Beyond PTSD Introductions - Who Are You?

[Seychelle]

Hi. I'm in my mid-thirties and I live with my OH (who also has PTSD) and our fuzzy cat, who is curled up on the couch with me as I'm writing this. I love sunny bright days and my favourite vacation escape is the beach. I'm trying to resist making this sound like a cheesy personal ad, lol (I nearly typed 'I like long walks on the beach').

On good days, I like to go to quiet cafes and drink coffee and watch the world go by, or read a trashy magazine. I spend a lot of time online and can cheerfully say I'm a bit of an internet addict.

 

[vietnam2nd]

i am a fifvety nine year old male born in milbank south dakota. i know live in urbandale iowa. i recoved from alcholism and him now sober seventy years. that when i started having problems and i finally got diagnose with ptsd i was told i used alchol to cover it up. i hate the fourth of july because firecrakers and fireworks make me jump as it sounds like gunfire and than i am back in vietnam. i am a 60 percent disabled vetern. i him fighting for 100 percent. i use to love people know i tend to isolate from people and have a terrible anger problem.

 

[Mina]

I'm Mina, and I live in Colorado. I just remarried in November; my husband is an attorney turned police officer, so our household is a little different...lots of dinner conversations that most people would be appalled at. We both have a very dark sense of humor. Two years ago I was in the academy to become a cop myself, but resigned to take care of my sister (who is my best friend) when she was randomly attacked very brutally and nearly murdered. She is doing great now, and I am glad for the time I did have with the PD because I understand my husband's job pretty well. I hope to someday graduate from a police academy because I do regret that I was unable to finish, but there was no way I would *not* take care of my sister, especially when she wouldn't let anybody else. I currently work in construction admin, and recently changed from electrical contracting to plumbing/mechanical/sheet metal...I love construction.

Before the dogbite and PTSD, I enjoyed running, skiing, Pilates, shooting, cooking/baking, and costuming. I am working on getting back to those :smile: In the meantime, I am looking forward to a local renaissance festival coming up in a few weeks so I can dress up and put on my accent and pretend to be somebody else for a few days. I'm generally afraid of dogs, partly because of the bite, but would like to overcome that fear (ever harder because I'm allergic to most of them). I'm a Christian and just started going to church again. I like classical music and hard rock, taking care of my rose bushes, eating pineapple, and reading romance novels set in regency-period England.

 

[gentlelady]

I am a 44 yr old female living in a rural community in Montana. I teach music in the public school system. I was married for 22 years before I finally escaped 4 years ago. I have 4 beautiful children. Two are in college and two still in high school. I isolate as much as i possibly can, which is sometimes difficult since I work with children and have active children myself. I wish I had never remembered :(

 

[bubba0928]

PTSD sufferer trying to deal with everything

My name is Jeff and I live in Upstate, NY. I was a police officer for 13 years from 1993 thru 2006. I was involved in many suicides and other graphic deaths. I have been unable to get these bad experiences out of my head. I was just approved for SSDI and will receive benefits starting in October. I am 38 years old and I have 3 children ages 14, 12 and 11 months. My youngest is with my Girlfriend. I left my wife in 2005 and I am still working on a divorce as she is not willing to work with me. I have been hospitilized in 5 different crisis centers. My last stay we used Cognitive Therapy which I really liked. I am signed up for a Cognitive Therapy session which lasts 12 weeks and start on August 6th. I have custody of my 2 older children yet my ex continues to file rediculous petitions against me in an attempt to get custody of the boys. She is an unfit mother and has 3 indicated CPS reports against her for injuring our children. I have a very hard time with anxiety and depression. I have not used any benzos in 2 months. I have had my medications cut in half in the last 2 months. I will see my new psychiatrist on August 14th. I also have serious back problems I have a spinal stenosis and neropathy in my legs and damaged nerves in my legs and feet. I am also diabetic and have problems with my heart racing. I am trying to overcome these issues because I want to be around for my children. Well I am new here and would love to have anyone interested reply to me to chat. I hope to get some support from everyone possible. Thanks for reading my post and god bless...

 

[rallynut78]

I am an OIF vet. while over there i was on a gun truck crew doing convoy security. i saw a lot of IED attacks but was fortunate enough to not get hit by any.

Now I do convoys of a different sort. In my jeep. I love to see what my wrangler will crawl over and spend as much time and gas as i can afford exploring the hills near my house. The Jeep is the true sports car for Arizona.

I also enjoy rally racing (hence the screen name) actually the jeep was bought because maintaining a rally car is big $$$$$ and i still have to get my butt through school. some day i will race on the club circuit though. until then I'll have to settle for watching the world rally championship on tv.

I'm married to an amazing woman who supports me through this difficult time. she is the best thing that ever happened to me.

I work with seriously mentally ill adults teaching them skills so the will have more success living independently. I love this work I am switching my major to Psycology/human services from computers. I was working and doing school full time until the stress made the PTSD unmanageable.

 

[Annie]

I like this thread the best I think.

Hi, I am a 40 year old mother of 2. My son is 12 and my daughter 8. I live in Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Like a few of you, I too was in Air Cadets, but due to vision issues am not allowed to pilot.
I have worked for the federal gov't in the IT field for the past 11 years or so. Prior to that, I worked in retail from the time I was 19.
I have lived in several cities throughout the province and settled here (from Toronto) after the birth of my son. I left Ottawa at 18 hoping to never return, as I really don't like the culture of this city. That being said, it grows on you like a bad fungus.
I come from a very strange family, and by strange I am referring to the org chart one must follow in order to understand all the full / half /step siblings as well as the multitude of marriages that my mother and father have both had.
I was pretty much raised as an only child, although I did have a brother who was bounced back and forth a lot. It was easier to say I was a loner than have to explain his existence. :rolleyes: Funny, now that he is dead I kinda wish I had admitted I had a brother. Hind sight is 20/20 now isn't it?!
I am fully bilingual (English/French). I have a Great Dane and 2 cats.
I have a psychic whom i visit twice a year, who is accurate most of the time. I am a spendaholic and am learning to budget and be fiscally responsible.
I think that about sums it up for me, for now...

