What To Never Say To A Ptsd Sufferer

[Cate]

What Never to Say

How about this one from a family member, "You know, we're all trying really hard here to work this out and to understand you, but it's really hard!"

Gee, really???

Or, how about, "I think it's time for you to stop feeling sorry for yourself."

Yeah. Okay. Get right on that.

Sigh :wall:

Cate

 

[heather q]

One that keeps circling through my mind is when some guy said "Well, be thankful you've got your health." I didn't ask him what he was refering to because I didn't want to explain the problem. It was my health I was concerned about. I am still really pissed off about that.

And perhaps I'm a little sensitive but this stupid computer is telling me the USB diode lamps is not functioning, it is, the light is on, that's all it has to do. Who programmed it to keep telling me it doesn't work. It does work.

So stupid, some things just don't have to be said, at work it's as if 'they' think I just fell off a turnip truck, they seem to need to explain things to me, it's very odd, I talked to my T about it today. I want to ask them "Do you talk to your wife/mother like that?" They have to be so superior.

Heather

 

[Marine0311]

Never had anyone close to me that knows I have PTSD say anything bad. Family or Marine Buddies.... They either love me too much or are scared to say anything bad.... I guess I will chalk that up in my brain-housing group as a Bonus!!!!

Have a Great Weekend!

 

[NarcSis]

I'm hopefully returning to work soon, so here is a good one....
"I did that same call, how can it still be bothering her?"
Number One - YOU WEREN'T THERE!! I know because I WAS.
"It takes THAT long to get over this?" (said sarcastically).
oooooh, go ahead and judge me, better yet, lets trade places shall we?

I'd love a mental ablasion please so I can return to duty. LOL.

 

[Manic11]

oooooh, go ahead and judge me, better yet, lets trade places shall we?

I like that. I'm going to say that next time.

Manic

 

[ningamer]

"That was ___ years ago!"
"Get a job"
"Well, everyone has problems"
"You just need to move on"
"Maybe you're watching too many horror movies"

 

[LoveWins]

"But only soldiers get PTSD! I heard about it on TV! Youre just overreacting":doh:

 

[Hemels]

I have heard alot of these remarks in the past said to me by the people I really didn't need to hear it from. My apologies I haven't had time to read them all ... there is just so many pages (but I will read them in turn).

Some that I have heard most are -

• "Why don't you start being grown up about it?"

Oh I am sorry am I approaching the issue to immaturely for your liking?

• "If I was you, I'd just forget the whole thing!"

Oh really?!? ... You think you'd be able to just forget 8 years of mental, physical and sexual abuse?!? WOW! I never realised it was so easy.

• "Don't you play on it alot?"

Yer cause I really do love sitting on the bus infront of 20 people having an anxiety attack because something triggered me.

• "What ever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!"

(I absolutely hate that remark)

• "If I was you, I wouldn't come in work!"

Yer that sounds like a plan, lock myself up, away from everything, in the house where all the abuse happened and that'll make me feel better about it why?!? It takes all my time, stregth and energy to get up, get ready and go to work toget myself some money, if I didn't you'd have something to say about getting benefits instead.

Hemmy xXx

 

[Moonshadow]

"Your obsession with your crappy childhood is destroying the lives of everyone around you."

"I have never been more unhappy in my life, and it's because you can't get it together."

"It's your fault that the house looks like shit and everyone around you is struggling."

These things were said to me by my husband, which prompted the worst panic attack I have ever had. I think the panic attack scared the crap out of him, because he's been more understanding since then. I honestly think he didn't actually believe I had PTSD, until then.

 

[trapped]

"Well I could have flashbacks too... but I don't."

"I was in a car accident once, and I never developed PTSD, therefore it's not possible that you have it."

"If the flashbacks bother you that much, just stop thinking about it."

"I'd just ignore it if I were you and forget it ever happened."

"Just relax, it's not a big deal"

"What you went through wasn't THAT bad."

:stupid: All these were said to me last night when I was riding around with a friend... I got so pissed off, I almost jumped out of his car.

 

[Manic11]

"Well a majority of the time, [PTSD] is all in the head. People think they have it because they think about it too much."

He went on to talk about how PTSD is made up. People are making up diseases and illnesses these days.
I told him that it is a serious mental illness and it is real. He disagreed.
:wall:

Manic

 

[trapped]

"You only have PTSD because you want to"

"Man up and just get over it already"

"If you trusted God you wouldn't be having these issues"

"Why haven't you gotten over it yet?"

"You mean you're STILL upset by that?"

"You should know better than to let something that happened when you were a kid still affect you."