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.
Intellectually I know I'm not in any true danger, but ever since the incident I posted about with my ex-roommate (She screamed at me when I asked her to turn off her bedside light during the night) which triggered my PTSD, I don't feel safe in my own skin. And now that the admin told me he cannot give me a single room (even though I have one now since my other roommate moved out) and I never know when I might be getting a new roommate. It is pure torture. The last time I felt truly safe was in my own apt where I could lock the front door. I also felt safe when my husband was around, since he was a former marine who often had guard duty and knew how to handle a weapon. I feel like the only way I will ever feel safe is to have my own place again where I can lock the door. My other apt opened directly to the outside so I didn't have to deal with neighbors. Unfortunately most of what I will be able to afford are high-rises where I will be on a hallway. Somehow that doesn't feel as safe as opening to the outside. Feeling this way was triggered today when the ex-roommate was out and about on the first floor where we have breakfast at 6:30 this morning. She usually doesn't get up for breakfast and I don't see her. Just knowing she is in the same building as me sets me off. Can anyone relate to the feeling of not being safe and what to do about it?
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Years ago, I won a mirrored armoire from my job. It's in my bedroom but I rarely stand in front of it. Yesterday, I had to have a dexascan done so I had to change into a gown. There was a full length mirror in the changing room. I'm aware that I gained 5 to 7 pounds over the last year from cheating on Keto but I didn't know what it looked like. It was a reality check.
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Also, about the lights, a lot of people do sleep with partial light or won't want to sleep the same hours as you. It's it possible the management could consider the other person's sleep habits/needs before assigning someone to share with you? Or, if that doesn't work, is it possible to divide the room with a curtain or other divider that could block their light so you can sleep? Maybe there's something they (mgt) can do to help things go more smoothly.
Hugs and peace.
I wish I had better. Sorry.
I'm like Thor, except that I was a civilian with my family in a war zone doing missionary service, not military service. In my case I have such a strong startle response when someone comes up behind me unannounced I could leap tall buildings in a single bound. It's pretty frightening to that other person, too.
Seroquel for it gave me permanent kidney damage, so my therapist steered to toward a meditation class. I took it weekly for 5 years, and it really gave me some non-pharmaceutical tools for coping with my hypervigilance from PTSD. Not to prevent it, it's permanent, but to manage it, to talk my blood pressure and adrenalin down so I can go on to function.
I live alone, so that helps keep my startle response down, too.
This link was given to me by DS PTSD members here and it gave me free info on this sort of PTSD stuff, so I always pass it on to others here in gratitude whenever I have the chance.
http://pete-walker.com/fourFs_TraumaTypologyComplexPTSD.htm
You're not alone in this, carolk1955.