Hi everyone.
I met my girlfriend on an online dating site (not the most romantic of stories I know) but we've been dating for over three months now and I've never fallen for someone so quickly. She's kind, caring, beautiful, talented, smart, and has an amazing and supportive family. Before we started dating, she told me that she suffered from anxiety and depression and that she had even turned to self abuse (cutting, burning) because of traumatic experiences she had had in past relationships. I told her that her past didn't bother me at all, and that I wanted to be with her and help in any way that I can, and I still do. Most of the time, however, I don't know how to help.
Recently, she was diagnosed for a second time with PTSD. She has anxiety attacks where she has to ask me many questions. Mostly she begins to worry that I might find other girls around me prettier than her, or she'll see a model on TV and worry that my mind might dwell on these other women and not her. Even though that's something that would never happen with me, I can't seem to convince her that she is the only person in my life and that I would never do anything to betray her or her trust. Despite the time we spend together and all of the things I say to her, I can't seem to convince her that my love is reserved for her only.
I want to be able to reassure her in any manner that I can. Typically when I answer her questions, it only seems to feed her anxiety, but when I try to change the subject or avoid her questions she thinks I'm avoiding them because I'm trying to hide something...which I never am.
Do these type of anxiety-attack-question-overload moments happen to anyone else? Do you know how to help put their anxiety at ease in any way? I'm new to researching PTSD and to these forums, so any help that anyone could offer would be amazing.
Thanks a bunch.
Matt
I met my girlfriend on an online dating site (not the most romantic of stories I know) but we've been dating for over three months now and I've never fallen for someone so quickly. She's kind, caring, beautiful, talented, smart, and has an amazing and supportive family. Before we started dating, she told me that she suffered from anxiety and depression and that she had even turned to self abuse (cutting, burning) because of traumatic experiences she had had in past relationships. I told her that her past didn't bother me at all, and that I wanted to be with her and help in any way that I can, and I still do. Most of the time, however, I don't know how to help.
Recently, she was diagnosed for a second time with PTSD. She has anxiety attacks where she has to ask me many questions. Mostly she begins to worry that I might find other girls around me prettier than her, or she'll see a model on TV and worry that my mind might dwell on these other women and not her. Even though that's something that would never happen with me, I can't seem to convince her that she is the only person in my life and that I would never do anything to betray her or her trust. Despite the time we spend together and all of the things I say to her, I can't seem to convince her that my love is reserved for her only.
I want to be able to reassure her in any manner that I can. Typically when I answer her questions, it only seems to feed her anxiety, but when I try to change the subject or avoid her questions she thinks I'm avoiding them because I'm trying to hide something...which I never am.
Do these type of anxiety-attack-question-overload moments happen to anyone else? Do you know how to help put their anxiety at ease in any way? I'm new to researching PTSD and to these forums, so any help that anyone could offer would be amazing.
Thanks a bunch.
Matt
