Beyond PTSD Introductions - Who Are You?

[LuckyStar]

LuckyStar

For now I will keep my name private because I am not the one who suffers and I have to respect his privacy.
I am 41 living in a small Alaskan town. We have 2 sons. We have been married 20 years.
I joined this site because I feel my husband suffers from PTSD. He has not been diagnosed, but he has many symptons and I know he has reasons.
He was face to face with a close friend as that friend died, and although there wasn't anything he could have done to change or prevent it he carries the guilt and shame for it happening just the same.
I held him from the beginning and I've heard his screams. His nightmares are vivid and he eventually turned to the bottle to get relief. Only I didn't see it. He could be so strong and he's never been abusive or lacked motivation to keep our business going.
He is involved in his kids lives and is a good friend to many, so I missed it.
It wasn't until medically he began to weaken that I saw what was right in front of me. He is now getting help for that, but I want him to seek help for PTSD too. It seems to me that to seek treatment for alcoholism without addressing the root eventually will lead to the same end.
At least find out if its there.
Reading the posts here have been more helpful than I could have imagined.
I have always been the strong one in my world. Growing up, friends, marriage, work...I was the one who could carry the burden, and I don't think I could ever hold a candle to the strength I've read on these pages. I know I am tough, I work in one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet.
But here there is true courage, true fortitude to continue on and I applaud you. I thank you.

 

[DLadi]

Hey,

My name is Darleena. I grew up in Massachusetts, married an AF man and traveled around the world for the next 21 years with our three boys. We divorced after I found the third wheel in the relationship. I now live in Florida and work for the AF as a Youth Center Programs Director. I love working with children and it's more special as my boys have grown up and are on their own now. I am back in college working on a degree in Business in an effort to better my life. I am a quilter and I'm the coordinator for a state wide community service project that presents quilts to the families of fallen military from FL. I am the carer of a man with PTSD from military trauma and we've been together about 8 months... on and off as he fights to control his episodes. I love my children, my bf, my work, his children, old movies, and my quilting project. In between all of that I get to mow the lawn and trim the bushes. ;~)

 

[Lion]

Hi everyone,
I picked my name as it's my sun sign. 47 years old in body, ageless in mind. Chosen career is working in commercial fishery in the North Pacific and Bering Sea but I've worked in Russia, the Faroes and Chile.

Get to see home for a few months at a time. I live in the Pacific Northwest, fell in love with this area and never left.
I'm always trying to find out more information on PTSD so I can get a better grasp on what is going on in my brain, so I'm here.

 

[Alicia]

this is me

good thread

Most times...

I am a confident woman.

I am an artist. I sketch, paint, emotions decorate my canvases.

I am compassionate and most of all empathetic.
I hurt TOO MUCH when others hurt (the narcissis in me) I want to make everyone better......... IMPOSSIBLE...but....being honest, I think I should try.

sometimes... I doubt myself...

I feel weak sometimes, helpless... Those are the worst... but most times... see above...

Alicia

 

[tude]

For some reason, I wanted to bring this thread forward. Aside from being consumed by my own recovery, or lack of, I haven't participated much on the forum because there are posts from peeps I don't know. Therefore, it's difficult for me to share and respond to their posts.

It is also a good reminder that we... and our lives... are so much more than we realize.

 

[crystal]

Hello

I am 41 been through high level domestic abuse - physical, sexual and emotional and have been diagnosed with PTSD. I get flashbacks and triggers a lot. May be getting EMDR treatment in the New Year if I decide to go ahead with it but a bit scared about it.

I work in a legal office and been in hospital twice in the last 2 months but going back fulltime on 5th January.

I have a wonderful family who support me. Last two months been hard as Mum had breast cancer and had a mastectomy op and Dad had a double heart bypass the week after. They are both recovering well though.

I have two nieces - one aged 13 and one aged 3 who I love a lot.

I see a T who gives me lots of positive support and a pdoc who manages my meds.

I like reading, watching The Gilmore Girls and shopping.

 

[LosFrida]

Neat idea.

I'm 25 and live in Canada, where i was born and raised.

My screenname comes from the collective name Frida Kahlo's art students gave themselves- I am a huge fan of her work and admire her enormously.

I work as a dog and cat groomer, and have 2 large dogs who are the lights of my life.

I adore reading about and discussing literature, philosophy, religion, history, art and politics. Yes I'm a bit of a nerd:smile:

I am a practicing Buddhist, and have been since high school. I even considered becoming a nun for a brief period.

Think that's it for now. This was fun.

 

[Auroch]

I'll bite

I'm 25 years old.

