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Is What I Went Through Really Traumatic, Or Is It Just Me Being Overly-sensitive?

  • Post starter Post starter JohnJacobson
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J

JohnJacobson

Poor little rich kid. I struggle with those four words every day of my life.

I started smoking weed at age 16, because it helped me focus in school, and it helped with my anger towards the entire female race and my parents. Marijuana gave me, and still gives me, a reason to get up in the morning.

I never stole from my parents to get marijuana, nor was I in any way, shape, or form, a bad kid. There was no disobedience in my home growing up. My parents were strict, controlling, overbearing micromanagers, who wished to live in a drug-free home...well...a marijuana-free home...my dad's a psychiatrist, and swears by any thing man-made by a doctor, even if it makes me suffer unbearible side effects.

Like most kids, I got caught smoking weed by my parents, but they took it to a whole new level. I was grounded for a year and half, not allowed to see or speak to my marijuana-only using friends, was constantly told, "you put us through hell." It makes me sick to my stomach, just writing those words. Of course, I tried so hard to quit marijuana, but couldn't. I'm not good at anything else. I'm a guy, so the choice of friends I have are sports or gaming freaks, douchebags, fratboy bros (I don't drink), and I have co-ordination difficulties, so I can't play sports or most video games, without getting pathologically and hazardously frustrated. So...I smoke weed, and hang out with potheads...

What's the big f*cking deal? I'm a straight-a student, with a job, who's respectful to his parents, the only thing wrong, was that I smoked weed.

Well...if I didn't change my ways, I got constant threats that I would be kicked out of the house. My dad and brother drove me to two homeless shelters, and asked to book tours. The people at both places gave my dad a wierd look, and told them that wasn't possible.

My dad wants a drug free home, and by god he'll get one.

When I was able to lie my way into getting the least bit of freedom, I was subject to strip-searches and interrogations every night, when I got home. It made me feel less than human. I think this is a little over the top for weed, and this was when I came home on time, I wouldn't dare come a minute late.

Anyways, I eventually got caught, and kicked out of the house, in the middle of winter, with a cold.

Now this may not seem like a big deal, but I was 21 years old, and not allowed to ride my bike in the park after dark, so hopefully that gives you an idea of how sheltered I was, and how behind I was emotionally. My parents thought I was this rebellious infantile retard, and treated as such. What right did they have, after sheltering me, and shackling me up, to throw me to the wolves??

I had to move from my nice home, and warm comfy bed, to a hardwood floor, and I had to constantly worry, if I was going to have enough money to make it through the month. I did not want to have to come crawling back to them.

Anyways, things are going ok, and then BOOM! Around march, april 2009, the 2008 us recession begins to hit us, and then of course, hours are cut across the board, food prices go up, and I can no longer afford to sleep on a hardwood floor, in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city.

I eventually moved in with a random customer, I met at the grocery store where I worked.

This woman, bless her heart, only had good intentions, when she said I could live with her. She had an awful time of things, growing up. She was abused, raped (by both her father and stepfather), and has every disadvantage that a person could have in our society. She was also quite volotile, and used to scream at me, over the smallest things. She threw full on tantrums, and freaked out about everything. Coming from a stern, respectable, middle class home (an actual nuclear family), this was quite a distressing culture shock....but hey, at least I can smoke all the weed I want, right? It was the stress of living with this woman, that drove to start using harder drugs to cope with my anxiety. Now I didn't want to use hard drugs, it's just that I had to stuff my emotions down, so I could put food on the table, and save up for first and last month's rent, so I could get out of there. I lived there for 5 months, and it was hell. I became a heavy alcoholic, and that stopped working for me pretty quickly, so I graduated to amphetamines, MDMA, and my personal favourite, DXM.

I became good friends with another fellow, she had taken in years ago. This kid was kicked out for being gay. He had a very very very hard life. Anyways, I eventually moved in with him. I tried crack cocaine with him, and I inhaled, and I loved it! He dissappeared the next day, and I never saw him again...this was after I gave him the first and last month's rent that I had spent months saving up.

So here I was...out of a place again...I was finally able to move in with some friends, and had great run of things, until one of my roommates ends up in jail, and my other roommate and I can't afford the place on our own...so now, I'm out of a place...AGAIN...

It's funny, even with a crack addiction, I was still able to hold a job, and pay my rent...ON TIME...at the beginning of every month!

My last option was to ask my dad to borrow money for first and last month's rent. My dad would only lend me the money, if I decided to go through treatment. I said ok.

With my most honest, and forceful efforts, I was not able to stay sober for very long. I relapsed multiple times in treatment, all of which my parents don't know about.

My parents think that someone can just magically wave a wand and make their addiction stop, and it's that easy.

Well...after several years of harassment from my parents, 1.5 years of near-homelessness at the mercy of society, and 4 months of unneffective treatment, I'm pretty much tired and useless at this point.

I now rely on my parents for handouts, even though I was perfectly able to work, and support myself before.

After I left treatment, I was so sick, I couldn't even leave my room. I had severe anxiety, and I couldn't eat or sleep.

