If We All Lived In The Same Town....

[shimmerz]

No idea where I come up with these things, but as I was flitting around town yesterday, I wondered to myself what it would be like if we all lived in a town together....as neighbours. I guess I got to thinking about it because I have been supported this past while through some pretty rough times and the questions that people are asking me, the insights they are giving me, are pretty spot on. Nothing that 'normal people' would be able to hit on.

I used to live with a friend when I was going catatonic all the time. I have known here since grade 9. She would be considered my BFF and she knows me really well. And I would be in her kitchen and I trigger would hit me and I would fall.on.the.floor. Smash. No warning. And she would get all bent out of shape. Stressed her out big time as there was no telling how long I would be crashed for. Could be days. So she spent a ton of energy figuring out how to get me up off the kitchen floor.

And then I got to thinking that if I was in this town of all of us with PTSD, and dropped on the floor with no warning, I feel like the reaction would be a bit different. I feel like the majority of you would stop, tilt your heads, take in what had happened and think to yourselves, "BONUS, now I have a great excuse as to WHY I won't be washing the kitchen floor for the next few days".

All depends on one's outlook, doesn't it? I don't know why, I just had to share. Any thoughts on how you feel you might be differently supported (in a good way), if we had our peeps living right next door?

 

[deer_in_headlights]

I laughed when I saw the title of your thread - imagining what the town would be like.:joyful:

After the initial envisioned chaos, I'm thinking this could be wonderful. It would be amazing to live near supportive, caring people who understand and accept our quirks.

It would be wonderful to not feel fear and have to wear the "I'm o.k. and perfectly normal like you" mask.
We could be our wonky selves, and not be afraid of people's reactions to us. (I had to tell someone I had PTSD: the person who used to treat me like a person immediately turned white, began edging away from me, acting as if he expected me to pull out a machine gun.:( Me?:(:cry:)
The treatment from "normals" who find out has been awful...

I'd love to live in a place where I could be like I am, here.

I'd fall down with you. (I've done that, too... not out for days, though, but I sure understand - and it does freak out normal people, which isn't helpful.)

"Fainting Goats Ranch" would make a great name for a homestead.
What would be the name of the town?

 

[ihateusernames]

Unfortunately I'd probably be pretty much the same. Smiling at everybody and trying to be upbeat all the time like it's my job in life to keep everything positive and happy. :banghead:

But it's an interesting thing to think about!

 

[digger]

*looks at her ignore list* …………hmmm.......I think I'll count myself out! ;):playful:

My gut reaction to the idea is actually OMG no way! Much as I really appreciate the support here, and there are some members who yeah, I think it'd be cool to know in the 'real' world, I think a whole bunch of symptomatic people living in each other's pockets would be a bloody nightmare. I think the distance the web provides is part of what enables us to be as supportive of each other as we are.

Just my thoughts though, I'll wave to you from my cave on the hill :D

 

[ghotiff]

There was a thread a while back about a similar concept of an island with all of us. I still love the concept of that island.

This past month, I have been continually mocked for my non hug preference. Actually it's a no touch preference, but that's apparently even more weird to "normals".

A couple of days ago a relative gave me a huge hug again (despite my protest) and during this particular hug she explained how she planned to hug me so much that I would get used to it and like it.

I like the dream of an island where people don't do that. Where my quirks are accepted, not ridiculed, and then ...wait for it....respected.

It's just a dream but some nights that dream helps me go to sleep.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

PTSD people trigger me.

I trigger PTSD people.

Its sort of a fact. (I have had other sufferers in my life in the past.) Well, not allllll, but I think you get my point!

Sort of like, I can be loud, but loud noise triggers me. I know its likely the same for others, hence the dual triggering factor!

It would be nice to have more people around who "get it", but at the same time, I can't help but think that we could bring out the worst in each other.

I've always needed the pull of normalcy in my life. While I sacrifice not having anyone who truly understands, in the end, I need the pull of normalcy even more than understanding.

 

[ghotiff]

@shimmerz
I would like to think that if that happened in my kitchen, I'd understand that you needed my kitchen for a bit and that you wanted me to leave you be. I would feel the need to fetch you a blanket and pillow, but I'd just put it in arms reach for when you were ready for it.

The dream of being allowed to be ourselves....such a pleasant dream.

 

[scout86]

@shimmerz , I'd have to get you off the floor or you'd be drowning in Bulldog saliva! (Anyone she can actually reach obviously needs to have their face washed by a Bulldog. If you didn't react, I suspect she'd take that as a challenge and redouble her efforts.!)

Many of my best and closet friends have had unfortunate childhoods and/or PTSD. Somehow THEY are the first people I think I can trust. I like the idea but don't know about living in town. (Too many people! :nailbiting:)

My T keeps telling me that he wants me to be "more of who I really am, more of the time". He apparently thinks that version of me is ok. (I keep asking if he's sure that's such a good idea!) He's probably right. Who we "really" are is ok. People can chose for themselves whether they want to deal with it or not.

"Shimmerzville"???????

 

[shimmerz]

"Shimmerzville"

LOL LOL LOL LOL.

 

[Born to Run]

One cool tribe would that be ;) It could be such a much more real and authentic place than the 'BS I am fine' place that we are surrounded by now :arghh;

 

[PlainJane]

This was brilliant. Set me up for a smile. Although I would have to move you, it would drive me crazy leaving you there. Too much clutter on the kitchen floor ;) It's funny that you started this, because I think about a similar concept often.

My whole life I've never been good at developing healthy relationships but the association I do "pick", come to find out later on they generally all have either PTSD (regaurdles of type of trauma) or have had a really f'd up childhood. This has its obvious problems but we also "know" what is going on in each other's heads relatively speaking. And there isn't the usual needless explaining of symptoms or the why's, yada yada yada.

I suppose the biggest support would be the fact that I wouldn't have the constant judgement we face from the rest of the world day in and day out. Also someone who could legitimatelycall me out on my bs at the appropriate times. If that makes any sense.

 

[jaccat]

Hmm, people who would get it, could be good! I like the idea of being able to say what's really going on with me, rather than edging round it, and not having people expect me to just fix it.