How Do You Get Others to Understand You?

[Deleted member 541]

Maybe it's just *ME*, but I trying to be patient with this thread, and other threads that seem to place blame on the suffers and their PTSD.

Shit happens in life. Not everything can be blamed on PTSD or the suffer. I am sure that the so called *Normal* people have certain reactions to people/phrases/or words that may piss them off too.

We have PTSD. Yes it's a condition. Our brains have changed. We have been through hell. But we only have ONE head, not 3. Yes we are different, our worlds, and lives have been altered.

No one in this world will ever be able to figure everyone out as we are ALL different. My suggestion to people that are afraid to rock the boat with questions or remarks......There will be times that you get your head chewed off, even from someone that DOESN'T suffer from PTSD, so don't take it personal. There are things HERE and in the real world that piss me off. Some are from others that have PTSD and some that don't. I try hard to not let it bother me.

As long as you are being honest, are not trying to piss people off and have genuine care we will either get over being pissed or we won't. The same as you.

I feel like I am rambling now.......

 

[Nicolette]

As long as you are being honest, are not trying to piss people off and have genuine care we will either get over being pissed or we won't. The same as you.

Wendy, what would make you think I would want to try and "piss people off"?

My intention is to have PTSD sufferers respond to offer those without PTSD a view to how you think and how difficult life is with PTSD.

I don't know where you are getting the impression that the blame is being placed on sufferers as that is definitely not the case. I was simply asking you questions that I believed would offer a platform for PTSD sufferers to share their condition for the benefit of all. If anything my intention is to help PTSD sufferers by arming those without the illness with information to enable them to relate to PTSD sufferers in a way that doesn't unintentionally trigger them.

 

[Deleted member 541]

Not you just in general........Sorry I should have clarified.

 

[linasmom]

Someone without PTSD came along and commented that the PTSD was being overly sensitive and used some analogies to explain their point of view. This then triggered the PTSD sufferer as it is something that they are sensitive about (and I am sure for very valid reasons).

Here in lay the question - how do you act when you meet someone new in the sense that they are saying things which you find 'annoying' due to them having 'no idea' due to not experiencing life your way.

I think this thread may need even more clarification.

Speaking in the context of this forum or in real life is comparing apples to oranges. This forum is specifically for and about PTSD - carers and sufferers. The knowledge is already here in that if a person who does not have PTSD wanders into the PTSD Chat section, 99.999% of the time, that person is interacting with someone who has PTSD. How does PTSD affect those of us with PTSD? Well, look at our posts or the information section of this forum.

If we are speaking in the context of "real life" (away from the forum) then I think PTSDers tend to act like most people in that - they either like a person or they don't. And they either like me or they don't. I do not feel the need to make new people understand- they will eventually understand if they stick around long enough.

I do want to clarify - my being triggered in that other thread did not have to do with the misuse of the word "panic attack" - I was slightly annoyed and just wanted to vent. My trigger was someone coming into a thread that was clearly marked "rant" and then told me how my "reaction" was wrong. This made me feel like my feelings were being minimized. I was also triggered because I felt the analogies which were made to point out how our thinking is flawed were all wrong in that the examples were things that real people don't actually feel. Again - back to minimizing real feelings by real people.

Hmm...so there - that's a trigger for me specifically - feeling like my feelings which are just an outward display of who I am - was being minimized.

Best,
Rachel

 

[linasmom]

Heh, sorry but I feel the need to make a funny -

Someone should make a T-Shirt that says "PTSDers are people too!" =)

 

[nic]

Personally, I'm not looking for anyone to fully understand me, perhaps other than my therapist. Every person--PTSD or none--is a complex individual. We are all programed slightly differently than one another, and we have all had different life experiences. For example, regardless of how much I read and research, I will never fully understand what it is like to grow up (let's say) in a third world country. Likewise, unless someone has lived my exact life, they will never fully understand me.

That all being said, what I do want is respect. I want others to respect the fact that I have gone through some tough shit, and respect that this affects how I am--(just as their life experiences affect them). I want people to think before they judge me, as they ARE NOT ME.

I really don't see myself as all that different. Yes, I have PTSD, but many other people have various "stuff" too. I think what it comes down to is just treating each other with kindness.

 

[Nicolette]

Thank you to everyone for your honest input.