Stepping out onto a limb here.
 

I tend to be a very private person but I feel this is worthy of public discussion. I read in several posts about some of you having Narcissistic mothers. My heart goes out to you, it truly goes out to you. I share that family dynamic as well.

My mother is a Covert Cerebral Narcissist. She is highly intelligent, has psychic abilities and an impeccable facade. All of the dysfunction in our family is very insidious. It looks like one thing when in reality there is something else going on, and that something else is a taboo subject, you never bring it up. Well, being a rebel I did bring it up. I used to say there is so much BS swept under the rug that you can't see across the room. When I did, I became my Mothers enemy. I don't want to go on and on about the what's and how's of that reality. What I do want to share is how it felt.

The were some realities that were true. Meals were on time, our home was clean and pleasantly decorated, my parents worked, and our lives looked pretty much like that of every other family on our block. And then there were the ghosts of the emotional dishonesty and abuse that echoed through our lives.The ghosts were denied, yet kept whispering. Very confusing for an adult let alone for kids. It felt like standing on a tight rope balanced on one foot. You can see the ground but weather or not it is safe to try and step on it is never guaranteed.

People always say I am so calm and peaceful and I am, I'm very Scandinavian in that way. But is also surprises me because that little tight rope walker was always an underlying energy in my being. An anxious little bird. I spent many years following this and that Spiritual teacher, an honest journey but also looking for healing and to understand what was going on.

A few years ago I decided to try a new type of therapy. It's called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) I'm a big fan, partly because I was lucky and had a fabulous counselor. On about the third visit she asked me to go to this website. “Daughters Of Narcissistic Mothers”. She said take a look at it and tell me what you think of it on our next visit.

Curious, I looked at it that night. OMG for the first time in my life the ghosts had a name. My feelings although denied were true. It was like an outline of what went on. What a freaking relief and sad reality all at once. It was a bit like seeing the sun rise for the first time.

Why I like EMDR. Say something happens to you that you are not able to feel and process, what ever that is. The way I see it the feelings become frozen and need a place to be stored. So they lodge in your body somewhere. Kind of like putting food in the freezer for later. For me talk alone does not move and resolve the energy of the event from my body. So while my mind understands what happened, I still don't feel better. EMDR actually allowed me to process, feel and release the events.

I believe that the the left and right brain stimulation produces a theta state of mind which (for me) allows me to relive painful events in an objective way, and often allows me to understand things I was unable to before. It feels safe and I feel curious even when it's intense. I feel like it helped me make real progress and even look forward to doing the work.

"Theta brainwaves correspond to a state of mind associated with dreams and waking dreams, as well as a deep meditative state. Theta brainwaves are slower than the Beta and Alpha activity we normally have in daily life. ... In a Theta state, you tap into the creative and intuitive resources of your mind."

Well, the book will follow. HAHAHAHA Sending love to all of you on this journey.

I have not been here in forever!

Yes, EMDR seems to really help me process. It is exhausting though, so I can only do a few minutes at a time, on days when I can go on home and don't have to go back to work. I am not sure why.

My PTSD comes and goes. I try to be careful with stress, who I am around and loud noises etc. I've been having difficulty sleeping lately. Even when I take Ambien. I hope that passes soon.

Love to all of you and hope your symptoms are not too bad right now. (f)

I also find EMDR exhausting and can only do it when I am in a more stable frame of mind. Otherwise I run the risk of completely decompensating and dissociating in my session and it's a mess. I think it's a great tool and I do find it helpful but I do not by any means do it constantly.

My heart goes out to everyone struggling right now. I'm having a hard time myself.

TRIGGER WARNING: Childhood sexual abuse, incest, seeing one's abuser

I kinda feel like even trigger warnings can be triggering so I apologize but I need to get this out. Starting as early as three years old (this is my earliest memory of this), I was sexually abused by my uncle. No one in the family knows except my sister. This is a personal decision based on the fact that I think it would cause huge drama in my family and adult life and give me no relief or benefit. So please, I do not want the advice if telling my family. Actually I'm not really here for advice at all but just support.

