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Trials And Doctors.

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Cheshire

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Can hardly breathe right now, and my hands are shaking so much it's hard to type, but I'm hoping doing this will calm me down a little.

I've just had a call from the prosecutor on the trial related to my ex attacking me, and he's officially pleading not guilty to attempted murder. God, it scares me just to look at those words.

I had to talk to her about the events again, about him and his mental state, about our relationship, the circumstances around me leaving... everything. As I've said on here before, I remember every detail clearly, which is obviously going to be great for trial, but it's hideous for me personally.

Of course, the trial isn't going to focus on whether or not he attacked me - it's not a case of identity or anything like that. What it will be focusing on is his state of mind, whether he was a stable or unstable person, sane or insane at the time, capable of making the reasoned and rationed decision to kill me rather than acting on emotion and impulse. I know all of this, and understand it, but the prospect of having to sit there and talk about his state of mind and how he was in the weeks leading up to the attack, and even before that, talking about his mental state in our relationship, and.. agh. Everything. It just terrifies me.

I also don't want to be blamed for making him that way. I know logically I didn't make him that way - he never had the full deck of cards, so to speak, but.. of course the defence counsel is going to try to make me look like a bad person, make it seem that I provoked him or that it's my fault he was depressed, etc. What scares me the most about that is that although he was already depressed - in my opinion, not diagnosed that way - I feel guilty about the fact that I did make him that upset and angry, I left him. I hurt him. I don't want to have to feel that guilt again because I've only just found my way to living with that guilt and not having it overwhelm me every day.

Agh, what a mess. Sorry for the word overload, I understand if a lot of you can't read this. Now I just need to figure out how to calm down, and also how to brace myself for the next few months as I have to speak to the prosecution counsel and doctors and specialists and psychiatrists and get ready for trial. God, it never ends. I just want this over so I can start moving on. I've been feeling like I've made such good progress, joining the forum, making an appointment with a psychiatrist, trying to focus on art and reading - it all seems so trivial now.
 
And of course, here are the nightmares, and the panic attacks on waking up again. I hate waking up this way. I hate waking up shaking and crying with my heart pounding and my fingernails clenched in my palms so hard I'm bleeding. I'm so effing tired but I'm too scared to sleep again.
 
I'm here Cheshire, I'm here and listening. Court is a horrible experience to go through no matter who you are. I'm so sorry you're having to relive all of that again just for the sake of justice. Just remember, no matter what the outcome of the trial it doesn't change your experience or your feelings and the need for healing. If you ever just need to get something off your chest you're welcome to message me anytime.
 
I am so sad you are in this. I had similar experience and the pain was-

Stay in your safe place. It's something that is not in your control at this time. Be very gentle with yourself! Do you have a trusted therapist and support??
 
Cheshire,

I am sorry. :( Panic attacks are the worst part of PTSD in my opinion. The fact that you are standing up and going to trial against your ex for what he did speaks volumes. You are a strong chic. The defense is exactly that....his defense. You already know they aren't there to help you. But you will have people on your side.

No matter how angry you made him or how upset....You did not deserve to be attacked. He was wrong. He is unstable. And look how much pain he caused you after. I am proud to hear you are going to court and standing up for yourself. It is something a lot of us on here wish we could have done.
 
You definatley have alot of strength, even if you don't feel that way right now. Leaving is one of the hardest things to do. I have a similar story. If I could do it over agian, I would have found people who supported me to go to court with me. Maybe a domestic violence advocate, if one is available to you. I found going over my part, asking myself questions that they may ask me, making sure every scrap of evidence I had was in order, and using the survival skill of "detachment" as I did those things, helped to mentally prepare me for court. I have to say you are on the right track making the appointment, who knows maybe they will give you something to help reduce your anxiety. I'm on an SSRI and it really helped reduce some of the symptoms you described. My therapist says I worry about what could happen, and it hasen't even happened yet. I know it's hard, but try to bring yourself back to right now, today, this moment. Nothing has happened yet. I used to tell myself "It will work out the way it's supposed to, I just have to do my part" Oh, working out, blasting loud rock music, running, and occasionally calling a friend helped me too.
 
Thanks for your replies, they helped immensely.

Re: the being strong enough to go to court thing - it's not my strength that's taking me there, it's Australian law. For a matter as serious as attempted murder, it's not like I have a choice on whether to press charges or not; it's taken out of my hands the minute the police get there, basically, and it becomes a State matter. The government is now bringing the charges against him, I'm just the victim in the matter, and strangely, victims are the very last in the list of important people when it comes to trials like this.

That's not to say I wouldn't be going to court anyway - I definitely would. But I don't feel strong for that, simply because I have no choice either way. I have to do it.

Meanwhile, the panic has calmed and now I'm just sad and kind of lost. I can't seem to focus on anything.

! Do you have a trusted therapist and support??
I'm between therapists, I don't see my new one until next week and I feel weird about calling in advance and dumping this particular thing on them when they don't even know any of my story yet. I have my money and my partner to lean on, they're helping as much as they can.

Oh, working out, blasting loud rock music, running, and occasionally calling a friend helped me too.
Ha! <3 Time to turn on some angry, energetic music. Avenged Sevenfold and NIN, here I come.

I'm here Cheshire, I'm here and listening.
That's the best and most helpful thing anyone could have said.. thank you.
 
This whole sad, lost, can't focus thing is still going on. I've felt totally vacant for the past couple of days and just now I had to go out to the shops to buy food and it's put me right back into extreme panic. Can't breathe, feeling so frantic and... grr can't even think of the word. Ready to snap. Completely on edge, muscles all tense. I know there's a term for this, it's just left my brain >.< Dammit.
 
(((Cheshire))), breathe my friend, slow it all down. We are all here to support you, you are not alone.

Ground yourself, feel how you are sitting or lying, feel how your body is connected to the chair. Close your eyes and think hard about your safe place and breathe. Look around you, find 5 things either a particular colour or pictures and look at them carefully, think what they are about.

You are safe, you are not alone.
Linking arms
KP
 
Thank you KP, that helped so much.. I couldn't close my eyes at all, the minute I do all I can see is blood. Horrible. I did focus on colours though, I picked green and walked around every room in my house to count every green thing I could find. I feel more calm again now. Think I'll make myself a pot of tea, cut a slice of cake and curl up with a book for a while now.

(((KP))) thank you so, so much <3
 
Cheshire - Sendings HUGS LOTS AND LOTS OF HUGS! So sorry you have to go through this. Nothing worse than defense attorneys blaming the victim UGH!! How they can live with themselves I will never know.

Thinking of you. Heather
 
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