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When you freeze up at going into a new store, but tell yourself it will be okay, it will only be a few minutes of your day, and you do it anyway. When you have horrible startle response and hypervigilance and the last thing you want to do is sleep, but you can tell yourself it will be better...

The thing is they DON'T want the disorder, nor would they know what to do if they had it. They want to be validated in their pain, they want to be able to say "no, this was so bad that I have PTSD". It's a function of misunderstanding of mental illness on a societal level and the diagnosis...

Yes and no. There are no legal standards, there are no registries, ect. There are accreditation bodies, which oversee programs. Programs who train dogs who have accreditation such as Assistance Dogs International are going to overall be much higher quality programs. There are also...

I think it's pretty normal when one finds something new that resonates with them to go through a bit of frenzy. It happens with new hobbies people really like, sometimes even with new foods or new discoveries in clothing, self expression, etc. In the case of something like this site you're also...

One of my semesters I took a full load of classes at the Masters program level along with working on campus 20 hours a week and off campus with an almost hour commute 30 hours a week. It's doable. The problem is it's taken me about three years to recover from that and I'm not currently working...

I had so much trouble going for my run today- there were a lot of people on the trail or at least it felt like it. I just keep bright colored headphones in even if they aren't hooked to anything and avoid eye contact. This morning I had to remind myself that those people will hardly notice me...

I have laid out broad topics that aren't acceptable to me as guidelines in the past for my friend group. The difference for me was within my home, what I say goes. In my home there are certain things like rape jokes, disparagement of other groups, particularly mean spirited gossip, etc that will...

I don't know how good the item's condition is, and you did say it was personalized but here's a stab at an idea that might help you think outside the box so to speak: I had a couple of stuffed animals in that box in the closet for a while. One was given to me by my ex before things got bad, the...

When I finally got out of one of my abusive relationships I had some things I couldn't bear to see. Some I got rid of eventually but I just wasn't ready right then. Some had some good to them too but I couldn't compartmentalize it yet. I put all of it in a cardboard box, clearly marked and kept...

Maybe examine why exactly you feel a loss over this and what steps you might be able to take toward filling that need that are healthy? There's a lot of social pressure around sex, especially for women. Have it and we're sluts, don't and we're frigid. If you can get rid of all that babble and...

@sun seeker That makes so much sense. I hadn't thought of it quite like that, at least not on a bigger picture level. That probably is a lot of it, and knowing that might help me be a little more compassionate with myself. I've been meeting with people almost every day for lunch or coffee for...

This. This is basically all I can do. It's just really hard without the proof, since many of these experiences are completely new to me.

I've been trying to learn this skill. It's so hard, isn't it? But it's been helping a lot with small things. Which honestly is part of the reason for the larger improvements- I've been able to be more social, I've been taking chances and putting myself out there and asking for help. And then I...

So, I'm looking for anybody who has advice on how to manage anxiety spikes due to improvement. In my case, I have several things that are happening (job and friendship wise as well as with the ongoing service dog journey) that will make things better for me. But even good change is still...

Right, because that's appropriate helpful, or even some what accurate.... and in a 4 month old thread. Some therapists are awful. Sometimes we just aren't seeing ones who are skilled in what it is we need (trauma IS a specialization after all), and yes depending on where you live the cost can be...

Typically, away from anything I can fall on/down (stairs are not my friend) I try for a bed or a couch so I can sort of curl up and hopefully not hit anything and not be too freaked out when I come back (which I would be if I just laid down on the floor). If I have time and can find a blanket or...

Yes, for sure. I understand WHY all of his stuff is there, but when I'm completely out of it is not the time for me to be trying to juggle his reactions based in his own history. It depends- when it's really bad I can't do much as far as movement or communication. But the movement comes back...

@Whispering_Truth It does make sense. I think I'd need a whole set of signals though, because what I need when I'm like that can vary a lot based on exactly where in my brain I'm stuck. Normally I'm at least semi aware though, so that helps. I retreat but it's not like with the flashbacks and...

So I have been having this some, but last night it became very problematic and I thought I'd see if anyone had any advice. When I'm super stressed or overwhelmed, particularly after too much time around people or especially after conflict I will shut down. It's basically dissociation, I can...

I've started to go to meetings partly for the community sense and the group I've found at least is very non-judgmental. It's a meeting that's open to any type of 12 step recovery. I'm open about the fact that I have PTSD and that I'm there for support and community but that I'm not strictly a 12...

This. Even if I'm willing to admit how much I need help, often I don't know. I was on opiates for a while for a specific issue. They barely touched that particular pain but I was in awe of how all of a sudden my everything else didn't hurt. Same thing with a muscle relaxer for a tmj issue - you...

That's a classic red flag of an abuse cycle. Sometimes the problem solves itself (meaning the leech leaves) as soon as you set a boundary and make yourself a less appealing target. If nothing else, it might be a step in the right direction for you feeling as though you have choices you can make.

Perhaps just give him the choice. Lay it out for him and set the boundary. "you have not been contributing, you have been living off of me without being employed and you have been insulting me when I am trying to improve myself. If you cannot find a way to contribute and if you cannot show me...

I fidget with fingers, hair ties, salaries or the loose ends of jackets. I also twist my hair around my finger, mostly on the left side. They're all nervous tics for me. I also find myself moving my feet really quickly without noticing and find rocking chairs calming for the same reason. I...

I by no means speak for @FridayJones, and only was pointing out what felt the alternate intention might be, if not clouded by emotional processing/what I saw in the exchange. If you have questions you might still want to ask- I think a lot of people around here get that sometimes we all need a...