So, because no one knows about him I force myself to endure seeing him in certain family get togethers. I know he knows I know. I saw him this past 4th of July and had to endure two hugs and being called sweetheart by him.

I've been kind of off my rocker since then. I skipped therapy the past two weeks because I feel like I just can't deal. Not my best decisions but I'm just going day by day here. My symptoms are really bad and I've been super stressed out.

I feel really vulnerable putting this information out there for the public but I feel the folks of this thread will understand and hold space for me.

Thank you for reading.

Absolutely holding space for you. And I'm really glad I'll see you in person soon. All the hugs and support.

EMDR
 

I agree that after some sessions of EMDR I am exhausted, out of sorts and feel like I need to sleep for a week. My counselor told me that we finish processing the event during REM sleep. If I'm not able to sleep deeply the week can be a bit of a roller coaster ride.

The exhaustion and feeling ill at ease seems to happen to me after a facing an intense incident. It is especially ruff if the session ends in the middle of processing something big and it is not cleared. It seems to take a week to fully assimilate the energy shifts for me.

Big hugs to you all!

Holding Space
 

I like that idea of holding space, CCB. I will definitely hold space not only for you, but for myself and other survivors as well.

I've been attending therapy weekly, every Monday night, right after work, for nearly a year now. Some times sessions are super intense, other times not so much, but mostly each session has its own intensity.

I'm actually taking a few weeks off from therapy in August because my therapist is moving on in their doctoral program and her supervisor and other board certified staff have presented a compelling case for me to try EMDR. So when I return to continue therapy in September, I'll be working with a new therapist and committing another stretch of time to work within the framework of EMDR. From what my therapist said, I'll only go two to three time a month -- kind of like go weekly for three weeks, take a week to rest, then resume the same pattern of therapy: On for three weeks, off one week.

I have severe PTSD and on top of it, my introversion is very strong. Too much of any social interaction makes me "run" in the opposite direction. I also do not like being touched or hugged, which closely aligns with prior times in life where unwelcome touch has taken place in my life.

So holding space is exactly the solution that works best for me.

Sending peaceful energy to all,

K.:rrose:

Symptoms of PTSD can include:
Hypervigilance and scanning
Elevated startle response (check)
Blunted affect, psychic numbing (check)
Aggressive, controlling behavior (a high degree of insistence on getting your way) (check)
Interruption of memory and concentration(check)
Depression (check)
Violent eruptions of rage (check)
Substance abuse (check)
Intrusive recall -- different from normal memory in that it brings with it stress and anxiety (check)
Dissociative experiences, including dissociative flashbacks (check)
Insomnia(check)
Suicidal ideation (check)
Survivor guilt
__________________

Holding space for all of us!

CCB, I hope he is old and dies...I mean, goes into a nursing home soon, then you won't have to see him. The good part about getting older is that for me, those people are not still around! Sending love and space and holding the high watch for you as you process. (f)

Welcome Witch, looks like you found the right place! xoxoxo

Amulette and K - I can only stand EMDR form time to time. Take care of yourselves. Baths, plenty of sleep and lots of water.

K - dearest friend. Best to you in your new EMDR endeavor. It does help blur the edges of the pain. It's difficult at the time, but I can really tell the difference over time. I have also had brain spotting, which is similar but not as difficult to process.

Its a decent week for me. I am not sleeping well, but also not hiding under my desk at loud sounds. I struggle with maybe getting a less stressful job, but think what I do is important.

Sweet calming vibes to all of you! (f):candle::candle:

I did some self care this week that really helped me. I set some boundaries for those around me and I have been working on creating a welcoming space for myself. We had to do some rearranging in our home to make sure that everyone has the spaces they need, but, its helping already... even with the stacked boxes I am trying to sort through I still feel like my space is more of what I need, and my daughter is feeling the same way in her new space.

What do you all do to create safe spaces for yourself? What things help you feel comfortable? What things do you absolutly need for that feeling of security?

