Recent content by Litha

My trauma happened about 2 weeks ago (scary confrontation with a mentally ill family member). I'm in therapy and I've been able to work... sort of. I've missed 3 days total and have sat and stared at my computer for 2. In between those days, some days I've been more productive than others. I am...

@Veevivianvee , I can totally relate to all of your emotions and panic. My sweetie has horrible PTSD from childhood abuse and periodically shuts down for up to two weeks. This last time, she sent me a heart emoji every couple days, which eased my panic a bit. What has really eased my panic...

I've had lots of therapy in the past for depression/bipolar II, but I think a lot of my affective instability is actually due to CPTSD-- I dissociate through splitting in my intimate relationships, have amnesia for large chunks of my life, and have what sounds like structural dissociation with a...

My sweetie experienced several abuse growing up and suffers from PTSD and dissociation. When we have a disagreement and I speak with a firm tone, she "checks out" and drops all contact with me for about two weeks. It's happened before and used to really upset me, but once I read more about her...

Our therapist always asks us to start with what's been going on with us that week. That's why I brought it up in therapy. I'm fine with her going to see her friend now that I understand that birthdays aren't a big deal for her and that's the best week for her time off. But before my rational...

I'm traveling overseas for work for a few weeks and my SO planned a weeklong trip to her friend's the week I get back, which also happens to be her birthday week, so I was feeling hurt, you know, like, don't you want to spend time with me after I'm gone for a while? You don't want to spend your...

I'm looking for a deeper understanding of how PTSD might be influencing my gf's current behavior. She's a survivor of severe childhood/teen abuse and we're both in therapy, individually and as a couple. We've been together 2 1/2 years and don't live together yet. We've come a long way and I...

He died before Christmas. I haven't seen her since. We text, talk a little bit, but I haven't seen her to hold her (It was her father; she's taking it very badly), bring her food, or even give her her Christmas presents. I'm not mad. Just a little lonely. We were about to start couples...

Hi @Adm13 . I'm going through the same thing. Our relationship seems really fraught right now and we probably won't get into couples therapy (which thankfully she has agreed to do) until January. Every time she isolates (we don't live together, so her form of isolation is no contact for up to a...

She contacted a couples therapist and we agreed on how much each of us could pay. This is good news! She also told me she was in a funk that night, because of her mom... This has happened before. My partner gets really weird and sensitive with me and then I find out later her drunk abusive mom...

We haven't had a lot of contact this past week and it feels good actually. Some time to cool off for both of us. I've really spent a lot of time just listening to myself and getting clear on what my needs are. I've been co-dependent for a long time, in this relationship and the 9-year one that...

@Sweetpea76 , thank you for your comments. One of the problems is this-- she doesn't lash out, she doesn't call me names. Most of the time, she says, "Can we talk about something? I feel like you were really passive aggressive when you said..." Or, "it seemed like you were laughing at me. That...

I see now, looking back at my posts, that I posted in July, in October, and now, around Thanksgiving, and things have taken a turn for the worse again. The cycle continues. Accusations that I am being passive aggressive. Accusations that I am laughing at her and then an impression of me...

I'm so close to breaking up with my partner. I'm so tired from stepping on her landmines all the times. She gets triggered. I feel badly when I trigger her. I'm exhausted from trying to avoid the landmines. So exhausted. I asked her to consider couples therapy a few days ago. I haven't heard...

Thanks everyone. I think we're going to do some NVC. It was suggested to us last year and we took an online class, but I think some in person practice would be nice. I also appreciated being reminded that how I talk to myself in these situations is really important. My partner has never called...