I Want To Be Normal!

[Lekup]

Normal doesn't exist, but I wonder if anyone with PTSD ever gets back quality of life? Responses from sufferrers is appreciated.

 

[Oso]

My husbands quality of life is so much better than what it was a year ago.

So in answer to your question, yes it does get better, but it takes time and effort.

 

[Humuwi]

I wonder if anyone with PTSD ever gets back quality of life?

Absolutely, definitely:)

I'm a sufferer, and my quality of life is significantly better than it was a few years ago.

It's always a work in progress. It's a constant effort, because if you become complacent, PTSD can sneak back up on you. I totally agree with Oso

it takes time and effort.

 

[Anu]

I use to say I want to feel normal, then it occurred to me...this is normal for me. So now I want to feel different, preferably better.

 

[Cotuj]

I'm not normal, but I also don't think 'normal' exists either. It's a relative term. I have met people who had the most seemingly healthy happy normal upbringings, normal vanilla everything. FAR FROM NORMAL. They were just as messed up as me but in other ways. I mean it sucks, and sometimes I wish I could function better - but truthfully that's foreign to me. I don't even know what that kind of 'normal' is or if I would even like it now. I also find sometimes people I view as 'normal' I also find them kind of boring. I know I am never ever boring because I am nuts! hahaha.

 

[Iseni]

sure "normal doesn't exist"- but ABNORMAL sure as f(iretr)uck does!

 

[Tecuvet]

I think 'normal' for each of us, is probably as simple as not having to experience the issues we are currently dealing with (whatever they may be). To have things feel as though they are not a struggle any more, to be able to smile and laugh and not feel as though every passing hour is something you are enduring, rather than enjoying.

 

[Pihob]

Just because someone doesn't have PTSD, that doesn't mean their existence is 'normal'. They may have other issues, or health problems, or family problems, or employment problems, marriage difficulties, money worries etc, etc.

I do understand what you are saying about wanting to be 'normal', but how do we ever quantify 'normal'. Do we base 'normal' on local statistics? Global statistics?

I'm with Humpty Dumpty on this one - the word "normal" means whatever I want it to mean. It's not about quantity or statistics, it's about quality and that's always subjective.

One meaning for me would be to have the health, family, employment, marriage and money issues but without a baseline of constant and awful psychological struggle before I even start to try to deal with them. Or to have the really bad times occasionally, mixed in with lots of lighter and easier ones.

I get frustrated if people say there's no such thing as normal. If someone says they want to be happy, people don't tend to counter that by saying happiness can't be quantified. Happiness is relative and seen differently by each person, but that doesn't make people say there's no such thing. Why should normal be different?

 

[Tahor]

Normal is boring. Why would you want to be boring and normal? The funnest people are the ones who are crazy. Usually the most creative as well.

 

[Botamev]

I am the OP...

Apparently nobody read my qualifier on "normal", just the title of the thread!

And, some of you who answered are the same damn people I b!tched about, telling me normal doesn't exist, normal is boring, blah blah blah.

I specifically said that NORMAL is not being isolated from anyone and everyone because of your damn disorder. FUNNY, cuz Anthony even stickied a quote about how you can't heal in isolation, which is EXACTLY what I was referring to as not being NORMAL. (Yes, this was clearly stated in my post)

So the rest of you can go on isolating, per my definition of normal. I don't want to be alone anymore. (And please don't sit here and tell me that my view of normality is wrong. Cuz it's not. I think most of you just want to argue your personal notion of "normal" rather than what I defined normal to be to me, which was pretty much the d@mn point, that I don't want to have a stupid disorder that isolates me)

Ugh, fine, throw out the word "normal" and 99.9% of you would agree that you don't want a disorder that isolates you. Good god, that was the most round-a-bout point I've ever made!

 

[Wefan]

I am the OP...

Apparently nobody read my qualifier on "normal"... I specifically said that NORMAL is not being isolated from anyone and everyone because of your damn disorder...

Ugh, fine, throw out the word "normal" and 99.9% of you would agree that you don't want a disorder that isolates you. Good god, that was the most round-a-bout point I've ever made!

I read your first post. You said what normal was "To me". You didn't say you didn't want anyone else to say what normal was to them.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm genuinely confused about what you were hoping for by posting... ?