What a great post! I have to have my own space too! Its weird too, sometimes I have to move things around till I feel safe. I recently moved and have boxes too lol. Its a studio basically 2 large rooms and I had one as living room and one as kitchen/bedroom. I did not feel right in that room...so I (with help) moved my bed into the larger living room and it feels perfect. I have huge windows with lots of trees and it calms me. It is in a huge house built in the 1920s, separated into studios. Nashville has gotten hellishly expensive. Anyway, having people in the house at night, but not in my space, is really helpful. I am not scared that way.

I'm working on getting unpacked. I organized my books last weekend and that gave me a sense of calm too.

Ohhhh, and I have always had a grocery store phobia thing where I get overwhelmed and have to leave. However, something I find is helping is that I do not have to explain to anyone what I bought, and why....and things can go in my bags how I want....and I am less stressed about it.

Even at work, I have my own office and I got floral paintings at a church festival and international gifts from clients to decorate. I had maintenance take out almost all of the overhead lighting. Too much bright light makes me anxious.

I am super glad to hear you are carving out space for you and that your daughter has a mom who understand she needs her own space.

Sending love your way!

J

~~

I've always had a need for my own space to be uncluttered. If things are not in their place I feel disorganized and out of sync. If my bedroom is not in pie order at bedtime, I know I won't be getting a good nights rest.

I attribute this to childhood trauma, which at this point, I'd rather not get into.

I like my space fairly uncluttered....unless, someone else is trying to control my space...then, something inside me flips and my area is a disaster. Some sort of inner rebellion going back to childhood too probably.

Thank you all for your kindness and being willing to read my post and hold the space for me I asked for--easygoingfemme, Katzchen, Apocslipstic, Amulette, Jenn. I hope I'm not forgetting anyone!!! Welcome Witch.

Jenn, I'm so glad you're working on creating space that works for you. That's so important. I also need my own safe space that's just mine. I have my own bedroom even though I live with my girlfriend. It works for us.

Partially I do need this because of past trauma and needing to be able to have a space I can control. I use it for my tarot, witchy rituals and spells, journaling, and painting. Also meditating when I get around to it. It's soooo nice to have that space and I'm lucky to have it as well as a partner that understands my need for it and not only respects it but is not offended that I need it.

TRIGGER WARNING: Talk of an abuser

Apocslipstic: unfortunately my uncle is alive and well and will probably not kick the bucket any time soon. I wish he would. But for now I have mostly reconciled to the fact that I will see him at times. It's worth it to guarantee I get to have a relationship with my parents and cousins and their kids.

Anyway. Therapy on Tuesday. I will finally talk about seeing him and stop avoiding it.

CCB, I like to have my own bedroom too and totally appreciate if my partner is not threatened by this. Sometimes, I even need to sleep alone if I am having a bad night.

Ugh, so sorry your uncle is so young.

Best at therapy!

(f) all!

I had an insight last week about why i always feel so sick with shame and dread the day after family/social/work functions that require extended interpersonal interactions with people who have not made my "safe" list.

I always spend the whole next day ruminating over my behavior and looking for shameful things that i did that might match up with the horrible feeling of having exposed myself.

In the past i have usually been able to identify some comment i made that seems thoughtless in retrospect and then i will connect all of my yucky feelings with that, and just shame myself for whatever i have identified as my own bad behavior.

Earlier this month, though, i spent a day feeling shamed about my behavior at an author event-- but, try as i might, i just could not find anything i had done that justified the shame.

Like, i had not spoken to anyone at all-- i just came in looking beautiful and sat listening respectfully, then waited in line to have my book signed and thanked the author for coming. Then i went home and i did not actually interact with anyone except the author and the lady next to me who asked my favorite of the author's titles. There was nothing at all in my own behavior that i could pin the yucky feelings to.

Last weekend the same thing happened. I had a very intense day at my dad's birthday, with four different traumatizers in the mix, and the next day i felt shame and regret and i still could not identify anything i had done that was at all problematic.

I have figured out that i am not feeling shame and regret, i am feeling exposure and vulnerability, and that these are not connected to my behavior.

Being around unsafe people makes me feel vulnerable and exposed, but i cannot function in the situation with those emotions at the surface, so i seal them up and push them down while the interaction is happening. The next day, when i am safely out of the situation, the feelings come to the surface to be felt and then i assign them a cause from my own behavior because i was raised to blame myself for everything.

