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Sufferer Needing A Place To Fit In, From One Who Feels I Am Always On The Outside Looking In

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Pilgrim

Learning
I am so happy to have found this place. How do you try to explain yourself to "normal, or nearly normal" people in your world - people who love you and genuinely care for you and what you're going through - but most of whom have no way of truly understanding the he** you live in every day? I am sitting here with tears in my eyes as I write this. I so want to be understood. And validated, even though my behavior and reactions seem bizarre to people around me.. at least here, I believe there will be a sense of genuine understanding and support. Thanks to all who make this board possible, and who contribute your stories and shared experiences. I hope I will find meaningful connections here. :shy:
 
Hi pilgrim!! Welcome to this forum!!
I'am just a member from saturday, but i did get a very warm welcome here!! There are some very nice and intelligent people out here. I find comfort in many posts! Good luck to you (my english is limited, my native language is dutch) hugs for you
 
Welcome Pilgrim and I just joined today myself. I can relate to your post and the hell you are going through. PTSD at times has made me feel like I'm crazy while going through the roller coaster of emotions. I've found that some people I can explain this condition and they either understand or are willing to learn to understand. There are some people though that just aren't willing to understand or are just in denial. I don't know about you however sometimes I want to reach out to others and then sometimes I just want to isolate and the reasons are that I'm mostly either ashamed or embarrassed of them hearing and seeing me this way. I need to stop worrying about what other people think and continue to force myself to be around people and realize that most are not focusing on me and especially in public places. I've found that getting out of the house and either focusing on nature and going to parks helps. Just getting out of the house and sitting outside in my yard also helps.
 
Welcome to forum! I too found this place in past few months and also very grateful.

That's a tough one - even people who love you seem to always say to try to forget and move-on (kinda hard to forget things you don't remember...) And for what I do remember I tell people I don't think of my past. I don't understand why people think with PTSD you can just "move-on?"

I try to explain to them it's not just the "mind and thinking" - that the "body" remembers the trauma and stress. It became programmed into our bodies. Also our minds changed to protect us so we could survive the event or events. It's nature's way to protect us at those times. But then it stays with you...

I tell them for no reason my body goes into severe anxiety, or panic, and I can't calm it down. It's in flight and fight mode. The adrenaline is rushing. And I wasn't thinking of past.

But some people are much more understanding than others.

I was looking for this interview with someone with PTSD for you --- it really described it well. But I can't find it.
 
How do you try to explain yourself to "normal, or nearly normal" people in your world - people who love you and genuinely care for you and what you're going through - but most of whom have no way of truly understanding the he** you live in every day?
It's really tough, and most of us here can relate. The consensus opinion seems to be that only people who have been there can really understand. It's such an isolating condition. That said, if there are ways people can support you without understanding on the level you wish they would, maybe you can let them know? As you say, they love you and genuinely care, so they probably want to help and don't know how. Could you ask them to just sit with you without giving advice, or whatever would feel supportive?

I hope you will keep posting and find some of the understanding you are hoping for here. I'm sending you a big hug if you accept it. :hug:
 
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