Social Class And Ptsd

[J'qel]

It does.

You talk about your guilt and shame in your situation and it's tied to money. That kind of stress certainly contributes to your mental well being. Some, in your place might even choose to forego treatment in favor of more economic stability, which would cause innumerable other issues relating to health.

Just looking at how you're concerned, I'm sure you can understand why people with even less income might struggle to pay for appointments, medicine, and how food and shelter insecurities contribute to the over all stressors in a situation where they're already having issues and need a stable environment just to begin to heal.

Can you imagine someone having to choose between feeding their children and paying for meds? Those in lower economic brackets often have to. And that's just one of many obvious examples.

Money is only a tool to be used, but when you lack the basic tools for survival, that's a serious problem, and having issues like PTSD means that you need more tools to cope with your situation-be those medications, therapists, or just a space where you don't need to worry where your next meal is coming from.

Being in a situation where your life is under siege from lack of nutrition, sleep, adequate shelter and even a safe living space almost certainly causes issues for those with PTSD-how do you feel safe if you're constantly worried about whether you're going to get evicted? If you hear gunshots outside your windows and sirens constantly? If you're unable to sleep because you can't afford a decent mattress, or you have to share your space with someone you don't trust but need them for the rent money?

Social class makes a huge difference in coping-and you pretty much nailed it with your comments.

 

[Chitoshi]

It does.

You talk about your guilt and shame in your situation and it's tied to money. That kind of str...

Your reply, I hope this doesn't seem strange, is actually very comforting because it makes a lot of sense to me. I've always felt that I'm pretty lucky that our priorities are how they are, and that my boyfriend and I have the support system we do (we wouldn't be able to do or have many things without his parents helping us out financially).

I can certainly see how it would be distressing for others who have less than I do to choose between feeding themselves or their children or getting medical care, or keeping the roof over their heads vs medical care or anything else. I can't even imagine.

There was an exercise I did in an undergraduate college class, and I forgot exactly the lecture, but there were lists. It was a "could you survive low-income?" "could you survive middle-class?" "could you survive upper-class?" or something along those lines and each had a checklist of skills and decisions you need or need to make in each class structure. It was very basic but the whole point was to make us think about what we have and the struggles in each economic area. If you haven't been taught the skills, one would have a very difficult time succeeding in each "bracket," as it were.

I don't know, I thought it was very interesting. :)

My anxiety is generally tied to thoughts of not being worthy enough to "deserve" things, that others deserve more than me, or that I'm not enough of a person to deserve to want anything good for myself, so that makes it harder to do things for myself, and it would be harder if we weren't in a good enough financial footing to be able to afford the "necessary" things. We can afford minor "superfluous" (to me, like my massages because of some of my health issues, which I minimize) only because my boyfriend has been supportive enough to remind me time and again that my health and mental well-being is a necessity.

 

[The Albatross]

One of my recovery friends was a Cali native (like me).... her parents though zeroed in on the zip code and though upstairs they had no furniture other than mattresses on the floor, her father had a Leased BMW and her mother had a leased Mercedes. None of her friends were ever allowed in the upstairs area... because it would reveal their normal living condition.

She was majorly f'd up in big ways because her "awareness" of the dire nature of the living condition v.s. the status of the schooling she was afforded and the (Beverly Hills) zip code.... made it hard for her to square.

She has since been diagnosed with PTSD... but contributes a lot of her issues with false priorities in her parenting and how they skewed her decision making. I would have to agree.

So far as "status" she was no different than my own family except that her parents wanted to shield and afford their children by reason of a status home address and zip code... though they could not provide anything other than a bare mattress on the upper floors. Just sayin'.

Holly has gone from man to man... chasing a sense of affluence, to her detriment by the way.

 

[J'qel]

That's merely more proof that living without, going without, causes all kinds of problems that can follow us through our life. Usually this is because someone is living in poverty rather than poor spending choices, but poor spending choices can be a factor, most certainly.

@Chitoshi: when I was young we had an exercise that showed income inequality across the globe, reflected by access to healthcare, clean water, safety, housing, clothing, food, etc. It still sticks with me to this day, and I am ever grateful I was lucky enough to be born where I was.

 

[Recovery4Me]

I find the title of the thread dons an worn vintage. 'Social Class' a term once used to court pairing of any social-economical concern with that of any deviation from the said normal curve. A political term that was used to minimize, segregate any budding uncontained equalizer among all peoples...such as that with PTSD.