Oh wow! Great post and processing! I might do something similar to that. I have shame and regret issues too. I know that if I am super attracted to someone, its probably fear, not attraction. Maybe my shame is tied to other things too.

I get it and am so impressed that you have been able to name your feelings. I have such a difficult time with feelings. I do know what they are now, so progress. But still.

Tonight at my therapy counseling session, I met the new therapist who will take over in September. She's a Transgender Woman and she is simply soft-spoken and welcoming and she is able to accommodate my work schedule. So because she isn't available on a couple Saturdays a month, I'll be seeing her three times a month, on Wednesday nights, at a much later time, due to horrific traffic conditions in our metro area. The lesbian therapist I've been seeing for about a year now, was terribly happy that the Transgendered Woman and I hit it off, during our introductory meeting tonight.

Also, we are only going to do one session of EMDR once a month, then use two follow-up appts to process the one EMDR session.

Slowly guided and safe processing is the goal.

Next week is my last session with my year long placement with my therapist. So we plan to use our hour of time wisely and make plans for the transition in September to my new therapist.

I'm feeling hopeful about progress I have made so far, but look forward to expanded healing as time goes by.

I was dumped by my counselor last week. I'm not getting a substitute because apparently he and his supervisors have decided no further work needs to be done. Or maybe can be done or – I don't know.

Is it publicly funded? I know the President has cut a lot of funding. So angry and sorry for this setback for you. Are there other resources in your area?

I'm so sorry. That's really crappy they're not giving you a substitute. That's happened to me before and it sucks. Are you ok? Do you have any other local resources?

No I'm okay, actually doing well. I wound up in therapy because I began having exaggerated startle response experiences again. This after years and years without them. So I had to go back to see why this seemingly resolved a long time ago issue was cropping back up again, this when I wasn't experiencing any new traumatic events to account for it.

Fortunately I have coverage. However there are low cost, even some no cost options for those in our community who don't. Or do, but have coverage that's so limited, even though they're working they still wind up using some of these same services. Also there are also a lot of resources in our community for people who need support but not formal therapy -12 Step meetings, religious programs, other self help things like that.

Though I've been booted out of counseling I will continue to see a psychiatrist for med management. I can't remember now what they said, I think four times a year, but it might have been every three months. For anxiety and sleep. I never needed meds for either before but without meds I'm still somewhat anxious and sometimes have difficulty sleeping because of all the health things I've been though.

Here's the rest of the story about my dad's birthday: I could not remember any bad behavior, but i could not remember going to bed, either.

I remembered my sister and i saying goodbye to the last of our cousins and then coming upstairs, where my mom was feeding the kids and my dad.

I remembered we sat down and ate with them and then moved to the couch.

Because i did not remember what happened after that, I convinced myself i must have then gotten blackout drunk and showed my ass, even though i had been extremely vigilant about drinking all day (bc at the last family beach house party my uncle publicly denounced my marriage over lunch and i DID get a little sideways, although not to the blackout or ass-showing level, just designated-driver level.)

I have been waiting two weeks for the lecture i was sure Mr. Jenny had been sitting on about my bad behavior, then...

Last night in the car she started laughing about the whole family falling asleep on the beach house sofa after dinner, how i barely woke up enough to move to the bedroom, and how she tried to wake me up by jiggling my boobs and my sister was like "i don't think that's going to do it."

Then the whole family went to bed!

Everything was just as innocent as could be (except the nonconsensual boob action), but i woke up before dawn the next day just sick with shame, and i laid there for three hours convinced that everyone was mad at me, i was on my way to an intervention and possibly inpatient treatment, and maybe would not be allowed to be around the kids anymore.

