Teacake, I struggle with this every day and have been for going on 7 years now since I saw all my ponies and horses so badly damaged by my neighbor's dog.

I have been misdiagnosed, invalidated, and unheard even when my neighbor kept on being intrusive and disrespectful, even though I have a clear pattern of when the damage took place. I was invalidated when I tried to reach out for help not only for my psychological challenges but also when my attorney was failing mentally and developing increasing dementia and inability to do his job. Now I am dealing with another attorney who doesn't understand PTSD and is discouraged that she made an attempt to fix my case as now potential witnesses cannot remember something that happened 7 years ago. People simply don't remember when they are not affected personally, it is just the way it is.

I am triggered every day when I go outside and tend to these damaged animals and because of all the reminders of trauma that took place everywhere I look, even when I don't want that to happen. When I talk to my lawyer I only get worse and get even more triggered to a point where I am in a great deal of pain. I am often talking to myself as I try to continue caring for what animals I have left and I love them yet when I do that I am triggered because love = hurt now in my subconscious mind, even when I keep telling myself not to be that way.

If only others could be in my body and live through it like I do, understand how much work it is, how exhausting it is as well as every symptom you have described, maybe there would be some "validation".