PTSD

is your cousin getting any professional help/counciling yet?
my husband is a combat vet and it was like this for a while. it died down gradually for him, but its taken lots of time to get as good as it is now. he still doesnt sleep much either but theres no extreem night terrors

Therapists don't prescribe medications, you're thinking of a psychiatrist. Therapists just talk you through your issues.

I had low grade PTSD when I discovered my girlfriends body after she shot herself. It was horrible, I'd wake up in absolute terror and shake all the time. I was extremely paranoid and basically just lost my mind after some time.

Sounds like a stronger kid than me though, maybe if you just give him some time and support he'll be fine after awhile.

Also look into MDMA-guided therapy. It's a fucking godsend for PTSD victims

>>17708409
If you do MDMA and talk through the event, it makes a world of difference. It's like you can really understand and accept what happened. It's like having 6 years of therapy in one session.

>>17708408
Yes he was baker acted immediately after the incident and has been seeing a therapist twice a week as a result. The therapist says they're really clicking and my cousin likes the therapist but the therapist wants to get him medicated.

>>17708409
I don't think you understand the amount of drugs this kid has already done. I look the other way when he smokes weed but I can't let him do any MDMA or xanax when this kid has been barred out or rolling balls most of his life.

It piss

>>17708416
good, the counciling will really help. youre right with your instinct on the medicine, for some people it can really help but my husband was totally different on it. like a zombie. he hated it. it just takes time op to get better. be there as much as you can for him, be easy to communicate with, and dont let him completly shut himself in - make him get up and keep his mind busy with something. its hard but it does gradually get better.

>>17708506
Right now he's doing online classes and my mothers been keeping up with him on that end. Weve gone to the beach, air boat riding, fishing on weekends, just everything to get his mind off of it. We've even gone to prison so he can visit his father(only 3rd time he's met him, father is serving 20 years) and he's been communicating with him through the mail.

At night I bring him to the boxing gym with me.
He's handling everything about as well as a kid whose parents were taken away from him.
Night is just the problem. And its a huge one. I can't imagine him ever getting a good nights rest again. I can see it in his eyes. Hes literally there in his old house in his dreams listening to his mom and step father lose their lives.

>>17708712
yeah op its really hard. my husband had night terros for a long time after afghanistan and he would just wake up screaming, constanly. if he even slept. its been 3 years since hes deployed. he still has nightmares, but no more screaming. he hardly sleeps but he does sleep better during the day than at night. there is medicine out there that helps with nightmares, but if you feel its going to risk his soberity i wouldnt touch it. does he just have his episodes at night when he sleeps or is it during the day too?

>>17708365

You should look into EMDR therapy. This helped me deal with my PTSD, or at least I think it helped. It might just be placebo effect but my panic attacks have lessened since.

No drugs involved, it basically involves eye movements and hypnosis, to supposedly neurologically dampen the amgydala response of fight or flight.