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Not Being Believed

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UnKnown-Self

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I saw a similarily titled thread and it reminded me of my current situation.

My husband of 4 years passed away 5/4/15. It was unexpected and devastating.

Regardless of anything else he taught me what it was like to feel loved and respected. I had never known before and it changed me for the better.

I will keep this short as possible.

He left no will for his estate which is four properties that he had neglected due to depression that set in once he retired. He has four grown children.

I initially took on the administration of the estate in July of 15. In August of 15 I broke and went into a PHP program.

Instead of getting better, I got worse. When I broke, it opened Pandora's Box of crazy. I started having panic attacks and voices forgotten returned along with a whole assembly of not so much newbies, just until that point unmet. Memory Keepers and Protectors of Secrets.

This time around instead of rejecting them as I had a couple decades ago, I interacted with them and validated them. The center I was attending everyday encouraged mindfulness, self validation, grounding techniques, emotion regulation and many other great tools that made it possible for me to take that step.

One fly in the ointment. My time in the program was up and I was moving to individual therapy.

Did I say one fly? Another was no one was prepared to handle a patient who spoke of "selves" especially when they are (to my current knowledge) co-existing and there is no show of any complete time losing, so no distinct completely different personality popped out to my now new therapist.

Not being believed is one of the biggest button pushing insults one can toss at a survivor.

In the meantime I come to realize I can not handle the administration of the estate, I can't even return to work. I did after being out for six months.

Lots of shitstorms flashing inside and outside if anyone interacted with me.

The oldest daughter says she will take over. Gets all my documents and after 3 months tells me she changed her mind but refuses to give me back the paperwork.

I get an attorney. I am unhinged most of the time. He talks to the daughter and as life has it basically works against me. I do not have the time, money or energy to get someone else.

He asks for documentation regarding my PTSD. I get it from the person I go to each month for my prescriptions. Turns out she is not a psychiatrist but and upper level nurse. Who knew?

In the meantime I get a draft of what the attorney intends to submit to the court.

It said I self diagnosed myself with PTSD.

Trigger anyone?

I showed my doc/nurse and she made a call to a psychiatrist on staff and made me an appointment.

He wrote a very good letter which I fax to the attorney.

An email was waiting for me when I got home from the attorney. He wanted to know why I ever took on the administrative duties since I had PTSD.

So I emailed him, educating the asshole on PTSD, my background, how hard I worked. How that hard work paid off and when someone with PTSD has a good ten year run, they tend to forget they ever had it, considering it is a mental disorder of denial, exacerbated by the fact from the time I could remember I was taught to keep quiet and no one would ever believe me. The last part had been proven time and time again. The very fact that I had to write the email proved my point and I said so.

I hate having PTSD. I hate no one believes me including myself at times. I hate that when I mentioned that I had parts who were reaching out to me, instead of seeing it as an amazing break through and a sign of self trust that could lead to some real advances in my ability to manage. I was seen as someone who was trying to get more time off work and trying to manipulate the system. I tried to explain it to some friends but it just scared them away.

I did not mention my parts to the attorney or to anyone now. Not because I am ashamed or in self denial. I don't mention them to protect and respect them. Someone will have to prove themselves capable and worthy before I make myself that vulnerable again.
 
In my humble opinion, offering this narrative on a public board, shows trust in yourself. It took a lot of courage to explain, in a somewhat neutral and most congruent fashion -what you have went through of late. I am so sorry for all that you have underwent.

I am proud to know you and thank you for sharing so many aspects of the battles that PTSD can press. I understand your choice of Byron Katie for your tag line, now, a bit deeper. (((hugs)))
 
I saw a similarily titled thread and it reminded me of my current situation.
My husband of...
My brother is studying to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner. The only difference in him and the other? He can't prescribe narcotics. Other than that they are pretty well the same. I still don't trust them though ;)
 
My brother is studying to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner. The only difference in him and the other?...
She had been writing my prescriptions though. The difference is the prescription tablet had the actual psychiatrist name on it, not hers.
She is very nice and advocated for me.
The attorney said she was "just a nurse in the office" implying her statement had no validity.
She told me what he was doing was illegal. I just want out. I paid for the funeral on my charge cards and the lease is coming to an end on our car.
I decided to borrow enough from my retirement savings to pay off all the debt. The interest is only 1,6 percent and it is taken from my pay.
Surprisingly this is very difficult for me. I then realized while I could not open any mail in his or the estates name (it is just to triggering on many levels) it is my connection with him. Not a healthy connection.
Thank you everyone who replied
 
Also called a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners do many of the same things a psychiatrist does, including diagnosing mental illness and prescribing medication. As a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, you’ll also act as a therapist, helping patients with depression, anxiety and suicidal individuals, and other conditions that can be remedied with counseling.

THINGS YOU'LL DO:
  • Assess, examine, diagnose and treat patients with mental illness
  • Teach patients’ families about the patient’s condition, and how to react in certain scenarios
 
Surprisingly this is very difficult for me.
Surprisingly - this is not surprising at all. When I had a shitload of legal stuff to figure out I got myself a Power of Attorney. Everything was so overwhelming, you know? It was too much. And legal stuff is an inhumane game at times.

Do you have a friend or something who would be willing to help you by standing as your power of attorney?

I am so very sorry of your husband's passing.
 
Surprisingly - this is not surprising at all. When I had a shitload of legal stuff to figure out I go...

No I don't have anyone capable which was why when the children declined to help I went to the attorney to have myself removed and the estate be turned over to the State.
During our interview I was anxious, fearful and I believe the lawyer saw that as I was hiding something.
He talks to the children an the ex and they are calm and they have emails that I wrote while I was in some pretty rage filled emotional flashbacks.
I am still unable to open any mail and there are piles of mail struffed in drawers, file cabinets and boxes.
Emotionally I go into to that place of no matter what I do it will be the wrong thing and the consequences are some kind of horror. Knowing this is an emotional flashback of repeatedly being in abusive situations of damned if you do, damned if you don't might give me some intellectual insight but emotionally I am still in that place and the only way to calm it is make it non existent. Once in the drawer it ceases to exist.
I am not deliberately being neglectful of my duties. In those moments my goal is survival.

I only want to be removed of the duties. But there is no way that I will EVER sign a legal document that is basically calling me a liar about my abuse and PTSD. Honestly I don't think I would survive that level of self betrayal.
 
Sanity and self-respect- does not come with an price tag- so it is good that you are avoiding the stress until you can handle the landslide equipped with a bull-dosser. You are taking care of the estate of Alice.In.Wonderland which is the most important thing right now for survival.

I have done the same during a death with stuffing things in drawers for a period of time as the mental weight was too much. The world did not end. ;) Then when I was ready... I moved forward sifting through the debree.

One day at a time.:hug::hug:
 
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