Poll How Many Of Your Have Made Your Family/friends Aware Of Your Issues/treatment?

[Freeme2013]

I didn't vote. Everyone I lived around growing up knew I had "issues" when your a kid and a teen it's hard to hide. I didn't have to tell anyone but I didn't like everyone knowing. Now in my adult life living away from those people, I don't choose to tell people. It's none of their business for one. And for two, I've had to give the "gist" of it so many times in trying to find help, (and going to court, and dealing with social workers) that people think there is something wrong with me because I show little to no emotion anymore when talking about it, except this weird thing where I start shaking like a chihuahua. It's not that it still doesn't bother the hell out of me, I still have VIVID flashbacks, but I taught myself to completely dissociate while talking about it, so I don't have to think about it.

 

[Cool Cat]

@Freeme2013 yeah I wish I had put on a "none of these" option, would be interested in knowing.

 

[Changing4Best]

One of my family members is also PTSD, she was raped by 4 "friends" who had given her the date rape drug. She goes to therapy and a psychiatrist. We don't talk about our troubles that much, but we share notes sometimes. She is my niece. Her mother (my sister) and also my mother are/ were Bipolar, and of course I am PTSD. My niece and I both agree that my sister (her mother) was probably also traumatized by the same relative that molested me as a child. He was our father's father. However, my sister remembers nothing, whereas mine was uncovered in therapy, after years worth of sessions (finally!). My sister's therapist, I guess, was not as effective in getting to the roots of her struggles as mine was.

An interesting side note is that one of my cousins got a 14 year old girl pregnant and served prison time for it of course. He's on the same side of the family as my molester was, who was both of ours grandfather. So yes, I have discussed it with family and even told my parents about it too, once my therapist and I had discovered it. I believe that my father was aware of it and did nothing to stop it. On the other hand, when my mother found out about it, I believe it was she who put a stop to it. She protected me. My father, however, may have been a victim also of his father, (we do know that he was abused by him.

My best friend is PTSD, so we have discussed it too, but we don't do so now, as she got really tearful the last time she talked about it, so I don't bring it up anymore, nor does she. We try to focus on the present and looking ahead. We both go to therapy for it, that I know.

 

[Recovery4Me]

@SheilaKathy ...that was one heck of an honest share kid. :hug: You are getting fierce!

 

[joeylittle]

@Cool Cat, I added that category for you.

I have made a small handful aware that I have mental health problems, but I don't share about the trauma. I'm fine telling people I see a therapist, but would never go into seeing multiple clinicians. I'll mention my psychiatrist if someone else is talking about theirs.

 

[Ronin]

In no particular order - family & friends of specific times knew. It was greatly a community thing. It was things we did together, and the behind closed door didn't effect me with the same way of isolation until much later. And the worst of things, that's not people's business. At times I get into these moods of needing to just get it all out, then I sit and write, find how shallow and distant it sounds, get annoyed with it & go do something present. Closest I got to personal 'telling' was in art but then, that was easy to blame on 'inspiration', that was easily anonymized, 'out just for the message'.

People dear to me know, as I know the same about them. The rest, wind gives and takes.

 

[Friday]

People dear to me know, as I know the same about them. The rest, wind gives and takes.

I'm kinda in love with this phrase, Kaia.

Pure truth.

 

[chibmonster]

im open with my partner of course, but my family it is odd i guess they just ignore all bad things and smile and do nice things for everyone wile they get stabbed in the back by everyone. so trying to tell them was odd cuz it was a bad thing still do it cuz their family and they tell me all their bad things like im their personal therapist. i told the few friends i had they where fine and supportive. but the support is their when you tell people then friends start to go away. maybe that's just me.

 

[holdenmonty]

I don't really bring it up but if it comes up then I don't hide it mainly because even though I'm pretty open about it, it still takes a lot out of me to talk about it and I feel exhausted after.

 

[Lucycat]

I didn't really have a choice. I had a full blown nervous breakdown and my father went to jail. Neither was able to be kept a secret from friends and family - they were also being interviewed!!!

But I did keep it all from my work colleagues as my doctor was very careful in the wording of my sick notes.

 

[Ocean5]

Just recently started to be honest. Before that my childhood was a topic I always changed topic, or people understood not to bring it up. Guess you can say huge avoidance issues.