Bluebird,
I missed your first post, not sure where you ended up sending it, but just by the title, I think I may be able to add some insight (or at least let you know you two are not alone in all this).
My wife suffers from PTSD, all resulting from her childhood and the abuse she suffered. I have been exposed to it for only 6 years, and had no idea what was going on. She would explode into violent rages, then become depressed and sorrowfull about the entire thing. I had no knowledge of what PTSD did to someone, in fact, I associated it with war veterans primarily, and never thought it could affect someone like her. Anyway, one of her biggest turning points came when she began reading posts on this site. If you wife hasn't begun to do that yet, I highly encourage it. It really seems to help when they read that what they are going through is not unique, and that they are not going crazy! It helped me, too. Gave me a load of understanding, and some tips on how to handle things. Don't remember exactly where this was posted, but I came across this poem somewhere on this site, and it hit home with me:
When I ask you to listen to me
And you start giving advice
You have not done what I asked
When I ask you to listen to me
And you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way
You are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me
And you feel you have to do something to solve my problem,
You have failed me, strange as that may seem.
Listen! All I asked was that you listen.
Not talk or do
Just hear me.
Works, bro. Good luck,
Warren
