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Guns

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KwanYingirl

MyPTSD Pro
i have always abhorred guns, but today I signed up to learn how to handle a hand gun. In the past month, I have nearly been robbed at the least and killed at the worst. After work I left my office with my 10 pound dog at 8:15. A junkie was standing against my car and I became acutely aware that except for us, the office park was deserted. My dog turned vicious and I told him my dog bites and if he doesn't get off my car and walk away, I was releasing the dog. He stared at me for a few seconds, then walked away. Then last week I keft the office again and once I got out of the building, I turned left as always to get tiny car. My dog turned vicious again and pulled me the other way and I saw a guy with a hoodie and ski mask coming from behind the building toward me. I ran to my car and got the hell out of there.

There is a drug treatment center in one of the buildings and I'm all but certain they targeted me. I'm always the last one out. So I called my landlord and police. The police told me I was overreacting and when I requested that they do some drive through a he said no, if I want a guard I'll have to hire one. When I told my landlord what he said, he was pissed.

When I was 24 I was strangled and left for dead by a junkie looking for drugs in the medical clinic I worked in. Already a PTSDer from childhood sexual, physical and verbal abuse, this attack devastated me. I've never gotten over it.

As you can imagine, I am really struggling about my safety. I talked to weapons dealers about getting a stun gun, but they don't really work if the perp has on layers of clothes. So I'm going to get a gun.

Any advice??? I signed up for a course in gun safety and when I pass that, then they will teach me how to shoot. They told me not to buy one until I've used different models the range uses for lessons.
 
Practice, practice, practice. If you are talking about a pistol, then find one that is comfortable to your hand, and comfortable for you to carry. I personally would suggest nothing smaller than a 9mm, but that is just my opinion.

You said that you have always abhorred guns, but a gun is just a tool. Like a hammer it has ifs function. The purpose of a gun is self-defense.
 
I say absolutely YES... going in with the idea , that if it comes to the point you aim that gun... have no doubt in yourself that you WILL pull the trigger...
I think what you are doing is very proactive. After you have gone thru the first class, you will know on an intuitive level whether or not this is right for you...And the shooting class will help you to decide what kind of handgun would best fit you hand, your intentions, ect... it is not a decision made lightly, like so many choose to believe...
I live in a Right to carry state... but people do not understand you have to go thru legal training first...
If I were you, yes, under the circumstances... yes.... please let us know what your experience is with all this... Everyone I know has a gun or guns.. I do not... not yet...
You will know by the end of your training if this is the right thing for you... let no one else make this choice for you... Sending gentle hugs for the fact you even need this type of protection... I'm sorry...
 
Whoever you talked to at the police department (did you get a name?), they have a boss. I think their boss should hear about how helpful and compassionate they were. Even if they thought you were over reacting, that wasn't a useful response on their part. They should do better than that.

I have a friend who teaches concealed carry classes. He says the same thing about buying a gun. Try a few out and be sure of what you want before you spend the money.

And be sure to give your little buddy an extra dog biscuit! "Good Dog!"
 
I applaud you for being so courageous. I teach handgun familiarization classes to women who have trauma backgrounds, and own several different weapons myself. It is my firm belief that refusing to be a victim again is one of the best steps towards healing that we can take. You are going through the right steps to see if this is a responsibility that you can handle. Looking forward to hearing the process of your journey!
 
Wow! Thank you all SO much for your validation. The cop made me feel like a cry baby, but a junkie will do anything to get a fix. I learned that a looming time ago. @RussH and @Eagle3 i appreciate your experience. I have a lot to learn about what sizes do what and all that. I've planted 9mm in my brain. And I have to say that once I talked to the guy that gives classes ( they exceed the training required by law in my state) and he gave me a lot of his time. He has a class for females only because some women are just afraid of men. But I felt very empowered by saying to myself-take action-stand up for myself. And yes, I cooked Annie a pork chop for her heroic acts. He encouraged me to get in the habit of going to the range regularly to keep my reflexes trained to act fast. In my state you can open carry.

It would break my heart to shoot someone, but, again, junkies are super crazy and I'm not being paranoid when I say imbeing targeted. They all congregate for smoking breaks and stand at the dumpster. I'm over there twice a day emptying my trash. I wear a white lab coat and usually white pants and shoes. A part of me thinks they might believe I have drugs. Oh, by the way, two days after the last incident, our building was broken into. One of my favorite professors in college has two doctorates and dresses to the nines. She sleeps with a glock under her pillow.

I wonder what my therapist will have to say. I wonder if the state discovers I have PTSD and major depressive disorder they might deny me a permit.
 
You do run the risk of being denied a permit, but there are ways past that. Specifically, your Psychiatrist or Doctor can write a letter stating that you are NOT a danger to self or others, and are capable of the necessary judgment to carry a weapon. That might help.

One rule I have with myself is if I'm feeling VERY unstable or suicidal, I do NOT touch my weapons! If I can't obey that rule, I lock everything up and give my brother the key to the safe until I'm stable again.

My therapist is a total pacifist, but he's also a realist and owns a handgun himself. We sit on very opposite sides of the political spectrum, but we respect each other's views on weapons and defense. It helps that he's a Martial Artist too, so we both understand real-world tactical application of self-defense theory. That helps. I hope you therapist can be understanding and not let any bias show if there is any at all. Good luck!
 
It's going to take you weeks of daily practice to become competent under low stress ideal conditions, and months of putting a few thousand rounds down range to become competent under high stress (and that's only if you train under high stress, once you're competent in low stress). And then regular practice after that, at least once a month, and preferably once a week, to keep your skills up.

One of the reason I'm such a fan of firearms? Having been on the wrong side of them a whole lot? Most people are lousy shots.

Which is not to dissuade you. To the contrary. If you're actually looking to own a firearm for personal protection, the training & practice is absolutely mandatory.

Hitting a stationary target just 20 feet away from you? Is more challenging than most people think. Hitting a moving target? That's something most people can't do. But most people don't practice. They take a class or two if their state requires it. They maybe go to the range a few times, hit the target more by accident than design, and that's it. 20 feet? Is less than 3 parking spots.

Memorize these.

1. TREAT EVERY WEAPON AS IF IT WERE LOADED.
2. NEVER POINT YOUR WEAPON AT ANYTHING YOU DO NOT INTEND TO SHOOT.
3. KEEP YOUR FINGER STRAIGHT AND OFF OF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO FIRE.
4. ALWAYS KNOW WHAT IS BEHIND YOUR TARGET.
 
It would break my heart to shoot someone,
Something that you will learn in your classes is the reality of having to shoot someone. Too often we equate that with killing someone. The actual purpose of shooting someone, ( I am talking in a self-defense situation) is to incapacitate them. It may mean killing them, but the actual purpose is to stop their ability to seriously injure, or kill you. Once they have been rendered incapacitated, then you can escape to safety and call the police.
 
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