Second generation Norwegian, if you saw me on the street you might think I was a viking. (I grew a beard after I got out of the Army, I'm quite proud of it). 6'3, blond hair, blue eyes, and I spell my name properly 'Erik', not Eric.

I own 2 dogs, which are the light of my life. (Oh, damn, you just used that adjective. Well I love them a whole bunch, and they are people too, but furrier!)

I'm scared to have children of my own because of my own childhood.

I'm in school right now, and will be for the next 6 years most likely.
I have no direct plans for the future, and I think that's wonderful.

I am typically the smartest person in a room, and I don't have a narcissistic personality disorder. At all. (Oh well, yes I do...)

I have a bit of an addictive personality, but I don't particularly like people.

 

[cragger65]

Who's This Cragger Guy?

Well, my real name is Dave, my friends call me "Cragger". I'm 43, started life as a military brat but never went into it myself. My brother did (mostly for the drunk-on's at the armoury, I believe ;).

I grew up in Ontario Low Rentals most of my childhood after my dad left. A lot of interesting memories from the period of my life. Some good, some not so.

I taught myself to play the guitar when I was 16 by listening to albums - you know, those lovely ol' vinyl things. I love the music of Neil Young, always have, always will. Played lead guitar in a band during my twenties, writing/doing strictly original music.

I went back to college when I was 27 to do something creative and fullfilling with my life. Wound up being a computer programmer instead - never saw that coming!! Who knew? (Well, I did also do graphic design).

I've never been married, though have come close once. No children, but 9 neices and nephews (my nephew Kyle was killed in a car accident just before last Christmas, rest his soul - he had just turned 20).

I love photography, love to cook, and I have a cat, my buddy "Rufus". He is almost human, I swear.

I have 39 nipple rings and my left leg is really an arm. OK, now I'm making stuff up ;P

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kunoichi]

My real name is Kelly.

I am engaged but call my fiancee hubby cuz I feel like I am married anyways lol I have 3 nephews (2 from my only older sis) and one from my hubby's side.

I am a martial artist who trained in various styles (all at teh same time) for 8 years. I loved and still love it!

I am a writer who likes to write novels, non-fiction devotionals, non-fiction in general, poems, lyrics etc.

I like the piano and also to draw :)

I am learning how to cook now from my hubby and his family lol My mom and sis and brother in law all live in GA, and I live in FL.

:)

Cya ^_^

 

[patrick]

Looks Like I'll be Around

My user name is Patrick because I can't remember all these internet user names to save my life, so I always use the same one. Come to think of it, I tend to forget a lot of things. If I were going to use a descriptive name on this forum, it would probably be Not Again, as in "I can't believe I did that again." A guy I met today said he always thought PTSD stood for Please Try Something Different. I just about fell out of my chair laughing.

I'm 57 and used a potent combination of drugs, alcohol, and denial for almost 40 years to keep my ghosts at bay. I've been clean and sober now for most of a year and a half (had a short relapse in there four months ago). Married and divorced twice, the second one was final this year on my birthday. Ain't irony grand? I have one son, aged 29, from my first marriage and I'm as close with him as I'm capable of now, but hope for better as I heal.

I've had a lot of different occupations and even more jobs, most recently four years of driving trucks over the road in the US and in Iraq. I had a whole bunch of things come up at once this fall and went into a complete meltdown, which resulted in a diagnosis of PTSD, chronic, complex, with delayed onset, stemming mostly from my experience in Vietnam. I am still looking for reasons to deny it. I'm not working right now, don't know if I could if I wanted to, and am living on savings from the Iraq job. Not sure what I'll do when that's gone, but I expect I'll figure out some way to survive like I always have.

My one passion is sailing, and has been for about 20 years. I live aboard my sailboat in Puget Sound, which is in Washington State. I'm not that crazy about smooth sailing, I'd rather run for my life downwind in a storm, or fight for every inch upwind in a gale. Makes it hard to find anybody who wants to sail with me.

I imagine more will be revealed as time goes on.

Pat

 

[Yumeko-chan]

My real name is Amanda and I am 25 years old.

I have a bachelor's degree in Japanese. I work as a photo specialist at Walgreens, and have worked there (in pretty much every department) for the last eight years.

I am a huge fan of anime, and my favorite one is Bubblegum Crisis. I've been writing BGC fanfiction for almost the past ten years, and my username, Yumeko, is taken from the main character of my stories (original character).

I translate things for the fun of it. I've done song lyrics, manga, doujinshi (fan comics), and various little WWII things for my b/f.

I've been dating my b/f for five years. Would love to get married but he's afraid I'll change the moment I get a ring on my finger :poke: