Hello all,
I've found this forum through a google search after a particularly bad night with my partner of 2+ years. I'm just looking for something, anything, that will give me the tools to help him and myself heal.
First I'll do some background on me. The non heavy stuff, I'm a pro photographer, artist, and I do a lot of social justice activism with focuses on transgender rights, harm reduction/public health (I highly suggesting reading the wikipedia article on harm reduction if you're not familiar with it, I love it... I'm a huge wikipedia fan...but I digress), as well as intersecting anti-poverty and homelessness campaigns).
The activism has come from my own struggles with transitioning (I was assigned female at birth, but am most definitely male), homelessness, drug use, mental illness, sexual orientation, poverty, and quite a lot of abuse/assault from family members and "friends". So, partner aside, there's probably a lot I will gain just for myself from becoming a part of this community.
Now, he however, has struggled with many of the same things, minus the who trans thing.
His extensive and severe abuse (mostly in his teens and developmental years) that has resulted in PTSD, which I can break down further once I've properly gotten a feel for how those sorts of conversations happen here. I don't want my noob self to unintentionally trigger anyone or break with forum protocol. Put briefly, his abuse was violent in a way that mine was not (or at least not in such a concentration), so there are some things I can't relate to on a personal level.... and I don't always support him as well as I feel I could... but I'm just not sure how to.
Basically I'm here because I'm at my wit's end, and end up feeling like I'm doing all the wrong things all the wrong times. I've tried damn near all of the sliding scale trans-friendly therapists in my area (all three of them... in a major US city, even), and none of them have been able to give me enough tools or insight to make the reality of my life sustainable. As comforting as it is to have mental health issue similarities that your partner understands unlike most others, it is also sometimes is especially difficult when you don't have the emotional fortitude or skills to help, or even just get. I'm not expecting miracles here, just solidarity and maybe some ideas I haven't thought of yet.
Thanks for reading,
TK
I've found this forum through a google search after a particularly bad night with my partner of 2+ years. I'm just looking for something, anything, that will give me the tools to help him and myself heal.
First I'll do some background on me. The non heavy stuff, I'm a pro photographer, artist, and I do a lot of social justice activism with focuses on transgender rights, harm reduction/public health (I highly suggesting reading the wikipedia article on harm reduction if you're not familiar with it, I love it... I'm a huge wikipedia fan...but I digress), as well as intersecting anti-poverty and homelessness campaigns).
The activism has come from my own struggles with transitioning (I was assigned female at birth, but am most definitely male), homelessness, drug use, mental illness, sexual orientation, poverty, and quite a lot of abuse/assault from family members and "friends". So, partner aside, there's probably a lot I will gain just for myself from becoming a part of this community.
Now, he however, has struggled with many of the same things, minus the who trans thing.
His extensive and severe abuse (mostly in his teens and developmental years) that has resulted in PTSD, which I can break down further once I've properly gotten a feel for how those sorts of conversations happen here. I don't want my noob self to unintentionally trigger anyone or break with forum protocol. Put briefly, his abuse was violent in a way that mine was not (or at least not in such a concentration), so there are some things I can't relate to on a personal level.... and I don't always support him as well as I feel I could... but I'm just not sure how to.
Basically I'm here because I'm at my wit's end, and end up feeling like I'm doing all the wrong things all the wrong times. I've tried damn near all of the sliding scale trans-friendly therapists in my area (all three of them... in a major US city, even), and none of them have been able to give me enough tools or insight to make the reality of my life sustainable. As comforting as it is to have mental health issue similarities that your partner understands unlike most others, it is also sometimes is especially difficult when you don't have the emotional fortitude or skills to help, or even just get. I'm not expecting miracles here, just solidarity and maybe some ideas I haven't thought of yet.
Thanks for reading,
TK
