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.
Being here a few months has already changed me. For the better, too. I'm more forgiving of myself for the traumas I've been through. I don't feel like such a freak any more, because so many of us share the fact of surviving trauma. It's great.
Like all growth, though, it takes adapting to. Over Thanksgiving, I spent time with those I'll call, tongue in cheek, "civilians." By that, I mean people who are not veterans of our shared trauma survival experience here.
This site has spoiled me, because people here "get" each other on what surviving trauma means. Talking to "civilians" over Thanksgiving, I "came out," as it were, to a friend about my PTSD and the trauma I survived that gave it to me. This is a friend of 10 years who's confided in me many times about their sexual orientation and experimentation issues, all kinds of stuff, with me "getting" them despite how not into that stuff I am. And without me judging them, either.
But when I, in turn, "came out" to this "civilian" friend, they were really slow on the uptake and avoidant. I spoke to them the way we speak to each other here. Result? The whole thing was not worth the effort of "coming out" to them.
Anybody ever have this experience? They didn't jump down my throat, they just were dense, to put it bluntly. Not like when we talk here among ourselves. The difference is new to me. How do you deal? Is there really and "us" and "them" here in terms of the quality of conversation possible? I await your thoughts & experiences. Thanks!
Like all growth, though, it takes adapting to. Over Thanksgiving, I spent time with those I'll call, tongue in cheek, "civilians." By that, I mean people who are not veterans of our shared trauma survival experience here.
This site has spoiled me, because people here "get" each other on what surviving trauma means. Talking to "civilians" over Thanksgiving, I "came out," as it were, to a friend about my PTSD and the trauma I survived that gave it to me. This is a friend of 10 years who's confided in me many times about their sexual orientation and experimentation issues, all kinds of stuff, with me "getting" them despite how not into that stuff I am. And without me judging them, either.
But when I, in turn, "came out" to this "civilian" friend, they were really slow on the uptake and avoidant. I spoke to them the way we speak to each other here. Result? The whole thing was not worth the effort of "coming out" to them.
Anybody ever have this experience? They didn't jump down my throat, they just were dense, to put it bluntly. Not like when we talk here among ourselves. The difference is new to me. How do you deal? Is there really and "us" and "them" here in terms of the quality of conversation possible? I await your thoughts & experiences. Thanks!
So I always end up with really dysfunctional friends. Not people with PTSD per say, just people with serious problems (and generally no self awareness of these problems). I end up having to friend-dump these people because they are too toxic. But they've usually had screwed up lives so I can at least talk to them about the trauma.
So basically I'm stuck at a point where I have no friends because I'm tired of being around dysfunctional people who aren't even trying to deal w/ their issues or aware of them. And I can't seem to make that switch to being around "normal" people because there's no common ground. I would prefer to meet people like we have here in this group. People who've had similar experiences and can relate to what I've been through, and are genuinely making an effort to heal.
So I always end up with really dysfunctional friends. Not people with PTSD per say, just people with serious problems (and generally no self awareness of these problems). I end up having to friend-dump these people because they are too toxic. But they've usually had screwed up lives so I can at least talk to them about the trauma.
So basically I'm stuck at a point where I have no friends because I'm tired of being around dysfunctional people who aren't even trying to deal w/ their issues or aware of them. And I can't seem to make that switch to being around "normal" people because there's no common ground. I would prefer to meet people like we have here in this group. People who've had similar experiences and can relate to what I've been through, and are genuinely making an effort to heal.
So I always end up with really dysfunctional friends. Not people with PTSD per say, just people with serious problems (and generally no self awareness of these problems). I end up having to friend-dump these people because they are too toxic. But they've usually had screwed up lives so I can at least talk to them about the trauma.
So basically I'm stuck at a point where I have no friends because I'm tired of being around dysfunctional people who aren't even trying to deal w/ their issues or aware of them. And I can't seem to make that switch to being around "normal" people because there's no common ground. I would prefer to meet people like we have here in this group. People who've had similar experiences and can relate to what I've been through, and are genuinely making an effort to heal.
I give up..I'm just not going to talk anymore.
Yesterday a 2 people came over to barrage me with their questions and it got me sooooo irritated....i did notsay anyhting or show my disgust but i'm NOT putting myself through that ever again...From now on i'm just gonna say "I'm sorry those are personal questions.."......and NOT answer squat.
I think this is reality for us and a lot of people don't make or want to make awareness of their own problems, therefore like someone said here, I've had to friend-dump people who have issues like mine or similar. I used to hang out a lot with a group that somehow, I just pulled away from. A lot of things hanged over time this year. I agree,i just don't know what to talk about with "normal" people around me. There is difference between trauma and TRAUMA and TRAUMA is what goes with me. I've ended up pretty much lonely and here is where I have found more connections; DS is family for me.
I agree with you,AgentSmith.
FindingKat, I've only been here since June 2012, and this is family here at DS for me, too. Very special. Thanks for saying that.