For years after going through the trauma after catching the home care person abusing my mom who was dying of cancer, I wondered if I would ever get over or even through it. I too filed a report with the police & adult Protective Services & they didn't have enough evidence to charge her with the crime because I protected my mom too well while putting myself in physical & mental danger doing it. I actually dealt with PTSD for years after it happened.

It actually happened in Dec 2004. I was dealing with a bad marriage of 33 years at the time also & in spring 2007 was finally able to leave. Felt like I escaped....but moved 2100 miles away to a place where I knew no one to start life over. It took quite a few years of having outstanding therapy & I kept rehashing everything I went through both with the trauma with my moms situation & the bad marriage. I can honestly say, 9 years after leaving I am finally free in my daily life from all that happened in the first 54 years of my life. That doesn't mean there aren't triggers that bring back memories or things that hit me trying to finalize my divorce....or dreams I have of fighting for my freedom after an extremely stressful day....but my life is basically free from the horrible memories on a continuing daily basis. It does take time & processing what you experienced....not just once, but sometimes many more times until your mind is finally able to let go & file it away as a past experience that only fines its way out of the minds archives when something actually happens to bring the memory to mind on rare occasions. It will ALWAYS be there, but the access won't.