to just hurry up and heal, hurry up and get it over with. But there are some things that I have learned that healing is not a race. Also, identify your triggers. Awareness brings power. Know what your triggers are so that you can take the necessary steps to do what you need to do, taking it to God, taking it to a therapist, doing whatever you need to do to bring awareness because it brings power. Create safe places, whether that's people, places, or routines. Create you a safe place when you are triggered. Get support. I know sometimes it feels better just to be isolated and alone. I understand that truly because I've been there myself as well. But you need to have support, whether that's people, places, or routines. Get support. Therapy is not a lack of faith, it can also be a tool God uses. Just like I said in the previous episode, Jesus and therapy can coexist, you know. So that is another big one. Therapy is not a lack of faith, it can be a tool God uses. And stay rooted in the truth, not what trauma tells you, but what does God say about you? And sometimes that may take a little study, and that's gonna be y'all's homework, not little homework, but I want you to see what God says because trauma lies, the devil, he will try to keep you bound. But God says so many beautiful and wonderful things about you, and that's what we need to cling so ever tightly to. Jesus understands trauma. Boy, does he? Let's not forget this. Jesus experienced betrayal, abuse, rejection, physical suffering. Think back to the Garden of Ghessene, where he was in such distress that he sweat drops of blood. Yes, he understands your deep emotional pain. And so you are not alone in this. And you are not what happened to you. So hear me clearly again, friend. What happened to you is real, but it is not your identity. You are still chosen, you are still loved, you're still worthy, and you're still here for a reason. And I love to say that line: if you still have breath in your body, then God still has purpose for you on this side of heaven. PTSD may be a part of your story, but it is not the end. You can also share. Share where you where PTSD came in your life because you never know just who that might help with you being honest. After you've healed, after you, you know, have walked through this with God and you've you've gotten some things out with him, and and he knows when you would be ready to share your story. So, I also want to touch on practical ways to cope with PTSD when it hits in real life. So let's let's let's just let's bring this down to real life, you guys, because PTSD doesn't wait for the right moment. No, it's like grief, it shows up unexpectedly, it shows up in the grocery store, in conversations, in quiet moments, and every step you make. Sometimes PTSD can show up, and even in your sleep. So, what do we actually do when it hits? Ground yourself in the present. When your mind tries to go back, friend, bring your body forward and try this. Name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, and two things you can smell, and lastly, one thing you can taste. I'm gonna go back and write those down. So when PTSD does show up, these are some things that will help you ground yourself in the middle of PTSD. This tells your brain, I am not there anymore, I am here. Control your breathing, even when you feel out of control. Your breath can calm your nervous system. And I've done this um with PTSD from losing my son because it was so very traumatic. And the therapist that I saw gave me this breathing exercisement, and so this exercise that she gave me, um, your breath can calm your nervous system.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

So, what I want you to try, and I'm gonna do it with you, and it is you inhale for four seconds. Okay, I gotta speak. Hold it for four seconds, and then exhale for six seconds.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Yes, do this a few times, friend, and you'll feel your body start to settle. Do it a few times, do it as many times as you need to until you feel your body start to settle. Speak the truth in the moment. PTSD brings lies like I'm not safe. Oh, it's happening again. But I want you to combat with that truth. I am safe right now. This is a memory, not my current reality. And I made it through before, and I'm still here. Also, moving your body helps because trauma can also get trapped in the body. So simple movement helps release it by walking, stretching, shaking out your hands, even stepping outside for fresh air. You are telling your body when you do these things, we're not stuck anymore. And then lastly, anchor yourself in God's word. Because when your mind feels loud, go to something louder, and that's the truth in God's word. Keep you a few scriptures ready, like, for example, God has not given me a spirit of fear, power, love, and a sound mind. That's 2 Timothy 1 and 17. Also, one of my favorites is the Lord is my refuge and my fortress. That's in Psalms 91. Psalms 91 is one of my favorites as well. Even whispering it helps. You don't have to say it, blare it all out. Even whispering, God can hear you. Have you a safe person? Don't go through triggers alone if you don't have to, dear friend. Text someone, call someone, sit with someone because healing grows in safe connection. Someone that you trust, not someone that you know that goes and spread things, but somebody that you trust. Because, like I said, healing grows in safe connection. Create you a calm kit. Have a small go-to set of things that help regulate you, a calming scent like lavender, worship music, a soft item, a blanket, a hoodie, and a note to