Prior posts I can relate to 100%
 

I can identify with this, Apocalipstic, because growing up in a day to day events of on-going abuse (emotional, physical, sexual etc) and experiencing sets of similar events over my lifetime has placed an incredible burden on me to develop the skills and language and boundaries/barriers to keep this type of abuse from having any place in my life. When I began therapy last year, it was the mass social acceptance on part of the majority of people in America that brought forth the placement of a perpetrator of epic magnitude to be elected to an executive office, that person clearly should not be in, nor should that type of culture be an acceptable culture in our American society, yet it is -- sadly. Once that perpetrator was elected to office, it sent me into massive panic attacks and spiraling into a full blown case of PTSD, which I only learned recently, is classified as Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD).



This is absolutely my experience with pets too. For years now, I always wondered by dogs would lie down on top of my feet and schlick my feet to their hearts' content or why my cat Petunia intuitively knows I am cycling through a stressful event that affects me in deep physiological ways (escalated blood pressure, racing heart beats, cold sweat, migraines that impair my eyesight and ability to think, etc). Animals are so incredibly intuitive and they know more about our own physiological events, moreso than we do, I think.



I appreciate your personal experience which you have articulated in ways that I totally understand because it's nearly the same experience I have. Recently, about two weeks ago or so, my therapist asked why I basically had only a few close friends (of many years) that I could even talk to about such things. I explained to her that many of my close friends, outside my immediate family, never had an inkling of the type of things I have endured over my life time and that even when I gave a glimpse of the types of things I have endured, there were a couple of friends who could not even grasp the magnitude of having to live with acts of abuse or violence committed against me, by members of family or those whom I was in a relationship with in romantic type ways. I told my therapist that at appropriate times, with certain clients in my clientele (hairdressing), that there were times I could share a personal experience with them, so they'd know that I knew what it was like to be violated, abused, etc., and not have any way to extricate myself from them in immediate ways. In some cases, I could remove myself from those prior situations, but growing up, when you're the kid who is being violated, there wasn't a way or remedy to help me be removed from the on-going perpetual emotional, physical or sexual assault committed against me. But I can relate to your experience when you say that ''people look at you aghast as if I am so inappropriate as to answer in truth to their prying questions." My sister-in-law, when I first began to share about the long-held secrets of my immediate family abuses and misrepresentation of who my family is (because they do an awful lot of facework, keeping up their social face, so people won't know about their dreadful secretive, ghastly, behavioral issues which they keep well hidden from public view) could not believe my family was capable of such egregious behavior. In fact, for the longest time, I could tell she would never be able to grasp the depth of abuse I've endured by the types of comments she'd have in response to what I would share with her. The past two years she has demonstrated to me that she better understands what I've been through, but at the same time, in my own opinion, I feel that people who have never endured traumatic experiences of any magnitude have a really hard time understanding how such things can even happen. In my sister-in-laws case, her inability to grasp the level of abuse I've endured was not entirely out of sheer ignorance, but sort of like what some people do when they hear about such things -- turn a blind eye on what they hear or see? I'm grateful that my sister-in-law has the capacity to learn and accept what has happened to me, but as a survivor I can't help but think of all the emotional burdens survivors of abuse carry by not only trying to make sure these types of situations or events of abuse are not kept from public knowledge but also so we can not be held prisoner by the events themselves.

I hate it that as survivors, we end up with more emotional types of labor to endure (sharing our accounts with those in our lives) and yet for all the ways we disclose our lives in support groups or with therapists, perpetrators still never pay the price for what they've done to us.



I agree with this, completely, due to my own life long experiences. I recently told my therapist that I feel like there's some invisible target on my back that is some sign to perpetrators, abusers or any type, where they seek us out and are drawn toward us. In fact, I'm grateful for that 'moth to flame' type of effect because once that begins to happen, I can shore up my boundaries to keep people of that type of disturbing mentality and behavioral issues from having any place in my life.

