Why Is It Important That Those Around You Understand Your Ptsd?

[tillybee]

Bless you, I really am very similiar. For example.....my husbands just had a fit because we have a Sunday Lunch out today & I haven't slept all night :( I actually cannot be bothered to explain to him again. So I'm not. This alarms me as before I had fight in me, now I have none left. It's like I'm the opposite of me. I love my family but explaining to anyone is so difficult, I'm not even sure you can properly. Unless, of course, it's someone that has experienced this in some way.

 

[Barconian]

This alarms me as before I had fight in me,

Well don't surrender then :)

 

[tillybee]

I'm not ready to give up totally :) If someone says the right things, or rather the wrong things, I show the small amount of fight I have left ;)

 

[Deleted member 1860]

For one to except, one needs to understand

Idk about "excepting" but understanding isn't necessary for it to be "Accepted".

Completely false and if you honestly believe this, you're on a completely different wavelength.

There are a LOT of things that I don't understand but I accept. I do not understand quantum physics but I am able to accept it.

I don't understand ADHD but I accept it. I don't understand bipolar but I accept it.

If you think the two go hand and hand ( understanding & acceptance ) then I feel sad as true understanding is quite rare. Even most of the people here on the forum don't understand me so there's little chance of my family understanding. BUT, I do get a heck of a lot of acceptance in this world.

 

[Lucycat]

Why Is It Important That Those Around You Understand Your Ptsd?

I don't think it is important at all. I want people around me to understand me not my PTSD.

 

[TakeTheBaggage]

I think it's important that people understand your PTSD, because you need to work though the whirlwind of fragmented thinking in your head. Unfortunately, people without PTSD don't understand the effects or causes of it. If you say, "I was harassed and bullied by my fellow students and teachers for twelve years of my life", too many people revert back to their own high school mentality and think you as a loser. They don't understand that you were a victim, that it was too much for a six year old, and you disassociated from it.

Also, and this is very important, when you share your PTSD experiences, the confidentiality can be easily violated. My ex husband shared all the traumatic events in my childhood with others when we split.

 

[tillybee]

That is awful! The horrible git! He obviously was very bitter. Although if you look at the positive (if possible) you didn't stoop to his level and if they were his true colours you did well to see them when you did - bless you. It sounds a very very painful and hurtful experience. It also sounds like you have a vast knowledge of living with PTSD. I'm sure this will be helpful to others and in turn give you a warm feeling for having helped them.

 

[EvenStrongerNow]

If people can look back to what it was like for them in the beginning, when they were not in recovery yet, or at the beginning stages of it, when they had no coping skills, etc was it important to you that those close to you understand PTSD?

I don't want to confuse "understanding PTSD" with "knowing what it's like" because people can just have a basic understanding of PTSD and can be a part of the support process while you're healing.

Some people do find such a thing helpful on their journey and we don't want to discount such an experience just because one might not have needed that.

 

[Tinyflame]

No, it would not have been helpful for people to understand before I knew what was happening because I did not understand it at all.

But when I had very little coping skills I had support. I can't recall if I said it was ptsd, or it showed that I was falling apart, aside from saying I was falling apart, I can't remember how long it took to say so. I suspect it showed, Idk.

I don't think I understand the question. Oops. :confused:

 

[Barconian]

Completely false and if you honestly believe this, you're on a completely different wavelength.

If you don't understand something like Bipolar for argument sake, then you wouldn't have a clue what you are excepting, because you don't understand it and you have no clue what you are up against in some situations! Completely false... Really???

 

[EvenStrongerNow]

I think we are still trying to talk about understanding. This isn't totally about acceptance, although acceptance could be the underlying motive for wanting someone to understand PTSD.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

@Barconian,
That's like saying gay relationships have to be completely understood before they can be accepted. Not true, as I can accept them as a straight person even though I don't fully understand the nuances. Do you fully understand the chemical level at which a drug makes you high? No, but you accept that it makes you high. I could say the same about aspirin. Do you understand how it works? No, but you accept that it works because your headache is gone.

Sorry, you're right, Barconian is talking about EXceping while I am talking about ACceping. We aren't even arguing the same damn term. :-(