I started looking for tempwork, and with my great references, I quickly and easily got work. Just low-wage, general labour-type stuff. I met a friend at one of my jobs, who had constant access to MDMA, and I started doing that again, and I was finally able to feel human again.

I went from hating food, hating eating, to loving food, and loving to cook. I still suffer with terrible flashbacks and intrusive recall, but it's not as debilitating as it once was.

But every week or so, I'd get a phone call from my dad, threatening to cut me off, if I dared relapse.

I have been living a lie for two years, my parents have been supporting me, and I know that they'll cut me off, if they find out I've relapsed. Once I get on the hard drugs, it's hard to stop. Crack is a waste of money, but I still like DXM, speed, and MDMA, and weed. I take MDMA intravenously, because no medications work. I've jsut gotten a psychiatrist now, after 2 years of waiting, and...well...I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone here, how shitty the mental health system is...

Right now, I'm tired...so tired...and no one will validate me, or my trauma, and I'm wondering if what I went through was actually a trauma. Therapists won't give me a straight answer.

Maybe you guys can.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely,

J.J.
 
Dear J,

You were abused. You are not being oversensitive and it does not matter what financial background you come from, no body deserves to have to give up their personhood and body to anyone, not even their parents, in order to prove that they deserve to be respected and be provided the basic rights to have a roof over their head.
 
Hi JohnJacobson

I have removed your poll as you are only gathering opinions and there are very few here who are able to properly determine if you have suffered trauma and who would be able to based on the limited information provided. Based on your comment
Therapists won't give me a straight answer.
I feel you are seeking validation in numbers which is not beneficial if a therapist will not give you a straight answer, which is intriguing in itself.

Have you been diagnosed with PTSD? How old are you? Are you working and at University?
 
My brother has always smoked pot but I don't now how much. I think it reduces his anxiety. I hope the psychiatrist can get to the route of your anxiety and prescribe something to help you in the interim.

Your parents definitely crossed boundaries and I would consider what they did as abuse. Nobody has the right to strip search you and your dad should have been taking you to a therapist instead of homeless shelters. He should have known given his education that people use recreational drugs for several reasons. He should have explored the 'whys' instead of punishing you. I am sorry that you have not been supported by your family. You do not deserve this treatment.
 
I have not yet been diagnosed with ptsd, but I'm trying to get a diagnosis. I went to college (I wont say what program I was in, just in case my parents are reading), and I didn't like the program I was in. The doctor at the school was terrible, and I was too bogged down with work to see a therapist. I finally started having rage fits, and breaking down and crying, punching walls, and I had to stop going to school. I get angry over the smallest things!

I've gone to the emergency room at the psych hospital in my city, but I waited 6 hours, just for them to pat me on my head, and send me on my way.

I did 4 months at an unnamed residential treatment centre, before I moved to unnamed city. I was finally discharged because they said I was too high-risk, and they couldn't help me.

I'm now just started seeing a psychiatrist, but I've only had 3 sessions with him, and I missed the fourth one, because the trazodone made me sleep in.

It's really hard for me to keep appointments because I can't sleep, if I have an obligation the next morning, in fear that I will miss it. Because i have a very hard time getting out of bed.

I'm now gotten accepted to a trade school, but I need to go to the bank and get a loan, and I basically have to start my life right now, and I'm so tired. But I have to start, I need to be financially independent from my parents, so I don't have to have see them or speak to them, or have anything to do with them.

I can send them a video letter with me shooting up, smoking weed, and saying goodbye forever, with the quote: "virtue turns to vice, if misapplied, and vice turns to virtue, by actions dignified.

I know I have PTSD. I know enough about medicine, and I read enough medical literature, so I can prove and defend my case, on the day, where I have to fight to keep my roof over my head, because my parents found out I do drugs, and now they want to cut me off.
 
I worked for a while after I graduated from treatment, then I developed adrenal fatigue, from years of stress, then I had to stop for a couple months. Then I went to school in the fall of 2011, and stopped going to class fall of 2012, because i just hated it, and then officially dropped out winter of 2013.

...and the worst part of it is, I was only a pothead before this all started. now I'm stuck addicted to harder stuff, and I can't seem to live without them, or stay sober for more than a week or two.

I get so angry, when I go off them, that it's just easier to stay on them.
 
As human beings, regardless of what financial status we're born into, there is only so much shit we can take. I think that anyone in your shoes would find your situation to be traumatic. It sounds to me like your parents are trying to set you up for failure. They want you to be drug free, but the only support they offer you is financial? Forgive me for saying so, but that is f*cked up on so many levels. It hurts like hell when it feels like parents' love is conditional and then when they make us question the validity of that hurt, there aren't words to describe the level of pain from that inner conflict.

You deserve to be happy and healthy. We all do. I am rooting for you to get clean and be happy and successful. Not only because you deserve to, but also so you can feel the empowerment when they eat their own proverbial shit and you rise to the top without their "support".

Trazodone takes some getting used to, I had to cut my initial doses in half because I felt like a zombie the first week of taking it.

Hope you find the support and answers you're looking for on here.
 