Thanks for all your posts, Apocalipstic…. naming and sharing about experiences helps survivors in so many ways.:bunchflowers:

I have a difficult time and am very careful about sharing anything about the abuse I've been through with anyone outside of therapy because of the way some of the things I've shared in the past have boomeranged back around to hurt me. For example I once had someone I'd confided in about some of the abuse I experienced as a child later in anger say to me – I wish he (my abuser) had gotten you in the ass! Another time someone I was living with flew into a rage and asked why was I telling them about things that had occurred in my past did I want to provoke them, make them angry, was I trying to get her to kill my abuser? No? Then why was I telling her this shit! She went off about how she was sick and tired of being with women who'd been abused because she felt like she was constantly being punished, made to suffer for someone else's sins. Then she stomped off angry to go who knows where, to do who knows what, only to return late that evening without saying anything. She never explained her behavior and certainly never apologized for her outburst. I felt completely abandoned when she left me to just sort through it, work it out on my own. It also felt like a major mind f**k because she was the one who told me I could tell her anything about my past and she wouldn't shame me, judge me, hold it against me, use it to hurt me like that male partner of mine had. Yet she did.

My first butch lesbian partner did the exact same thing, the mind-f*ck thing you describe, where they persuade you to believe that you can tell them anything and they won't use it in controlling ways by shaming you or blame you when you're the victim, etc. I've actually seen that type of control pattern among the abusers who've had access to my life. So, now a days, when I hear someone say something like that, it's like a giant red flag about the person who makes that claim because in my own opinion, based on past experiences, to me? When someone says that? It's like they want you to believe they'd never do that, then they do exactly what they say they won't do, which to me, is like gas-lighting or as you aptly describe it -- the 'mind-f*ck'. They want you to think and believe that they own some modicum or shred of compassion. But, it's never been my experience that any abuser or perpetrator has any ounce of conviction about what they do or say (a form of narcissism, maybe?); like it's their favorite line to parrot, hoping you won't see them for who they really are or catch on to how manipulative they are or their level of secretivity, yanno?

Because to me, that's how abusers are: They are masters of control. It's like a perverse sickness, if you ask me. You mention that your abuser was male; but abusers/perpetrators in my past were both male and/or female.


It hurts, suffering through something like this, what you went through.

I read your other post, where you said you got booted from therapy. Hopefully you will find a competent therapist you can see on a regular basis, outside the quarterly visits you have with your psychiatrist. My insurance at work does not pay a cent toward mental health services at all, so the burden of paying for services to see a therapist is on me. Luckily, my primary physician referred to me a teaching clinic, which is licensed by the Board of Psychology and Practical Medicine Boards. I make a small payment every week, and I'm grateful I can afford the small payment I incur weekly. I also have to pay for parking because they don't have free parking.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for you as move forward in your recovery.

--K. :rrose:

Thanks. I've experienced abuse at the hands of both men and women too. None of it felt good but I found the abuse handed down by women especially painful, more so than what I experienced with men, even when the abuse wasn't as intense. As much work as I've done in therapy over the years I still don't understand, fully get why that is.

My son and I went out and over breakfast had a good talk. He has the same concerns I do about the apartment J and I looked at but even so thinks I should move if I'm approved. As he pointed out every place has it's pros and cons but we're not talking amenities, interior design, just being picky. We're talking basic safety.

I don't know I don't feel scared being here. I mean I left home for good three days after turning fifteen and compared to the places I stayed back then, oh this is a cake walk, complete and total joy, gun fire and all. However no this is not a place I want any grandchild of mine to ever be exposed to.

I once had a therapist tell me I should ask myself - Is this something I would want for my children, anyone else I love and care about? And if the answer is no then I shouldn't find it acceptable for me either. I should be just as protective of myself as I am of others.

Fact is often times I worry more about the well being, health and safety of strangers than I worry about the well being, health and safety of me. Most of my life I've just felt young and strong and invincible. It's only now in my mid 50's I'm starting to think Hmm... maybe not so much.

And even more depressing it's only going to keep getting worse. Well unless I have much better luck than Ponce de Leon did in finding that fountain of youth. Instead I'm finding out the worst thing about getting older isn't as I thought growing uglier, it's going to be not being able to run faster.

So, a few weeks ago something happened which triggered my fight or flight, and PTSD symptoms have or are appearing.

Although I know its not my fault, I feel like it is. Like if I had been hyper-vigilant in the first place, I would not be feeling like this now...which, I know, makes zero sense.

I've been to therapy and am going again Wednesday. I burn Palo Santo and Sage and stretch and chill as much as possible. I'm even praying.

