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Sufferer Reluctant, But Doing It Anyway

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AslinSparx

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Hi all,

I've been reluctant to post anything on this forum as doing so means that I have to confront what I've been avoiding. By putting myself 'out there', I admit to being broken and internally damaged, although not beyond repair. Putting it all out there makes shit REAL.

About 3 months ago tensions had been building with my partner and I (we were entering the 2yr phase of our relationship, and the 2yr mark is where all my relationships fail). What occurred was such a small thing, but for me it triggered off a cascade of horrible actions on my part. I became fearful and in doing so, I became incredibly judgemental, critical started to have a panic attack, attacked him verbally, dramatized the situation and became stuck in a circular argument. These kind of over reactions were becoming increasingly regular on my part, and I think my partner finally had enough. He prompted me to seek help, and what ensued that following week was a cataclysmic downward spiral into intense flashbacks that were emotionally and physically crippling. I was reliving my childhood experience all over again. I could hear my stepfather and aunts vicious words of contempt and was reliving past emotions as a child. I was even remembering past abuse that I had not thought about. It was all coming at me full force and I felt incredible shame, was depressed and highly anxious, remaining in a panic for most of that time. I reached out to HelpLine but avoided my friends and socializing (I dont have family as I am estranged) and I threw myself into researching as much as possible on why I over react in situations, why I am highly critical of self and others, why for so many years I've struggled to take full deep lung breaths, why I'm so nervous and 'jumpy' why I cant maintain relationships beyond 2yrs, why I put insurmountable walls up, why I have difficulty concentrating and completing things, why I have intense emotions/reactions and why I have such a negative view of myself and why the hell I am so terrified of abandonment! I discovered through researching and later on, through diagnosis, that I am suffering from BPD. It made total sense and whilst it was a punch in the face it was also a relief to finally get some answers for which I can actually work on, not just theoretically think about. I'm currently under the guidance of a therapist and doing DBT weekly. I've found it to be incredibly helpful. It's only recently that I've learnt that the years of physical and emotional abuse I endured has caused me to suffer from C-PTSD. I'm also a little confused as I've read that they can't exist as a comorbidity. Is this true??

Anywho, I'm here in all my brokenness to drop my walls and reach out to others in similar circumstances in the hope that I can heal and Love myself.
Thanks for reading.
 
Welcome! Please give yourself a lot of credit for the courage it took to make your post!.
You will be met with a lot of understanding, encourgement and support.
I totally related to sabatoging relationships. Same here. Still do it, but catch myself faster before it turns into gaurnteed abandonment.
Hope we see you around. You have a lot to teach me.
Gentle hugs if you accept.
 
Welcome, @AslinSparx! You write so eloquently and insightfully about what you are doing and how you are feeling. It sounds like you've learned a lot already in the time you've been doing DBT.

Regarding your question about co-morbidity of BPD and PTSD, I would guess that if you have BPD, then you are more likely to also have PTSD, but I don't think the reverse would be true, since there are so many different reasons/types of trauma that can trigger PTSD. I can't cite any research or studies documenting co-morbidity, so perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I can weigh in. I do know, however, that there are studies on sequential therapy for folks with both BPD and PTSD, that focuses on DBT first, followed by Prolonged Exposure (PE), a type of intense exposure therapy for PTSD.

Good luck in your healing journey! I'm sure you will find much support here, as will your partner if he is interested in joining the Supporter forum. I look forward to seeing you around on the boards! Gentle hugs if you accept them (chocolate, if not!)
 
Welcome, @AslinSparx! You write so eloquently and insightfully about what y...
Thanks so much Lola. DBT is going very well, although the class runs on a term schedule which means that I'm on a break until the beginning of February. My therapist is also on holidays and I can't wait until she returns! Feeling somewhat lost without her perspective on things at the moment. The prolonged exposure/exposure therapy you mention, is that similar to EMDR? I'll definitely research and look into it as I enjoy actively seeking out anything that involves personal growth. I have mentioned to my partner that I have joined this forum. He is genuinely supportive (and most likely, secretively thankful!) and I think he could also benefit from joining too. Definitely worth a mention. As for the hugs and (dark) chocolate, i'll take both in large quantities thankyouverymuch!
 
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