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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Lady_Colossus 07/28/2017

I spent the last week attempting to make friends. So many people speak about things that trigger me so flippantly and casually and I just do not understand. Also, people are way more judgmental than I remember. I don't even remember experiencing half of the things I've experienced in adulthood as I did in high school. Maybe I just had nicer friends back then? I've moved so far from all of my friends. It's like I'm in another world. It's hard to get them to keep in touch since I left Facebook. I couldn't handle it. I'm so sensitive and so empathic I can't even handle reading all the of the horrible things people say to each other. I just feel like a target everywhere. I don't even have to take something someone said personally to feel affected by it. I become almost obsessed with thinking about "why that person said ____" or "what made that person respond that way?" type stuff. I never used to be like this. I had a ton of friends before I became too ill to function.

I think my worldview changed. I always felt different from others but now I'm distanced too. I just miss talking to people. I miss talking to people who want to make positive differences in their lives and I really miss people who aren't so close minded, because I swear it's all I see in every group I try to make friends in.

Thanks for letting me vent. I've been doing ok lately as far as physical illnesses, anxiety and depression go. I even handled a pretty bad flashback without any repercussions or crises. I just don't understand "the majority." Maybe it's better that I don't, I dunno. :/

2magicman 07/28/2017

I understand when it comes to judgment. I was abducted at a young age by a toltal stranger. People often said to me. Oh I understand how you feel. I say know you don't. You know why? Because you or they were not there. Lot's of support.

Scott

Gladdmatt 07/28/2017

I kow what you mean about people being closed-minded. I often feel like I'm the only open-minded person on FB. I also have spent a lot of time obsessing about what other people are doing, thinking, did something good or bad happen to them, etc. For me, it has to do with having a weak sense of self; I tend to think other people are more important than I am, and have more of a right to live. However, through talk therapy and meds over the years, this has improved quite a lot. And if I can get better, I KNOW that you can too. May God bless your day.

arfie 07/28/2017

Hope the venting helped, Lady C. Congrats on the progress in handling managing your symptoms.

In my own mind, I gave up on understanding people a long time ago. I still obsess about THEM from time to time, but the closest I come to understanding people is when I take THEM one person at a time. Most days I prefer splendid isolation, but. . . Humans are a gregarious species and, like it or not, I am naturally hard-wired to need other people. Sigh. . .

donnawanda 07/28/2017

I don't know if people have always been this way, but this seems to be a really bad time in our country when a lot of people are letting out a lot of ugliness. Still, even on FB, you can find positive groups to follow and then you will be reading a lot of positive stuff every day.

I live in a liberal area so I don't get exposed to a lot of racist, misogynistic stuff on a daily basis, to be honest. I also started taking Kripalu yoga classes and met the nicest group of people there. Kripalu yoga is all about compassion and respect - starting with your own body, by doing only what your body is ready to do and never causing yourself pain. And then that attitude spreads to the way we relate to each other. If there is such a group near you it might be a good place to give yourself some loving care and meet more positive people.

Muskoka007 07/28/2017

I am not overtly experienced although I do have some good friends and have had CPTSD since I was a baby. I find certain people in general are very grounding, yes they may say something that is triggering but most often don't. Find the friends that make you laugh, that is what I did. I have had to clean house of certain friends over the years, it is not easy. We can also ground ourself too as sometimes it is just going to happen. I actually trigger myself sometimes lol
When I was 29 I got chronic fatigue ( which 30 years later I found out through my doc it was lyme) Either way I did get better but lost many friends, or found out who my friends were. I think that experience helped me to find better friends.
I do not think you need to have PTSD to understand it. I had a wonderful male ob/gyn years ago and he never had a baby, but he was the most understanding. DOn't give up, use your intuition with friends and see if that helps? hugs

extraterrestrialone 07/28/2017

As for triggers, iv been noticing lots of ds self harmers posting with no TW warning of extreme triggering content. T got triggered this way a couple days ago. I posted suggesting/demanding that they use TW at the start and someone responded trying to shift blame on me.

As for friends in the real world. Don't have. Don't know how to find or keep. I suppose that's me. Not them.

Talking with you has been good for me. Since I don't actually know haw to engage in friendship, I hope it's being good for you too.

mujicaptsd 07/28/2017

I'm on vacation in Mexico. I speak Spanish, so I'm able to chat with the Mexican hotel staff. They're very nice to me. We have a running joke, though that though I'm clearly a US citizen tourist--I look like Santa Claus--I've been here a week without other US citizen tourists in the hotel talking to me. I just had an hour and a half long conversation with the Mexican hotel owner, so I'm not lonely. I do wonder, though, what's up with that. I'm not going to let it affect my fun on my vacation, though. Mexicans outnumber my fellow US tourists in Mexico, anyway, so I still have lots of friendly people to talk to.

freefalling 07/28/2017

Hi Lady C, I share your world view, I am also very empathetic sometimes to my own demise, I have been told many of a time to just let something go. How? I never understood how people have become some tolerant of bad behavior and have become so causally rude. It amazes me daily. I think the world has changed a lot in the last 15 years. I would never imagine saying or doing things that my peers say and do now. I don't know. I am glad you felt you vent here and I hope the venting helped you.

Lady_Colossus 07/28/2017

Thanks so much for all of your replies and for sharing your experiences, everyone. I do feel a bit better today. I have some projects I've been engaged in and I also sent a long email to a friend I haven't heard from in awhile. I figure I might as well do all I can to keep trying to keep in touch with the friends and family I had to move away from. I've also found another option for a more positive thinking group online that doesn't tolerate any sort of rude behavior and I'll see how that works out, too. I'm not one to give up so quickly and after letting it out here I do feel more clear minded. Thanks again, all!

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