Today at work, I actually told a client she was lying to me (she was) and became angry so quickly, I had to walk away. I have worked here 6 years and never actually said that to anyone. I am horrified at myself...though, not in any trouble at work.

I am hyper sensitive and alert and since I am an empath on top of having PTSD, I am have even been feeling people's thoughts even more personally. Yay.....not.

I just am so frustrated. I will think my PTSD is under control, then something happens to trigger me. Do y'all experience this?

Wanted to vent a little, see how everyone is and ask if this seems normal?

Love and light to you!!!

Over and over! I was first diagnosed at 23 and its been with me since (and was before). Things have happened to add to it as well. (w)

I'm sorry that you have PTSD, but glad that you know. Its somehow comforting to know whats wrong.

This most recent episode stemmed from being groped and dismissed by someone in power at my church. It pushed so many buttons for me. I stood up. I told. I wrote and letter to read to him with church leadership and then he did not show up.

Now, he has lost his position, but is still around. I am not really OK. My nerves are just so shot and I am creeped out. I want to punch him in the throat, or run away.

Thank you for the sweet post and the support and for being my friend! xoxo

Apocalipstic, I'm so sorry you went through what you did. It's understandable that it would bring on symptoms. I would be totally off my rocker if that happened to me. That really sucks that you still have to be around him.

I'm proud of you for standing up and telling. That's a big part of healing. Also, it is NOT your fault that it happened or that you are having symptoms crop up. It's only natural.

I hate when there's a lull in symptoms and then BAM! something happens like a slap in the face to bring it all on again. The joys of PTSD--we can learn to cope as best we can but it never really goes away.

My latest is I found out an abusive ex of mine is going to a kink event I am co-hosting Friday night. I have no idea why he would go knowing it's my event other than to be a dick. I had nightmares about him all last night after I found out. I'm trying my best to be prepared and have support people ready and NOT let him ruin my fun but inside I'm still shaking.

Apocalipstic, if you ever need an ear I'm here. Much of what you write resonates with me.

dee, I'm glad you finally have a diagnosis and a name to put to what you were experiencing. That can be really helpful. I know it was for me when I was first diagnosed.

*supportive hugs all around*

Thank you CCB! I am going to try church this Sunday and see how it goes. If I can't make myself go, then I may visit some other churches. I have therapy today to discuss more.

That is so freaking rude and over bearing of your ex to come to your kink night. OMG. I would be so freaked out too. I will be sending light and love to you. Is it tomorrow?

I will keep in mind when I need to talk CCB. I super appreciate that.

xoxoxoxox

J

I'm glad you have therapy to try and sort out the church situation. I hope it goes ok, no matter which avenue you choose.

Thank you for your words regarding my ex. I think it's super rude to come to my event as well. I can't help but wonder if he has ulterior motives. But he's been told by officials of the dungeon we're holding it at, that he is not to interact with me. I wish he'd just stay away. *sigh

Yes, the event is tomorrow night.

You're welcome about the offer to talk if you need it. I figure we need to support each other!

Thank you! CCB! My therapist thinks I might want to change churches. I'm not really religious and I go to Unity, which is a woo church which focuses on all humanity being ONE and connected, which I believe. Its been so helpful to me since Yvette died. She took me there before she died, so its a connection to her in a way. I think I will try this Sunday and see what happens. If this does not work, there is a Unitarian church close to me, or maybe I just need to go back to Adult Children of Alcoholics? Who knows.

Super creepy to be in dungeon with anyone who has been abusive to you. I would also question motives. Maybe he will behave and not interact, though I think the damage is done just saying he will be there. UGH.

Best to you tonight! Will keep you in my thoughts.

I am exhausted this week from worrying. Are you? (f)

I hope we all have a peaceful Friday! xoxoxoxoxxo

Good luck with church!!! I was wondering if you might think about changing. I think do whatever you need to do. Obviously. But let me know what you decide and how it goes and all that. I kinda hope you get to stay at your current church because it seems to mean a lot to you, but please don't do it at the expense of your sanity.

