What's PTSD?

Most clergy I have known have had some training in mental health, though not thorough, necessarily. Some have not.

Maybe have a handy list of links to direct people to when they don't know or understand.

The links included in the PTSD chat topic announcements might be good.

I can see why you were shocked though. I don't necessarily hold it against him, but I would have been surprised myself.

I actually allow him into my life. I used to snap at him. Today I can allow him to show he cares. I'm sure it's a cultural difference. I didn't snap at him today. I brought it here. I appreciate your compassionate response. I suffered for years in therapy with my mental health dx. I still suffer with it today. My current therapist is in private practice so it's different. I've signed no contract or plan. However I listen to what she is saying to me. Last session she told me "stay with me Leo mama". I've been thinking about that all week. I was dissociating in therapy. It's ironic as I listen to other people talk about their dissociation and yet didn't know I was doing it.

I'm lost, your clergy was counseling you? But you have a T and you don't know if you want to stay with her?

Uh, I have it. Only in my country, we don't call it disorder. Just PTS. Still, it is still bundle of letters. It sounds clinical. "Trauma issues" is a way to express to normal people what it is without going into a thesis. Most people do understand what trauma is, what it can do and that it changes you.

And the PTSD is pretty new thing. It used to be shell shock. Then the name changed few times until it because clinical, cold and meaningless.

Roman clergies in Rome do not have degrees in psychology or psychiatry, do they? And if you used to the abreviation to somebody who is not English speaker, they might be honestly unfamiliar with that word.

(also, in Europe there is slightly different view of mental "illness". Czech uses term for it that can be losely translated as "soul disorder", as in it affect the spiritual, the non-touchable, the psychological part of you. Not so wild on brain scans and "chemical imbalances"). Not sure about Italy.

I don't get it either... what is your relationship with the clergy?

No, sorry. I guess I was very unclear.

I have a friend who is a priest.

I don't think I mentioned my therapist.

My first priest was also a counselor, not my counselor, I was not in therapy at that time, that was before my diagnosis.

" My current therapist is in private practice so it's different. I've signed no contract or plan. However I listen to what she is saying to me. Last session she told me "stay with me Leo mama". I've been thinking about that all week"

This is what I was talking about with the T. Sounds like she wants you to stay, but you are not sure.

But I am okay, scars and all, I am alive and with chance to live yet.

Maybe the American obsession with clinical terms and black and white view between okay/ill and disabled is the problem here.

Sure, I am able to work and appear well, that does not mean I am okay at all times. There is a wide scale of well being.

(I hate to consider myself ill for not being able to handle situations life has thrown on me like a psychopath and be unaffected by it. Trauma changes you. I just hope to grow from the paranoid aggressive ***** to wonderfully decandent and wise person).

(I don't mean any offense, whatsoever. I just come from the former Eastern bloc. Which is diagnosis of sorts).

Oh sorry, previously I was going to an agency. My therapist does not require me to sign a contract or a plan. Oh, sorry again, she meant "stay with me" as in don't dissociate. I guess you missed that part. I was starting to dissociate in session last week.

OMG, my country is in NATO now and I trot around with that flag proudly.

I do like Americans. I just think you have different perspective of things.

And I have not been brainwashed. FFS. Can you refrain from saying it in future, it offends me.

I don't consider PTSD a weakness and never have I ever said that. It is just what happens to you if you come to bad situation past your breaking point. It's human. Just like breaking leg is not illness. It's more of injury... that happens. Nobody will think you are weak because you broke your leg when you fell. YOu are not weak for getting scars when you get burned. So you are not weak because you got psychological injuries from bad situations.

To me the "disorder" tag implies... "you are disordered for getting affected".

Again, just my view.

Here, if I were to say "I have trauma issues" instead of PTSD, there is an assumption you are just like them. Meaning you are ok really, with something to workout, but other wise fine. There is not an assumption you might be disabled. And even with using PTSD as a way to communicate it still goes over peoples heads in general. There is a major stigma here. If you can not see the injury, damage or disability the idea is you can "suck it up" and be fine.

"the suck it up" attitude is a myth if you work hard you will over come anything. Using trauma has no real connection to reality unless they personally know someone. and personally see how it effects their daily lives.

We treat are walking-wounded solider very badly, so you can just imagine if you have PTSD or trauma without being a veteran they think you are faking it. And need to just get a job and you will ok.