Warrior Chicken
Sponsor
Viewing the world around us with a filter that’s set to identify threats and danger is one of the unfortunate features of ptsd. Even though it’s possible to focus on the positive and remain optimistic, there is often a tendency to notice the negative by default….as a survival mechanism of sorts.
I’m curious to learn how others view the world around them. For me this all comes on the heels of a rather heated discussion I had recently after a colleague pointed out an older person with a child and said how the child looked “really really sad”. I accept that I was triggered, but am not sure if it’s my own history that influences my perspective, if it’s my profession, how I am in general, or a combo of all of those.
My immediate reaction to what I saw was suspicious and negative. While my colleague tried to convince me that it couldn’t possibly be that the child was sad because they’re being abused….I was working hard to convince them that it’s important to not immediately assume that abuse isn’t a possibility. In that situation I was using the idea that the person was guilty before being proven innocent.
It’s not to the extent of concluding the person is guilty, but that negative lens leads the first impression.
So, I’m wondering if others with trauma histories have noticed anything similar in how the world looks. (Doesn’t have to be an adult with a child, can be anything). Just that first impression we have feeling out of whack with what the majority of society.
Does it bother you or do you feel it has a benefit?
I’m curious to learn how others view the world around them. For me this all comes on the heels of a rather heated discussion I had recently after a colleague pointed out an older person with a child and said how the child looked “really really sad”. I accept that I was triggered, but am not sure if it’s my own history that influences my perspective, if it’s my profession, how I am in general, or a combo of all of those.
My immediate reaction to what I saw was suspicious and negative. While my colleague tried to convince me that it couldn’t possibly be that the child was sad because they’re being abused….I was working hard to convince them that it’s important to not immediately assume that abuse isn’t a possibility. In that situation I was using the idea that the person was guilty before being proven innocent.
It’s not to the extent of concluding the person is guilty, but that negative lens leads the first impression.
So, I’m wondering if others with trauma histories have noticed anything similar in how the world looks. (Doesn’t have to be an adult with a child, can be anything). Just that first impression we have feeling out of whack with what the majority of society.
Does it bother you or do you feel it has a benefit?