Cptsd: Overprotective After Witnessing Siblings Being Abused

[Jasmine123]

I was the eldest in our family and witnessed my two younger sisters being constantly verbally & emotionally abused, which resulted in severe depression and personality/attachment disorder in one of the sisters when she was in her early teens. I saw her turning from a happy child into a completely mentally disabled teenager after my mom started abusing psychotropic substances. I took her from my mom to live with me for a few years when she was in her early 20s (she was in and out of psychiatric hospitals while she was living with my mom). My sis is doing very well now considering how bad she was. My other sister has a bad case of social phobia and drinking problems, but is refusing any help. All of us are in early - mid 30s. My mom passed away 3 years ago, but I still feel overprotective of my sisters. On one hand I don't like being around them as they bring a lot of visual and emotional flashbacks, but if I distance myself from them I feel anxious that somebody will abuse then again and I won't be there to protect them and they will get severe depression or something worse. I don't know why I feel this way as they are fully functional grown ups with good jobs, partners, etc. I wonder if this anxiety that somebody will abuse them and they will get sick is a part of CPTSD or it's something else? Can anybody relate?

 

[Deleted member 20280]

You were there when it mattered and cared enough to do the best by your sisters to make them what they are today. They will never forget that and will always love you for what you did to protect them and remove them from the situation that your mum put them in. Never ever forget that "you" were the "one" person that saw the abuse for what it really was and did "something" about it.

You are a credit to all the supporters out there.

xx Laurie71