littleoc
MyPTSD Pro
Hello. This post may be disturbing to some, so I'm really sorry.
Although I have PTSD, I'm rather uneducated about it. But lately I've been really wanting to help my friend's husband. Here's what happened: He was captured, controlled, and tortured. During the torture, he was forced to have a child.
He really, really loves her (the child). Don't worry -- she's being raised by a couple who's close to my friend and her husband. But unsurprisingly, he can't seem to handle how she came to be. That's where the trouble lies. He has created a delusion (?) where he believes that the daughter's mother is actually his ex, and has convinced himself that he actually cheated on her. He feels guilty and ashamed of "cheating" even though it is impossible that he did. (The ex is not the woman in the couple raising her.)
He keeps reliving the torture on top of this. A while ago, he kidnapped his daughter from the couple, thinking that she was in danger, and hid with her in a "fort." Luckily she was unharmed and not terrified -- he'd done his very best to keep her calm, despite the episode.
My friend isn't sure what to do. On top of this, her husband is of course having to heal from the torture itself. She isn't sure if she should try to help him out of his delusion of thinking he cheated on her, in order to help him begin to heal (or even how she could do this safely, on his terms), or if she should let his brain continue to protect him with the delusion until he is "more ready" (will he ever be?). His daughter means so much to him, and he wants nothing more than to know she's safe and well, but all this... Any advice?
Thanks in advance.
Although I have PTSD, I'm rather uneducated about it. But lately I've been really wanting to help my friend's husband. Here's what happened: He was captured, controlled, and tortured. During the torture, he was forced to have a child.
He really, really loves her (the child). Don't worry -- she's being raised by a couple who's close to my friend and her husband. But unsurprisingly, he can't seem to handle how she came to be. That's where the trouble lies. He has created a delusion (?) where he believes that the daughter's mother is actually his ex, and has convinced himself that he actually cheated on her. He feels guilty and ashamed of "cheating" even though it is impossible that he did. (The ex is not the woman in the couple raising her.)
He keeps reliving the torture on top of this. A while ago, he kidnapped his daughter from the couple, thinking that she was in danger, and hid with her in a "fort." Luckily she was unharmed and not terrified -- he'd done his very best to keep her calm, despite the episode.
My friend isn't sure what to do. On top of this, her husband is of course having to heal from the torture itself. She isn't sure if she should try to help him out of his delusion of thinking he cheated on her, in order to help him begin to heal (or even how she could do this safely, on his terms), or if she should let his brain continue to protect him with the delusion until he is "more ready" (will he ever be?). His daughter means so much to him, and he wants nothing more than to know she's safe and well, but all this... Any advice?
Thanks in advance.