Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Support Group

Find support with others who have gone through a traumatic experience. Whether you have chronic or acute PTSD, we are here for you.

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onlyup 04/15/2011

I have found that I can feel pain from others and my Guardian Angel Puddles(my dog) When my man is stressed out or anxious I feel it more than any other time in my life. When I first started dealing with PTSD she would follow me around to make sure I was ok. One time I was taking her for a walk at night... which I have done many times. Any ways we were walking and all the sudden I froze. It suddenly felt like it was pitch black and like I was on an edge of a cliff, so i was afraid to move in fear that I would fall to my death. All of the sudden she just sat down next to me rubbing her head against my leg soothing me. Then she got up and slowly started to pull me back home, which was only a block away. She is awesome. Lately I have had more days where I am feeling better. So I have benn tapping into her. A few months ago we found a large lump on her back end and a few that popped up quickly on her neck and her body. When we took her to the vet they explainded that it would be a high risk because she is 9 to do the surgery and the chances of the tumors just coming back are high and would have to have more.....which is tue because of the new bumps that are popping up. My man is in denial how sick she is due to he has had her since she was a puupy. They are best buddies....I have decided to let him be in denial after trying to talk about it. I feel her pain and sadness big time. Now its me coming to her comforting her. I will come down to her level on the floor and sppon her she wraps her leg around my arm to keep me there, are heart beat starts matching as she feels the peace I can have with her. we both let out a sigh and a tear. It is awesome!!!!!!!! He is inawe when he sees us and is now doing it too with success. So I am chosing to share on this site. That I feel sad and I need to share this with someone that is not in denial. Dont get me wrong I am taking her to do the things she loves and feel fortunate to be sharing this experience with her. I dont think it will be long...ohhhhhh here she is she just jumped on my bed with me to make me feel better........I love her so much. She chose me the day I met her. and I fell in love......Which was wird because for along time I would not allow my self to open up that much. Anywys just venting..

deleted_user 04/15/2011

Ahhh, What a sad situation. I have a dog who is my safety and comfort. I, too would be heartbroken if anything happened to me. He can read me like a book.
PTSD is hard enough, and then to have to deal with other stressors especially one like this.
Reach out to people on this site, and you will find support.
I am so amazed of the kindness and compassion you have.
Virlaceygo

deleted_user 04/15/2011

I'm so sorry to hear the news of your wonderful dog. That is sad but the story is a happy one! Many dogs are precious to us but sometimes there's a particular something:::: that makes a certain dog different & so sensitive to the human needs. I was lucky to have had one of those dogs. He was 13 when he passed on a Sunday night here at the house. Oct.2, 2010. I had him since he had an umbilical cord. Yep. I have 3 dogs now but no one ever will beat my Kodiak. These 3 dogs here will kill someone for me or David if they had too or die trying but they aren't Kody. God Bless You. Peace, feather

YREKADC 04/15/2011

i to am sorry for your bad news. i don't think most folks know how close one can become to an animal friend. I rescently lost my 14 year old pound save.. She was the best.. Our house burned down a couple years ago, she was almost blind and pretty deff, anyway she ran into the house after I got her and our other pup out. thankfully she didn't burn. I think her heart gave out...
When they are raised with love they return it a thousand times over. I always trust my dogs senses over mine.. they really know when someone is evil or up to no good..
With my surviving dog,, she has those fatty growths, not leathal just take up area under the skin etc. she too is too old for the removal as the growths are large. I dred the day I will have to put her down. She too was a pound save who had been abused by men. It took a few months but she soon learned I am not a normal man.. Abby normal!!
I guess alls you can do now is comfort her, and she knows you love her, I am sure... take care and know in the end we will be reunited on the other side....

deleted_user 04/16/2011

My blue heeler/bull terrier X "pig dog" was born right next to me, on the couch! He guarded me, loved me, tried to get me to come to bed when I paced the house late at night and slept on my bed for company almost every day of his 15 years on this earth . I could not have made it this far without him.. When I think of how sick we both were at the end of his life (he got brian tumours and consequently epilepsy) and those feelings of not being properly present for him (me on psych. meds) I still cry like a baby. Still miss him. I am very sorry you are going through this with your best bud Puddles. Big hugs to you both XX

deleted_user 04/16/2011

@Southerly, Blue-healers - mixed or not are great dogs.. MIL & FIL had one and that thing had 25 acres to run and wouldn't. always stayed by the house and the chicken coop. I'm sorry he passed away but when we gets animals that choose us, we accept them knowing we will Probably out live them.. ya'll had some good times together and will see each other on the other side!
Same for you YREKADC, what a story you told and what a nightmare you lived thru. Peace to you both, feather

deleted_user 04/16/2011

Am very moved--to tears, really, by all your animal stories.

Animals--dogs and cats--have played important roles in my life too.

Yesterday, my three kitties and I celebrated Tessa's birthday. She is my older cat--13--and although it was fun to see them all enjoy the special tuna for their dinner, it made me miss Tessa's brother even more.

I lost her brother, Elliott, at the end of February 2007. He was a gorgeous, all-black, super long-legged kitty with eyes that seemed to look right into a person's soul. He had not been well for weeks and got misdiagnosed by lousy vets.

I had to have surgery on my right hand that February and taking care of him and trying to get food to stay down was so difficult. Finally, got him to my old vet who had moved quite far away. In under five minutes, she diagnosed inoperable stomach cancer.

The evening of March 2, the night before my birthday that year, I buried him in my back yard.

Elliott was an angle cat. Evenings, he usually joined his sister, Tessa, upstairs on the bed. But if I started having a really bad time, without a word or cry from him, he knew. There he would be at my side, caressing my cheek gently with a paw. Then he would lean in and kiss me on the face.

I adore Tessa, and the two nuts whom I got as companions later that year for her--Shiraz and Manny. But I always miss Elliott. He was one of a kind. Yesterday, he should have turned 13 too.

Am having such a bad time lately, that this hurts more than usual. So am thankful that some of you have shared your stories here. I know you know.

onlyup 04/17/2011

Thank you all so much for responding...It helps me. It is the coolest thing to love something so much.

deleted_user 04/17/2011

I lost both of my dogs in 2007 after going through the big flood. Katy the English Mastiff had cancer in her upper paw and I had it removed, but it spread into her shoulder, so I took her in while I could still move her. We weighed her so we'd get the dose right before putting her down and she weighed 204 lbs. Katy showed up at my ex's when we were trying to make one more go of it. I think she must have been a crack house dog that was left behind when they got busted. We called around, but nobody claimed her, so she lived with me for 7 years. She'd gone totally blind too. She did really good being blind and would sniff her way around. I got an Airedale pup in 2005, because I knew Katy wouldn't get too old. I need a dog here or the critters will get the garden and the chickens I had then. Zeek was a great dog, and he'd play with Katy, and they were good for each other. He'd climb on the bed with me and wait and make sure I got to sleep and would then creep off the bed and sleep at the foot of the bed. I wanted to get a female and raise some pups, because Airedales are kinda rare and I'd grown up with them. But before that could happen, Zeek got wind of a female Pit Bull across the street and the male they had chewed him up beyond help. I never cried so hard in my life, when the vet told me he couldn't be saved, and we had to put him down. He was just like the Airedale Smokey we had when I was a little boy. My mom blamed me for his death, when he got bronchitis and bled from the lungs after playing in the creek with me. Playing in the creek is what we did. She made me take my bike about two miles up the road to get the neighbor to come put him down. I can still remember the tears falling in the dirt as I pushed my bike up the hill to get Les.

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