Quote:
Originally Posted by justafriend306
I was trying to explain the differences to a friend between their paranoia of sitting on a chair and my PTSD and SHAME came into the conversation. He tried to say his fear of a chair was shameful. I am not trying to belittle his fear of falling and granted it probably is embarassing. Still, it by no means I think is on the level of shame and PTSD,
How many of us readily admit to those people around us we suffer? How many of us have acknowledged our PTSD to family and loved ones? This must be hard enough for anyone but I think especially hard for those of us who are survivors of sexual assault and violence. I'm pretty sure many of us with PTSD suffer in silence.
I had a horrible trigger the other night and I'm still out of sorts today. When talking to my dad he knew something was wrong (all he knows is I have bipolar) but I had to lie to him as to what was wrong. For, how do I tell my father I have been the repeated victim of sexual assualt? How do I tell him it goes back to my very young childhood?
I have anxiety too and sure some of it is embarassing but the shame I feel about my PTSD is on a whole different level.
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Hi justafriend, I wrestled with that question about telling my father about being sexually abused for many decades. Like you I was abused as a child...I told him about PTSD, and of course that made him curious about why. I told him shorty after I was diagnosed but did not want upset him further now that he is in his 80's. Frankly he could not do anything about it so I never saw the point. Well about 2-3 weeks ago I told him, it kind of just leaped out of me... I guess I really wanted to tell him... In my case, it helped him understand why PTSD. I still do not know if it was a mistake or not. And I told him not to tell my mother as I think at her age and her health condition it would not be a good idea and he agreed.
I do not really have an answer for you as I wonder if that was really fair to put that on him.