Why do you hate the entire female race?

I don't think you're being overly sensitive. I urge you to seek treatment for your drug issues as drugs often just make trauma issues worse. I know you say you want to enroll in school and move on with your life; however I think you may need to do some healing before taking this step.
 
ScaredOfLoney I don't hate the entire female race. I did at one point. I'm now in a loving relationship with a wonderful girlfriend. I forgot to mention that in my post. I'm sorry.
 
I can't answer your thread question however, I wanted to comment on your parents. You said your dad was a psychiatrist. A couple of points to question here. Have you ever thought that perhaps he sees cases all day long, everyday of folks that start out smoking weed and then end up smoking crack with similar personality traits to yours? Do you think that scared the shit out of him? I mean when you have the knowledge of personality traits or having his background, my guess is you fear the worst because you see it on a daily basis. Now, I am not saying he handled things correctly, I don't know but I could possibly understand that given his extensive knowledge of human traits he would be frightened and perhaps try and bully you into abstinence. That is not an excuse for his behavior. However, now that you are able to reflect back to smoking pot at 16, it was the "gateway" drug, right? So your dads worst fear came true, right? Please know that as a parent I can relate to the fear your child is slipping away. That is an incredibly scary place to be and especially for someone who is trained to know what could happen.

Don't sell your dad short, but don't take any crap either. Get yourself clean because YOU want a better life then try and repair/rebuild your relationship. Clean and sober first, school next, relationship third????? Anything less and you sell yourself short because you deserve happiness and peace but YOU have to work for it.

One thing that rings true in life, JohnJ, is people see things from their own perspectives. You see your story from yours and I am sure your dad sees his from an entirely different perspective. Those perspectives are usually based on life experience and your dads life experience is drastically different than yours hence the reason for his reaction. I urge you to think about his conclusions for just a minute and the relevancy it has taken in your life. His attempts to guilt you into sobriety obviously didn't work but I am sure it came from a place of love and fear. Is that abuse? I don't know, but the sooner you make peace with it, the faster you hit the road to recovery instead of the road to poor choices. If you are using today, that is a poor choice and can ultimately lead to your death which is your dads worst fear. Vicious cycle, eh?

If your goal is to look for validation, I wonder if you need to rethink your recovery process. Are you looking for a reason as to why you use? "Because my dad kicked me out?" Is that really where you want to go? Wouldn't it be nice to shuck all of that bad mojo and just take responsibility for YOU and work solely on you? Using is your choice. If you are using, do you think your dad should give you money? Do you use his money to buy drugs? If he knew that and he cut you off, are you upset with him because you can't pay rent?

You are young and obviously smart. PLEASE, please go find someplace that can help you and commit to your sobriety. You don't want to live the rest of your life in turmoil. If what your dad did was abuse, don't you want to have a credible, respectful conversation with him one day about it? You will never get that unless you make yourself whole again. I will keep you in my prayers! I am sending peace, strength, and loads of hugs (if you accept) your way. Please don't take anything I have typed as being against you because I am not. I am FOR you but I hear the torment in your voice trying to figure out what role your dad played in putting you here. My message is this: whatever role that was/is simply cannot be a determining factor in where you go from here!! Don't let the past rule your future!! Stay safe and get in a program or check yourself in somewhere!
 
I'm terrified of losing my place. I'm doing everything I can to keep it. I'm asking for validation from strangers, because I'm scared of losing the place, and if I have written word from strangers, they might listen. They won't listen to me, but they'll listen to strangers, because they are very conscious of how others view them. Even if they don't believe others fully, it at least gets my foot in the door.

And I need help. I'm really f*cked up.

They're coming this weekend. I need to prove to them by april, that I'm not a drug addict, or I lose my place.

I spend all my free time looking for cases, studies, trying to get people on my side, anything that I could use to defend my home to my parents.

In terms of my sobriety, I have had very bad luck with medications. I've been trying for years to get a medical marijuana certificate, but the doctors I've seen have ALL been conservative and AGAINST it.

I've been on several differnt psychiatric medications, all with extreme, week-ruining side effects.
 
rumors, that's a really good insight you made about my dad, in the first paragraph. I lived with the guy for 21 years, I wasn't able to piece that together about him...wow...that's deep.

I honestly thought he was bored with his life, and just wanted to stew up drama. I sure as hell wasn't giving him anything else to worry about. He has a very good life. No one gives him any trouble. By being a good son, saying please and thankyou, and getting As, that made it OK in my books to smoke weed. Some people are bored, they need conflict in their life.

My parents have everything they want. But they don't drink or smoke or have any vices. They're human...there has to be something wrong, there's at least one thing wrong with everybody.

What you said makes a lot more sense, now that I look it. Because my dad doesn't seem like the type of person to give in to boredom. Mostly fear, because he's afraid of his own shadow. He is loving too. That's the problem. Just love motivated by fear.

I forgive him, I don't want to be mad at him. I love him. I just want to move on. The problem is that he doesn't feel that he did anything wrong, and simply will not apologize for any wrongdoing.
 
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