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Poll How Many Traumatic Incidents Have You Experienced?

How Many Traumas Have You Experienced?

  • A single incident

    Votes: 14 3.6%
  • A few incidents over a short period of time (as in war, natural disaster, etc)

    Votes: 25 6.5%
  • Many incidents throughout my lifetime

    Votes: 345 89.8%

  • Total voters
    384
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Long term child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, several tornadoes during and after the child and sexual abuse, two hurricanes, one truck explosion, one child (three months old) being kidnapped, multiple death threats, phone harassment, automobile accident, losing home in long legal battle to pay for attorneys in regards to several of the aforementioned, physical/emotional/verbal/sexual abuse during marriages, having car stolen and used in an armed robbery, subsequent trial and retraumatization of having to recall for jury a blow by blow detail of the experience and being villified upon cross examination by the defense lawyer, more phone harassment, stalking and property damage, another tornado with flooding, being uprooted and moving - loss of income, daughter age 7 sexually abused, long involved recovery for her, finding out it was the son of the man who had abused me some twenty years prior, fighting and losing custody battle for eldest child while simultaneously involved with state officials on report of incest regarding daughter, finding out husband is having multiple affairs, finding out husband addicted to pornography, caring for his invalid mother an alcoholic (cleaning, buying groceries, cooking, running errands 3X's per week for 12 years) and raising my children as well as my husband's children from his previous marriage and working and going to church three times per week holding a teaching position there, and multiple offices in county and local horse clubs to keep children busy and occupied and teach children to overcome fear/trauma and gain confidence, starting a business and having the funds embezzeled by partner, disolving partnership and business, moving again with horses and children, children being attacked by radical extremist group who were meeting illegally on property, subsequent investigation regarding the radical group whose activity involved racial profiling, pushing for measures for protection of home and family as well as animals, property and outbuildings, multiple thefts and home invasions, moving again. There is more but I'm tired right now and this is not good for me to be remembering so much.
 
From the time I was adopted 1 year to 18 years. Emotional stuff from my Mom still. another 20 years. I have just realized it.
 
Too numerous to list all. In the last year alone: attempted murder, medical abuse, 2 secondary traumas (witnessed a dog shooting and a female being physical assaulted(I called 911)) and 2 deaths of family members. Man I can't believe I'm alive.
 
I really don't know. My parents were both mentally abusive, my mom still is, and my dad is physically abusive. Over that period I went through ... pretty much every day. I was also in a traumatic relationship that I haven't talked about yet. I suppose my experiences in school also posed a minor amount of trauma.
 
Multiple though after the age of sixteen (moved out, went to college), 'only two'. I've done my best to keep everything as boring (i.e. peaceful, for me) as I can.
 
Childhood schema

Hello All,

Well, I'd have to say that experiencing the first and subsequent traumas as a child pretty much set me up for a let down regarding keeping myself safe. For the most part, I am a confident, solid individual. But perpertrators seem drawn to me when I am at my most vulnerable moments. It's quite sad really beause it is these moments I spend so much time and energy on instead of the majority of time spent enjoying my life. CS
 
I actually think each deployment kept me sane to a degree, in that with PTSD what better place is their than the battlefield basically....

When it all stopped, is when I stopped....

I think I've lost track over the years of how many exactly and some I have even forgotten about completely, one it took a friend to remind me of it.

With what anthony stated in his quote, I have to completely agree with. I have never felt more at ease during the day or slept better at night than when I was in Afghanistan. Even through out the chaos and knowing the potential imminent danger, there was always a feeling that I was doing what was meant of me. We were fine tuned to operate in that situation and my body was finally doing it for real.
 
i voted "many incidents throughout my lifetime”.

tho ignorantly choose to stay away from identifying/remembering most for survival... dont want to have a melt-down..

i used a term to my husband recently to explain what its feeling like of late...

i can picture like the side of a cliff, with all the different layers of rock/slate & compacted dirt... and i have this vision of that cliff face... with the knowing that there are fossils within each of those layers i havent been allowed to investigate/grieve/deal/accept etc....
 
There's been much discussion about complex PTSD on the forum lately, and quite frankly I don't relate as I have PTSD from a single incident only. My life was happy beforehand. I had a loving family and an ordinary life. So, I'm curious about how many traumas everyone has experienced.
Batgirl- Hmmm good question. Over 17 years on the job, so too many to count. Yet, it took just one major one to set the ball in motion. To make matters worse, in therapy and meditation while going deep within I had a flashback unrelated to the incident. I learned I was raped as a child and my brain is being kind and letting the memories come out slowly. I have not dealt with this at all.
 
Those involving single violent deaths, 13, multiple deaths 3, near death experiences 2, violent injuries lost track, quit counting,the faces are all still there, the sounds, the smells but the numbers have blurred.
 
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