Society's View Of Ptsd

[Harmon456]

For myself, I've spent my entire life trying to seem as normal as possible, trying to fit it. So it comes as no surprise when people look at me and say: "You seem pretty normal to me." I've actually made it possible for them to doubt by working so hard to go unnoticed.

 

[Chantal]

I open up with people I know who care for me or should. (family and close friends)

Whenever I find a good artikle on PTSD I forward it to them. I think it helps a little for them to understand why I react a curtain way at curtain things.

I general I am a very honest person, I've always been like this.
I even told my boss and she cried with me. Now she knows why somedays I'm not as happy as other's. My work destracts me of my trauma memories. Luckly!

My mother doesn't understand it but she wants to learn more about it. I bought her a book on PTSD and she's been reading it. It seems to be working because she's been more caring ever since she started reading it.

My father is a retared nurse, he used to work at a mental health instutution. He just doesn't believe it. He says I'm too strong to possibly have PTSD and I told him well yeah I've been strong for so long it finally got to me. I never tell him but he's the reason of a great part of my trauma's as a child so maybe that's the reason he doesn't believe it.

I trully hope people can be more open minded and see that we are human too, just like everyone else.

 

[Tinyflame]

I'm so sorry popeye. :(

Like ITL said above: I just read today how my country (Canada) had 20 Active Vets commit suicide last year (and the statistics do not include reservists or retired personnel, or non-military of course); the USA has 18/ per day. But Canada is reducing this year the amount of money spent on Veterans' ptsd treatment or research.

Unfortunately I suspect for most of us, there isn't much accurate understanding or support. Perhaps like most things, if it doesn't affect a person directly it's off their radar. The ignorance is outstanding, but I fear in people's hearts-of-hearts their true feelings and fears and biases or misconceptions go further than they actually would admit.

 

[anthony]

I guess I tend to use a lot of experience and commonsense as to what I say, don't say, to people.

Some people I have known for years and have no idea I have PTSD. Others I might know briefly, yet they know I do, based on how that person presents to me, ie. can they cope / will they judge or not.

Most I simply don't bother with nowadays. I just tell them I'm retired / do computer work and leave it alone.

 

[Philippa]

I am discerning about who I tell, although I sometimes make mistakes in judgement, and it hasn't been fun...like my own mother turning around and using the fact that I was taking medication as a way for her to draw on when she would rope me into an argument, and I'd take the bait, hook line and sinker. The last time she told me "Have you taken your medication" in a really horrible way, when she was actually the one acting like a nutjob.

For me though, I really hated society at the age of 19-20, and actively went out of my way to make sure people stayed the hell away from me, as they scared the crap out of me and I prefer animals to most people anyway, so although it isn't pleasant to be judged, if it turns out that I told the wrong person and she turns into a horrible person (which so many do), then I consider it a good thing that she wants to avoid me! I can tell my father is afraid of me, and my mother, even though they say they love me unconditionally...how could they possibly when their behavior suggests so much lack of acceptance of themselves.

If you don't accept yourself unconditionally, how in the world can you possibly accept and love your child unconditionally? It doesn't add up...they just say all the right words, and I'm sure they really believe they do love me unconditionally...but their behaviour does not add up to their words...and actions speak much louder than words do.

It's just what they say to themselves because that's what parents are supposed to be. I know they 'love' me, but their behavior isn't loving or healthy for me to be around. Hell, I had to remind my mother a few months ago that I even have PTSD, since she was too wrapped up in her own bad experience in the psychiatrists office the day she informed them both, that it went in one ear and out the other. 10 years later, they completely forgot that I have it.

That went off on a bit of a tangent there, but basically, it doesn't feel good that my parents are afraid of me, and it certainly hasn't stopped them from trying to see me, because they need to get their needs met you see...it's about them, and even if their daughter is a nutjob, she's still the resident scapegoat and they can dump all their crap on her, and then just tell her to take her medication when she puts up boundaries and doesn't let them. The trade off is worth the uncomfortable feelings they have apparently, and the social fear of being judged themselves by their friends and society for having a nutjob for a daughter...well, at least they can get some sympathy from friends, but I doubt they would ever tell them.

Do I sound cynical?:D

I am of the same mind as Nadia though. As an artist I like to speak openly about most things to dispell any myths or pre-conceptions around things taboo. That doesn't mean I go around waving a billboard advertising it...but I will risk speaking about it if it comes up in conversation, and the people around me I have judged to be intelligent and decent at least.

 

[Shellbell]

Before I was diagnosed I felt like I was going mad, completely mad. And I didn't let on to anyone just how bad it was getting, I tried to cover it up and I didn't even tell my husband how badly it was all getting. At the time I was having pastoral counselling and had stopped becuase I couldn't cope. He suggested I be assessed professionally by a trained and well respected psychologist and was then diagonsed with PTSD.

I was relieved that it was PTSD and something that 'I' considered to be socially more acceptable, rather then an illness that would make me look like a complete nutter. I felt that the title alone showed it was due to trauma and not 'just' because I was crazy. That was my own ignorance and stigma showing. But it exists even in someone like me that has compassion for suffering people.

I have at my psychologist's advice told people that are in my social network in an attempt to build a support network. But only because I want people to understand why I am different now to say 12 months ago. But I still feel ashamed of having a 'mental health illness' and need strong medication.

I wonder what people now think of me. A friend who has been distant for a while since telling her sent me a card addressed to her 'most courageous, strong and brave friend' and it was such a huge relief that she wasn't thinking I was a crazy person that she needed to avoid.

I'm also worried that I will not have a voice or opinion anymore. That if I don't agree with someone that they will just write me off thinking - 'yeah she's not well that's why she has that opinion'. I've even told my husband not to start thinking that he is right about eveything just because I have PTSD. I am still capable of rational thinking - I think!