Perhaps the words were groping, for the worn harness of themes, while murmuring the older literature of social identity or groupings within the research used prior to the DSM5. Perhaps it was along the lines of articles such as this one (but with neutral wording):
Social identity, groups and PTSD Political Psychology, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012

So in response I gently offer that perhaps the focus of 'social class' among an international board with members of various governing bodies...a tad outdated for research or pose within such an equalizer of PTSD. It doesn't care.

 

[J'qel]

I believe the term "social class" was used merely for convenience sake and the familiarity with the term-much like we talk about "race" when the appropriate term should be "ethnicity".

 

[Freedomfighter]

Which social class do you belong to? Which did you grow up in? Which class does your sufferer belo...

I have lived in many different classes, grew up in Europe as a part of the poor population, not much money, but enough food and a roof over my head. Then I lived in a middle class environment in the U.S. with an abuser that I have now escaped from.
I am now living in a lower financial class, but I am learning how to give myself everything I need without having to spend a lot of money. And that is a lot of fun and it is enlightening too.

Want to go into a living situation where there is no such thing as a certain class or kaste like in India.

 

[EmmaOwl]

I am learning how to give myself everything I need without having to spend a lot of money. And that is a lot of fun and it is enlightening too.

This is probably what I miss most about my pre-breakdown life. So settled and content and satisfied with myself, even if I couldn't fit more than 2 people in my apartment at the same time :)

 

[Never_falter2]

I remember that "Could you survive in wealth?", "could you survive poor?". We did that in my school. That is Ruby Payne, isn't it?

I am not sure if I agree with it. I think it was a bit stereotypical. She made it look like all poor people drink hard and know how to physically fight, all middle class people only wear brand name clothing and so on.

I think it might also been an American thing. In my country middle class people do prefer clothing with nay small brand logos or tailormade clothing if they can afford it. Big logos typically scream "the person is poor".
OTOH Payne sees being able to speak different languages as a upperclass thing while in my country nearly everybody speaks at least one or often two foreign languages.

She also had a thing about living with a spouse who grew up poor/middle class/old money. I do not understand why she thinks the things people do are more about the grew up than how they are living now.
To give an example there was a bit about a person having a spouse who spend $ 1 million on an unique piece of art... and she made it look like that was normal for a person who grew up old money. I do not understand this, I would think it was more about how much money a person has now. If my husband earned $ 1000 a month and bought this unique piece of art I would smack it right around his ears. If he made $ 5 million every month on the other hand I would think it was a good purchase.

 

[Never_falter2]

@Recovery4Me: I am not a student of Social class and used the term for convenience sake.

But I am not sure if PTSD is really the "great equalizer". I mean peopl have other things in their lives going o apart from having PTSD. Do you feel that PTSD is the most important thing in your life?

 

[Nevermore]

@Never_falter there are many great equalisers in life! Death is a big one! Mental illness too. Social class doesn't distinguish who will suffer or the way they will suffer. Money can buy help, of course, but doesn't ensure healing.
My happiest days also were when I had very little money, as a couple of others have said. My life was simple and I kind of enjoyed the struggle in a weird way. That was pre PTSD.
I think I complained back then, but I'd swap those problems for the ones I have now any day!
PTSD is a great equaliser as it doesn't really matter how many things are going on in your life, it infiltrates everything. And you can't buy your way out of PTSD. Money really can't buy happiness!
I'm not sure you're really understanding how PTSD is for a person - Or any mental illness really.
Social class has nothing to do with it!

 

[J'qel]

You can't buy your way out-but you can:
1-afford needed medications
2-afford therapy
3-have somewhere to live
4-have food to eat
5-have clothing to wear that doesn't have people treat you like scum
6-have access to the internet and phone regularly
7-have the means to pay for activities
8-have stable finances (no stressing about bills)
9-afford a pet or support animal (and a living situation that allows for it)
..... Need I continue?

Social class isn't just looking in your wallet, it's a ton of things that many of us take for granted unless we have had to go without. I have been in situations where I couldn't afford meds. I have been homeless. I have been without transportation in a rural area. I have gone without food...etc.

It isn't "hey I have money! Go me!" It's about being able to afford essential services and live in a stable enough manner that you can focus on getting better. Many people with a variety of illnesses simply can't-and that impacts them every single day.

Heck, even being *from* a perceived poor area or social class can dictate how and whether you get proper treatment, because social perceptions and persecution of the poor is very much a thing. As was revealed above with the: "..all poor people drink a lot and know how to fight".

Social class permeates our existence as individuals, whether or not we actively realize it.