yourself with truth. And I really encourage that because I've done that, and every time I feel some type of way, I go back and I read that letter, and it grounds me. So when a moment hits, you're not scrambling. You have some tools to go and use. But you are not back at square one just because you had a moment, friend. Healing is not linear, and a trigger doesn't mean you're failing. It simply means you're still processing. So I want to touch on another thing where so many times the church can, some churches, I won't say all, some churches think it's just all about just pray, pray your way through. You got this, you know, where's your faith? How strong is your faith? Your faith is weak. No, we're gonna break this, we're gonna break the stigma. Therapy is not weakness, it's actually wisdom. Because if you go to God and you ask him, God, send me to somebody that is a Christian, that is of faith, that will help me walk through what I'm walking through right now. Let's talk about this because it needs to be said out loud. Sometimes healing requires more than just trying to push through. Sometimes you just simply need help, and that's okay. Don't feel discouraged or embarrassed if you need help. So we're breaking the stigma in a lot of spaces, especially faith-based ones, therapy can feel uncomfortable to talk about. You know, you might say, um, hear people say, just pray about it. God will handle it. And that is true. But let's be honest, God also sends people, He also uses tools, and also works through wisdom. So going to therapy does not mean that your faith is weak. It means, friend, you're willing to heal intentionally. After I lost my son, I prayed and I prayed and I prayed and I asked God, I need you to send me somebody that I will be able to trust that is lined up with you, that is going to help me walk through this terrible and awful season of mine. And let me tell you, he did just that. He did just that. So, therapy actually, it gives you a safe place to process what happened. That is, if you don't have any safe places outside of therapy, it gives you a safe place to process what happened. This person may not know you. They're there to help you. They give you tools to manage triggers, they give you language for what you're feeling, and they help separate your past from your present. This is something they go to school for. And if you are Christian, you are a believer, then I strongly encourage you to pray for a Christian therapist. Um, because that's what I used. I used a Christian therapist, and when I tell you those were the best moments of my life, they were lifesavers when I got to sit down and talk to her, and it helped set me free from a lot of things that I was dealing with. Sometimes your mind just needs help making sense of what it went through. You might want to consider therapy if also your triggers are affecting your daily life. If you can't do certain things, it's hard for you to go outside, it's hard for you to work, it's hard for you to help take care of your children, any of that, you need therapy. And I think it would be good for you. I think it would be very good instead of you continuing to struggle, you feel constantly on edge or overwhelmed. You're avoiding people, places, or situations, you're struggling with sleep, anxiety, or flashbacks, and you feel stuck in what happened. You don't have to wait, friend, until you're falling apart to get support. It's ready available right now. Faith and therapy can work together. That has been a stigma as well. But I have come to the knowledge God has shown me that faith and therapy can work together. So this is important, friend. It's not God or therapy, it can be God and therapy. You can pray and you can go to counseling, you can trust God and ask and ask to talk to a professional. But healing can be spiritual and practical at the same time, with God being number one. But there are also people out there that have trained, gone to school, that do this to help people like you and I that have dealt with PTSD. You deserve safe help, friend, a good therapist, because they don't judge you, they don't rush you, they help you feel safe, and they walk with you through the process. And if one doesn't feel right, you are allowed to find another. So let's change the way we see this. Going to therapy is not saying I'm broken, it's saying I am ready to heal. And I want you to understand that God cares about your mind, your heart, and your healing. And sometimes the bravest thing you can do is ask for. Help, yes, ask for help. It's not weak, it's actually strength, it's encouraging. So, Father, God, for every person listening who is carrying trauma, who feels overwhelmed, God, who feels stuck in memories they did not choose, Father, meet them right where they are. Bring peace to their mind, comfort to their heart, and restoration to their soul. Remind them, Lord, that they are safe in you, that they are not alone, and that healing is possible. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. So if today was heavy for you, that's okay. That's okay. Healing conversations, they they aren't always easy, but they are necessary. And I want you to remember this, dear friend. You survived. Now it's time to heal. So until next time, on honestly speaking, alone together, I will see you guys later. Digest this one. It's a good one because a lot of us walk through PTSD and trauma, and we need ways of an escape. And God gives that to us in his word, but he also has men and women that he has laid it on their heart to be Christian therapists. So God and therapy can mix. So until next time, remember that God loves you, and so do I.