My boyfriend of almost 2 years has PTSD and I have seen to different degrees when he is triggered when:
1. When talking and the phone just hangs up and he calls back (thinking he had to get himself together)
2. Seen him just look disconnected and look confused about his surroundings
3. He has told me that he loses time and just drives and figures out that he just ended up somewhere else
4. Ask him a question and get rambling sometime
5. Have him change plans at the last minute, because he just needed to be by himself
6. Told me he has made his friends and family mad because he forgets
7. Told me he sometimes feel numb and know feelings for his kids and family
8. He has guilt about being here and his friends are not
9. Laying with me and then he said I just had a dark thought
10. Losing things more frequently
11. He called me and said he checked himself into the VA (late July). And told me he did not have a lot of access to his phone
12. Anxiety has gotten worse the last 2 months.
So after reading all of the sufferers comments about trust...I feel like he has some in me to share this...fast forward
He recently has been triggered terribly (a build up if U will over a lot of life issues happening), two important projects that may require legal action (he feels like he is being bullied (which I think he is) , he just had a Birthday (did not want to celebrate), mother passed a couple of months ago, and he has been traveling like crazy. He definitely admits and keeps busy to distract his mind!! I witnessed an episode at the end of July where the pressure in his head was so great, he started hitting his head and then he threw up. So I sat with him until he felt better, and he would come and cuddle and just kind of jump while he tried to sleep. Sad he said this happens from time to time and last like 5 to 6 hours. We had a disagreement a week later and he blew up and he told me needed to go into combat mode and disconnect because he has to not let emotions effect his missions (that was early August). He said he is feeling numb and needs to be like this. I asked what does he want me to do...he said he cannot deal with the relationship right now and needs space and I said I believe he knows what he needs to do to get better and I said I would let him have space. But after reading this thread, I am realizing that he has maintained contact with me. He texts small messages, sends emojis, and makes brief calls to me (and a couple of times the phone just hung up or he gets off the phone abruptly). I think he gets panicky. I tried to remember to match his text messages with what he sends. They are short and without questions. Just saying I am thinking of him. I learned from the sufferers on this forum that when he sends me one word texts or messages with strange spelling and choppy that that may be all That he can muster up and process. Anywho....I feel like he is slowly coming out of isolation because he is calling and talking a little more (but being vague now and saying he will have to tell me some things later). Still short conversations. Is it normal to slowly amp up conversation after coming out of isolation? And if so, why? Also, I think he needs to feel like I am safe again (not really sure why...but I think this was the first time we had a disagreement that was time around his stress cup being full). Am I interpreting this correctly and doing the right things by not making much contact and letting him come to me slowly? I have not asked him any questions other than how he feels and if he is sleeping. And he in turns asks how I am doing and how my kids are doing?
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1. When talking and the phone just hangs up and he calls back (thinking he had to get himself together)
2. Seen him just look disconnected and look confused about his surroundings
3. He has told me that he loses time and just drives and figures out that he just ended up somewhere else
4. Ask him a question and get rambling sometime
5. Have him change plans at the last minute, because he just needed to be by himself
6. Told me he has made his friends and family mad because he forgets
7. Told me he sometimes feel numb and know feelings for his kids and family
8. He has guilt about being here and his friends are not
9. Laying with me and then he said I just had a dark thought
10. Losing things more frequently
11. He called me and said he checked himself into the VA (late July). And told me he did not have a lot of access to his phone
12. Anxiety has gotten worse the last 2 months.
So after reading all of the sufferers comments about trust...I feel like he has some in me to share this...fast forward
He recently has been triggered terribly (a build up if U will over a lot of life issues happening), two important projects that may require legal action (he feels like he is being bullied (which I think he is) , he just had a Birthday (did not want to celebrate), mother passed a couple of months ago, and he has been traveling like crazy. He definitely admits and keeps busy to distract his mind!! I witnessed an episode at the end of July where the pressure in his head was so great, he started hitting his head and then he threw up. So I sat with him until he felt better, and he would come and cuddle and just kind of jump while he tried to sleep. Sad he said this happens from time to time and last like 5 to 6 hours. We had a disagreement a week later and he blew up and he told me needed to go into combat mode and disconnect because he has to not let emotions effect his missions (that was early August). He said he is feeling numb and needs to be like this. I asked what does he want me to do...he said he cannot deal with the relationship right now and needs space and I said I believe he knows what he needs to do to get better and I said I would let him have space. But after reading this thread, I am realizing that he has maintained contact with me. He texts small messages, sends emojis, and makes brief calls to me (and a couple of times the phone just hung up or he gets off the phone abruptly). I think he gets panicky. I tried to remember to match his text messages with what he sends. They are short and without questions. Just saying I am thinking of him. I learned from the sufferers on this forum that when he sends me one word texts or messages with strange spelling and choppy that that may be all That he can muster up and process. Anywho....I feel like he is slowly coming out of isolation because he is calling and talking a little more (but being vague now and saying he will have to tell me some things later). Still short conversations. Is it normal to slowly amp up conversation after coming out of isolation? And if so, why? Also, I think he needs to feel like I am safe again (not really sure why...but I think this was the first time we had a disagreement that was time around his stress cup being full). Am I interpreting this correctly and doing the right things by not making much contact and letting him come to me slowly? I have not asked him any questions other than how he feels and if he is sleeping. And he in turns asks how I am doing and how my kids are doing?
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