Hello Zombie. Welcome to DS.

I'm a vet who carried my PTSD into the Army with me. As one of my fellow vets who suffers combat PTSD put it, "A gunshot is a gunshot. It is not less traumatic because you were a child and the shot was fired by the daddy who was supposed to be protecting you."

When do you heal from the trauma? How does 9:15 Sunday morning sound?

Sounds lovely, to me, also, but. . . Like it's sister, physical healing, psychic healing happens by its own mysteries. Time has no meaning in the healing process.

But emotional support while you navigate the confusion of the healing process can make a world of difference. Hope you find some of that support here.

welcome to DS zombie. I agree with arfie, healingnis diferent for every individual and it happens when it happens. I would say it’s a rather slow process as we are so eager to be well rid of the symptoms of our trauma. You are not alone in that desire or in the feeling of doubt that springs forth because it doesn’t happen as quickly as we would like it. Triple hugs of support while you journey through to your place of healing

Welcome aboard this DS lifeboat ZC. Many times it takes a few other diagnoses for the docs to look at PTSD, in your case cPTSD since it began in childhood. Recovering happens piece by piece; no magic bullet. Mine was also not military related. Folks who have not walked in our moccasins say stuff like get over it because they can't grok what it is. Here, we do. So glad you found us. A very welcome member to our crew. It is a journey, not a quick fix. As you read replies to various posts, you will see tools shared by others. do try them out. Calming and comforting hugs.

Thank you my new friends. I was diagnosed with other problems first. I have severe depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorder nos. They can pretty much link all of them to my childhood. I look forward to finding comfort and safety in this group.

(((( zombie )))

Welcome to the board Zombie.... I'm sorry for what's brought you here but glad that you've found us

There are several people on here who struggle with complex trauma including myself.... This is a good place to come..... xo

Me, too, Zombie, I never served in the military and yet I was diagnosed with PTSD from domestic violence, sexual assault and--wait for it--combat trauma, all as a civilian. The latter is obvious now, but I didn't want to admit it then because I got the combat trauma as a missionary kid in a war zone. In my family, to complain about experiences in the war zone we lived in was to complain again serving God as missionaries, so the denial was strong. However, it started when a homemade Molotov cocktail bomb was thrown against and hit our family car when I was 9 years old, so it was indeed combat trauma we went through.

You don't have to be military to have PTSD, no. And you don't have to have civilian combat trauma from living in a war zone, either. Trauma comes in many way, unfortunately, and here at DS PTSD those ways are represented in a variety of people's experiences. What is amazing is how, no matter how diverse the experiences, people here come together and support one another here. Glad you found us.

Thank you

What's helping me is changing my thoughts. That sounded bizarre and unrealistic at first but check out Ten Days To Self Esteem by David Burns. Abuse is completely irrational and I'm learning in my therapy that it really affected how I think - about everything. Not thinking logically is what got me into trouble with future abusers. I'm sorry for all the trauma you've experienced and I'm glad you're here. There is hope. I never ever could've said this before this last week. Just keep working. There is hope. We are not defined by the things that have happened to us. No one defines us but ourselves.

Welcome zombie. Its a good group here. When I first started coming here Muji mentioned a guy named Pete Walker, whose writings gave me a good understanding of what ptsd is. I lost the links but if you google it I think you'll find it valuable too. Good luck on your healing journey.

Welcome to the PTSD board. I am sorry for the things that you have experienced and the pain that you are feeling. There is hope! I encourage you to continue to work with your therapist, the changes may be small at first. When I first started seeking help, it seemed that things were just as intense. Looking back, I can see how the little changes were beneficial to getting me to a better place. Hope that helps!

Welcome to the group, I too suffer from C-PTSD. Trauma and abuse for 38 years, across the spectrum, including surviving an F5 tornado as a child. As far as your question on the time to heal, I agree it varies and it is great to hear you have help with therapy. I have been in therapy for 3 years and am still pretty a work in progress. That said, I am working to view healing as a process and each step in the right direction as a victory. Sending healing hugs your way.