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New Source of Panic Attacks

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Yumeko-chan

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The past few days I've been waking up practically already having a panic attack, and I had no idea why. This morning, though, I figured it out, and it made perfect sense.

Dutch Ovens.

My b/f has pulled them twice on me, and now when we're in bed at night, a lot of the time he'll fart and then say "Dutch Oven," as if he's gonna pull another one on me, and no matter how asleep I am, if I'm still awake at all I'll holler "No!!!" and he'll crack up. He just likes to get a reaction out of me, and has said several times he won't actually do it again, but I've gotten terrified of the prospect of him actually doing it again, and he's made the "threat" several nights in a row now, and even when he farts in bed in the morning, w/o saying anything, I'll immediately cringe, afraid he'll do Dutch Oven on me. Apparently it's to the point where I wake up halfway to a panic attack if he's made the "threat" the night before.

Once I figured out the link between those and my panic attacks I of course immediately told him, and he immediately felt guilty about his "threats" affecting me that much. Hopefully he'll stop now, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
Hmmm...that is definitely an interesting source. Have you worked out why this might cause you to have a panic attack? Perhaps something related to a past trauma - being trapped or suffocating, or his manner being threatening, or the scent itself subconsciously reminding you of trauma you may have suffered in the past?
 
Farts can be traumatizing but I don't think it's just the smell (bad as it is). Probably just the fact that when he shoves me under the sheets I'm trapped and can't get out, and getting stuck with the smell just adds to it.

I was trapped in the library during the shooting, and trapped (maybe not physically, but psychologically) during my years of getting molested. It's not the threatening -- and all that is is him saying "Dutch Oven" teasingly -- but the prospect itself just sends me right up a wall. I'm about as claustrophobic as the next person, but...maybe it IS the "being trapped" part. I dunno.
 
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