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What in your life do you most miss the most since getting PTSD, and how are you working to get it back, or accept its gone and move on?

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Hopefulphoenix

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Once again I have to try and insist at the beginning of this post I do NOT! want the emphasis of this post to be a trigger for sadness and rumination..Its more a question about learning how to live with and accept with this infuriating painful flipping disorder.

Ok my life is pretty different since I got active cptsd. Besides the social isolation which im always working on, the thing I miss the most is my ability to read a wide variety of books.
Hell Im a literature graduate. From a very early age books were my thing, my escape. I wrote stories too.
When I stopped being able to read almost 7 years ago it was very related to a fragmented self. Think its a parts thing. (The stuck parts of me seem to be very key to healing). Its like the teenaged me became very very hard through maladaptive coping techniques and nothing bothered me until id fall into depressions and make suicide attempts. I was able to stand outside the world and not let it affect me and read or watch anything.
Of course this cant sustain. I fell apart into the "dark years" (as someone on here helpfully called them). And I think the child me became present. So its like im scared by so many "adult world" things. I think I cant read bc I feel like that child part of me, always on the watch, scared of emotional triggers. (This is beyond when Im depressed and cant concentrate anyway).
It sucks coz as I said Im a literature graduate. People ask me and I feel so ashamed and confused.
Yet I remain hopeful, that I can reintegrate and be adulty again. Not a cold hard adult, but one who can feel safe enough to not be afraid of the emotions someone elses words may bring up.
To be able to read again I try to read in childrens books and I have gotten a Kindle (again) for xmas.
Its the first time I have ever written about this because it feels like nobody would understand.This too might draw me closer to being able to read again; try to eliminate the shame and put in the action.
 
@Living in the 70s . Its a really interesting point you brought up..and one which has potentially helped me.
I dont think I had a clear sense of self either, in the way I imagine others who dont have trauma do. I think I was just a bunch of impulses and reactions. Learning mindfulness in DBT gave me the ability to reflect before I react. Also to create my own positive thoughts. (biiig work in progress).
I imagine a sense of self comes, for me at least when I feel like I can generate my own sense of safety. Not sure how all that fits in with readin books tho....
 
At 6 years old it was nice looking people in the eye and not being afraid to make friends and play. By 10 years old I understood by then that I was going to die by my own hand eventually because thats the only form of control I have over how I would feel for the rest of my life. I miss the blissful ignorance that I can still see on 90% of peoples faces in society. Inside of a 2 second glance its like I can see the worst pain someone has gone through. I work on recreating the ignorance through mass amounts of marijuana and isolating myself from as much as possible. I also am getting a tent and camp supplies from a church since ill be homeless soon. I tried being a part of society one time and never again will I make that mistake.
 
The sea being comfort and only comfort.

Also falling and loving every second of it.
Lately got me a kind of: Fast driving, too, at which point I decided to be done with this nonsense, as come on, now even driving is adrenaline? :shifty:

.... Yeah, and secondary something about people. But mostly I miss reactions I had, when healthy and having it. Safety of being my pack, for mypack, instead of needing one (or two).
 
I agree with @Hopefulphoenix, @Living in the 70s makes a spot on point. Since my abuse started from womb on, a sense of self would inevitably be warped from the get go.

@Junebug - everything you said. Agreed.

And my own answer is pretty much the same as @EveHarrington 's. I was always the most extroverted people-person I've known. Now I'm anxious going into parties where I know no one, and I hate new people coming over. I get overwhelmed if more than one person comes into my home at once. It's maddening! I used to adore the company of others. I've been able to be around people for 16 hours straight and not tire, but rather feel energized. Now I'm enervated and triggered around people.
 
I miss exploring the underwater world and teaching others to explore it.

As for what I'm doing about it... I've started with positive coping mechanisms and therapy. Previously I abused drugs and coped in other self destructive ways.

I also find educating myself about trauma and how it has effected me has been a big help.
 
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