Yes, seeing one's abuser in a dungeon is REALLY a scary thought I can tell you from experience. I thought about not going. I'm going to go though to not him win. I don't think I'm going to do my scene as planned though. He's totally destroyed my tough, Domme energy. Which makes me feel like shit. I'm eating myself up.

I am so exhausted from this week I went back to bed and slept till one today lol.

I will keep you in my thoughts this weekend as well.

Hey CCB! Stopping by to see how it went last night. Thought about you all evening. I totally understand about eating ones self up and how exhausting it is.

I am planning on church tomorrow. A friend who has not been in a while is going to sit with me, she is nervous too. So I will be excited to see her! The church does mean a lot to me, but if I am hysterically crying when I leave, I will need to rethink.

I hope you are well and get some rest today. xoxoxoxxo (f)(f)(f)(f)(f)(f)

I did go to the dungeon last night. It turned out great! The way the dungeon is set up there's two separate lounges with the main play space between them. I stayed in the middle lounge and he was smart enough to stay in the back. If I needed food or drink I had a submissive fetch it for me because the kitchen is back there too.

I didn't do my scene as originally planned but I had fun just cuddling and hanging out with my new play partner, and we had a group playing kinky Jenga at one point. I just ignored him and did my own thing and it worked out. I got into a "fuck him" mindset and I felt protected by my friends.

I'm glad you have a friend to sit with you in church. I hope it goes ok!!! Yes, if you come out of church crying hysterically it is definitely not worth it. You have to feel safe even if it, sadly, means removing yourself from that church. I will be thinking of you too and sending you good energies for tomorrow!

My eating disorder has been active the last couple of weeks. I had a couple of doctor appointments and i did not follow the protocol of turning my back to the scale while getting weighed.

(i know there is an ED thread but my ED is how my PTSD likes to manifest)

The number was far higher than i could handle. Since then i have been tempted daily to download the calorie counting app to my phone and "get the situation under control."

Also i didn't have a secretary for almost 2 months, so i was having to do my own catering orders, and the process of polling everyone for their box lunch preferences was too much, bc i hate talking about food with people. When it came time to proof the final order i came very close to just not doing it and approving it w/o looking. I forced myself to check it finally and there was an error on my boss's order.

ALSO we had a "benefits fair" at work when wellness-type vendors can come and set up booths. I could not read the sign on a table and approached too close and the vendor started trying to sell me weight-loss coaching and low-calorie snack bars, even though the dress i was wearing was showing all the bones in my decolletage. I left the building.

Anyway, yesterday morning i could not stand it and finally weighed myself and the number was my very favorite number.

Now Mr. Jenny is worried about THAT, and immediately cooked pancakes for breakfast-- and although I feel better, i still want to download the calorie counter app.

Also i am not looking forward to therapy on Thursday, as my therapist has already recommended a month in outpatient treatment-- and refusing that along with my continued refusal to take SSRIs is making me seem difficult.

Its the ED that won't let me take SSRIs. Even if they didn't cause weight gain, they cause constipation and that is super-triggering. I convinced the Dr. to just let me have Ativans instead, for rescue when situations get bad, but i won't take those either bc of the constipation. I've had the same bottle of 30 pills since April.

(((((dark_crystal/)))) What you're going through sounds really difficult. Lots of triggery things around. I can understand why things would be aggravated right now. I don't have a lot of ED experience so I don't have a lot of advice, just a sympathetic ear.

Would the outpatient program be ED specific? I've done outpatient mental health programs and have found them helpful, fwiw.

I'm sorry your therapy feels like a stressor rather than helpful.

Thanks, CCB <3

The program she recommended was not for ED, she said i would be doing intense work on boundaries?

I just...i went to inpatient when i was 17 and it was hugely disruptive and not terribly beneficial. Times have changed since 1987, and outpatient would not have quite that same level of disruption, but it would have some.

Also there is the other whole project of me trying to change jobs. That is also a strong recommendation bc I get re-traumatized every month just by attending Board Meeting.

I do have a month's worth of sick days that i could spend on outpatient, but if i don't use them i will get them back in cash if i leave. That extra cash is what is going to make it possible for me to survive the massive pay cut that is looking pretty inevitable.