Ptsd parent support group

[Chris-duck]

Editing to add:- can parents of adult children join too...please??

I don't see why not. Parenting doesn't stop. And I'm being let in even though I'm not a real parent so

 

[TTC18]

Lol. I called my husband, he made something for us when he got home. Thank God for him, but I feel like a failure.

You're not a failure. I've killed spaghetti many a time. I'm glad your husband was able to help out!!

Editing to add:- can parents of adult children join too...please??

You don't stop being a parent when your kids grow up. ;)

I'm not sure I count as a real ptsd parent. But I'm a kinship carer so it's similar I guess?

Caregiver counts, I think. You're acting in place of a parent. :)

 

[TTC18]

So, question - are there any resources that parents with PTSD can use to figure out what they might be doing to damage their own kids? I grew up in chaos, anything-goes kind of yuck, so I don't know what a normal family is. I thought that, well, I love my kids and don't want to hurt them, and try really hard to make the good choices for them, so that should guide me - but I worry constantly that I'm too this or not enough that - and if I had some kind of guideline to follow of what NOT to do that PTSD parents tend to do, well, that'd be a huge help.

 

[Skywatcher]

The USA had an ap called PTSD coach. It has info on parenting and a symptoms tracker that I like. It was originated for military like most ptsd resources, but still helpful.

 

[ladee]

I do hope we are able to start some groups about parenting and PTSD. I have wanted to start a thread about parents with PTSD who are now estranged from their adult children.

Going No Contact was what was best for both of us. But as a parent, I also want to talk about healing, and how our kids still hate us, or refuse to take responsibility for their own choices. I'm talking about a soon to be 49 year old son here.

Think waiting for Groups would be more beneficial than starting a thread right now?? feedback welcome. Sorry if I hijacked this thread.

 

[somerandomguy]

Yes, I plan on requesting a Parents Group ASAP unless someone beats me to it!!!

Groups have threads, just like here in the forums, so any of these topics would make great threads.

 

[TTC18]

Please do request the group - I think it'd be super helpful.

 

[ladee]

Great @somerandomguy, when things are up and running, we will have new places to go for conversations and support, to give and receive... Looking forward to it.

 

[Mach123]

I had a long overdue talk with my eldest girl in AZ last night. She wouldn't let me off the phone. I didn't expect that I'd do that, though I felt like I should. She has a really bad weight problem. I don't want to go into the whole story but we were talking about my ptsd and probably hers. IDK if she has ptsd but she's depressed and her weight is a symptom of her terribly low self esteem. I just went over the basics, she knew a lot of it already. It was funny how it happened. My wife and I had been on the phone with her for awhile in the afternoon. I was thinking of her and sent her a text. I said "you didn't sound that good, how are you really?" and "if you want to you cant talk to me anytime you know I'm here for you." The phone rang almost right away.

It was nice but sad to have that talk with her? I had wanted to believe you know she was fine, that any of them were fine. But when I visited her recently and saw that she had put all that weight back on, well, it's been weighing on me since then? We didn't talk while we were out there. We didn't really get a chance. So now at least a dialogue is open. I hope I can have some kind of positive impact on her. I said "I love you and you know I'm sorry. I've told you that as often as I could." and "You know you can come home anytime, you always have a home here with us no matter what." She made a very funny joke for a woman who is only married 3 years and said, "I can't do that, who'd take care of my animals?" God. I cracked up at that one.

 

[Hopeforlife]

A thread/group would be great! I have 2 children preschool and bad days are hard. I try to stay calm with the children but sometimes it’s hard. If I have a disagreement or the oldest acts out I always try to make sure I close the circle with him. Tell him why I am angry or sad or how I feel and that it’s not his fault. We do a high five and a kiss. Ahh life is very trying at the moment...:(

 

[Chris-duck]

I currently am struggling with the 4yo. He has a speech impediment which frustrates him so he lashes out. His mum wants him to hug people when he's angry but I'm worried that people he's safe to hug randomly aren't always available and who even wants to hug people when they're raging. I'm unsure what to advise though :/

 

[TTC18]

I currently am struggling with the 4yo. He has a speech impediment which frustrates him so he lashes out.

Have you thought of sign language?