And oh yeah, my real name is Elizabeth, but ssshhhh, don't tell anyone.

I don't even know an Annie
:smile:

 

[shiraz]

who is Shiraz?

I am 37 years old and a student. I live with my fiance in South Africa, he is supporting me so that I can study further. My background is in education and media - I am a producer and video editor, also do graphic design. I am studying to enter the educational psychology field as I love to work with children and have a natural instinct as to how to help them.

I have PTSD, diagnosed a year ago, but have probably had it since I was a child. My father abused me, my mother was a collaborator... I am waiting for my memories to return - they are doing so slowly.

I enjoy being creative and tend to keep to myself a lot. My fiance is an amazing, supportive man and together we are trying to understand just how to live with PTSD, we are finding it to be very disruptive so far and don't have enough handles on how to deal with it yet.

I want to be a mother. I love caring for people and being a homemaker. I am sincere and kind and want to live a simple uncluttered life in which I learn to heal and make a difference in the lives of my man and as many children as I possible.

 

[blue_eyed_angel]

Hi..

I am a 22 year old female from the Midwest, USA. I am a carer for an OIF Veteran. I work full time in a Long Term Care facility and go to full time night classes working on my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Sociology, and Criminology. Eventually I hope to get my doctorate degree in Psychology. I want to specialize in PTSD and help war veterans.

I am a very independent young woman!! I do not and will not rely on others to support me through life. (i.e. financially) I feel if I rely on others then I have let myself down.

I question people's motives and intentions with me. I don't trust others easily.

I am a very quiet person until you get to know me.

I love meeting new people.

I am a very outspoken person! I don't believe everything that I am told either. If I believe stronly in something it doesn't bother me to let everyone know my opinion. Even if this means it makes someone mad.

I am a very loyal and trustworthy person.

I love the outdoors! I love photography, painting, reading, and learning.

I believe that failure is "NOT" an option!!! Or at least for me it's not.

Working for me is not an option. I love working and feeling like I make a contribution to society.


And in a nutshell that's me... :smile:

 

[Troy]

My name is troy. I am a Golf war veteran. I lived ten years with chronic pain and migraines and other maladys, to include depression. It took me a lot of years to admit to myself that I had guld war syndrome to include depression to because. And now i am coming to a slow realization that I may have PTSD. I avoided looking it up for years now it has spilled out into my life. I keep it close to the vest for years now its out. People look at me different. My depression is trying to return. I exercise but things are hard now.

 

[Sona]

Who am I?
Wow that is actually a tough question right now
I have been feeling so void of a personality for such a long time
I had to think hard about it.
Because up until this minute I have let my PTSD define who I am.

here goes
I am a wife and mother of 5, Mine, His and Ours.
4 are grown 1 still at home
I do not work I am on disability for many reasons.
I am an artist, I work in oils and acrylics
I am also a computer CG artist.
I am a doll maker, all mediums but I love porcelain
and cloth 'play with me' dolls for little girls.
I also work in ceramic clay.
(I would love to feel well enough to go back into the studio
and create something)
My husband built me a really nice studio a few years back.

I live out in the country in rural Georgia USA
I am originally from the Chicago area, but have lived many places
both coasts and lots of big cities.
I really love living out in the country.
Kids, Dogs, Cats and even a 17 year old goose and some fish.
Now that's the way to go as far as I'm concerned.
Next year I want to have some chickens again they are fun
and those fresh eggs can' t be beat, but the pen needs work.

I have a big flower garden, I planted it before I got so sick.
My husband spends a lot of time trying to keep it alive for me.
I have been so apathetic about it lately,
but am trying to kick myself into gear.
My husband likes to grow the vegetables and I grow the perennials.

Den (my husband) broke his wrist last week and is wearing a miserable
cast from fingers to shoulder. He is not a happy camper right now.
He broke it trying to fix a pump down at the creek which waters the garden.
We are in a major drought and he is very resourceful
He slipped in some mud and fell and landed on his left wrist.
No income coming in except my SSI for at least the next 6 weeks.
Geez I don't want to think about that.
I'm trying to take that 1 day and 1 bill at a time.
This will prolly take what little savings we have down to nothing.
But hey, we have plenty of vegetables and fresh watermelon
and cantalope.

So I guess I better stop before I write another book.
Sona

 

[mikeyo]

male 47, 3 children 20 the 20 year old stayed 2 weeks and said i had it and went back to new york now she works her ass off and goes to school . the others are 17, 16, born in brooklyn .ny. moved to n.c becuse i could not take the flash backs and the hallucinations my family really does not like it here but i am lucky that they understood and made the move . I enjoy the outdoors, motorcycle riding ,fishing , music, i am a old punker .But as we all know the things we enjoy we really cant enjoy or just dont do them anymore . In my case i rode 12000 miles per year in the last 2 years i have rode 3000 miles . I would fish everyday of the season in new youk on foot .Purchased a bass boat when i moved here 14 months ago i went out maybe 10 times sorry i am ranting but it feels good thanks .............................Mikeyo