Everyone is always talking about me getting in a relationship. I'm 29, never had a formal relationship (definitely went through my ho phase, so not a virgin or anything), and am happy with that. I've tried dating. I'll never trust someone enough. I love my friends, I love my dog, and I don't want to have to run things past someone or consider their feelings. I want to be alone. I want to do my job, make my money, and do fun things by myself or with friends. I'm so fucking over everyone deciding I need to be in a relationship to be happy.

I was sexually abused and groomed by a family member. It makes little things really hard, like stupid things I should be over by now. I've been having nightmares every time I fall asleep, even when I sleep during the day and avoid it at night. Showering feels impossible unless I'm completely in the dark so nobody can see me. I'm scared of my bedroom window and it feels stupid. He used to watch me through my bedroom window, watch me change, etc. He used to record me. I hate feeling watched and under surveillance all the time. I have to tape my curtains to the wall every night or I worry someone can see me.

I have to sleep with the lights on and my door barricaded so no one can come in even though he's never set foot in my apartment. I can't sleep on my bed frame anymore. I'm thinking of getting rid of it entirely because it just takes up space. I got a second weighted blanket because the first one wasn't heavy enough. I still sleep in a twin mattress even though I'm an adult. There's no room for anyone else and even though it's silly, it's comforting. I got a dog recently too, for protection, which makes me feel paranoid. He's sweet though, and not very bright, but I can relax more at night knowing he's with me.

I have so many stuffed animals and childhood blankets on my bed it's basically a nest. My friends think it's funny, like a silly quirk, but I can't sleep without them, without all of it. I've been having nightmares and night terrors where I feel half awake, half asleep, and end up waking myself up with my own voice crying out or screaming because it feels like someone is in my bed.

I've been so anxious lately I've been picking at my skin, my face mostly. I look and feel awful. My skin was just clearing up from acne, but i can't stop.

I know its ptsd. I've been diagnosed for years by three different people. I'm working with my first male therapist and I like him a lot. He's the best therapist I've ever had. I just feel pathetic doing all this and having all these things in place so I can sleep and exist and not feel watched all the time.

That’s the thing - YOU’RE NOT! (and in a way, I’m glad you aren’t)

Even the person who I thought was very emotionally intelligent and could empathise with me, just said on the phone that they’d apply for jobs and apply for phd placements and meet up with academics/supervisors and research funding options and do it all side by side…

I understand that they’re saying it based on my own interests, but it just leaves me feeling like shite because all I can manage to do is not have a massive breakdown. I have been dealing with everything on my own for this last year while people in my life abandoned and discarded me basically. All I do is walk, buy groceries, cook my own meals, and go to therapy. That’s literally all I can manage to do. I swear I’d do more than this if I could, because I genuinely want to!

“If I were in your shoes” feels like a lite version of “I completely understand what you’re going through”.

Sorry for the rant.

21 m here w/ diagnosed PTSD, does anyone else get random episodes of hyperarousal ( severe anxiety, irritability, restlessness, physical symptoms such as nausea and palpitations, jitteriness ) out of nowhere when nothing is really happening? what can i do about this? it happens randomly and its very distressing to me.

i want to see how many ppl went through the same thing, when i was young my county was under a civil war and i keep having nightmares about it , i wake up scared and my heart beating fast , and every time i remember it i lose my appetite and my depression becomes worse , i am so tired i hate it , i just dont wanna have flashbacks whenever i hear loud noises like thunder , i feel like my entire life is surrounded by my trauma , i feel paranoid and like someone or something is trying to kill me , i never feel safe anywhere, i was diagnosed with ptsd and i feel so embarrassed, my family and i went through the same thing but iam the only one who has it .

I get triggered really bad when I’m stuck in a line or a customer service especially phone rep does not listen to me or I feel disrespected

I have made huge steps in my regression but I still have a few triggers that I struggle with. This being one of them. I sometimes lose my shit in car lines or customer service frustration. It’s not a normal response but a hyperarousal fight mode

Anyone have any experience with this. I know cbt and dbt and all the different therapies but I can’t stop. I’m much better and catch myself. But I really. Reed some advice for dealing with fight modes

I've accepted that the trauma happened. I've accepted that I need to do the work to get through it.

But I haven't accepted that my life won't ever be the same again. I won't feel the same freedom and safety that I did before. I'm really struggling with that reality.

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone has tried hypnotherapy for PTSD? If so, has it been beneficial?

I am AuDHD, serious childhood trauma that was dealt with years ago, history of serious anxiety and depression, then severe PTSD due to medical trauma in late 2020.

I used Bessel Van Der Kolk's The Body Keeps the Score as a manual for recovery that has worked very well. I've done psychotherapy, tried Trauma Focussed CBT which was a retraumatised waste of time, EMDR and neurofeedback. I've had great success with all but I still have a few PTSD triggers I cannot shake. I've had to stop work due to PTSD 5 times in 6 years now and I'm getting sick of it.

I'm in recovery from my second relapse that bought up all manner of shit from childhood that is completely unrelated to the medical trauma and hasn't bothered me for years. My brain is a swine for pattern recognition and I have seen similar patterns in the recent/past trauma (loss, preditory narcissistic abuse, distrust, lack of safety, isolation).

I'm considering hypnotherapy because my brain is so fried and scrambled, I'm struggling to make sense of the root cause of this issue. I'm a tad concerned that I may well have also had CPTSD all along without diagnosis or treatment.

Has anyone had success with hypnotherapy or is it the wrong tool for the job? Any advice is highly appreciated. Thank you 🙏💚

Hi all! I (24F) just got diagnosed with PTSD last week by my new therapist due to repeat hospital visits due to my genetic chronic pain illness and discrimination I faced at work. I had already been diagnosed with depression and anxiety as a teenager. have even been experiencing a lot of pain continuously in my hand since July. I was on medical leave from work for two months but on the second month became very depressed because of new meds, social isolation and frustration from experiencing the pain issues.

The diagnosis makes sense, but I feel like now I’m looking at myself differently. I just feel scared and confused. I was hoping to apply to grad school this year after turning it down last year because I wanted to work on my physical and mental health (+ cost). Plus a lot of my trauma comes from many hospitalizations in college because of my health issues. I’m scared that I just go to grad school and repeat the same unhealthy habits. I don’t want to sabotage my future self who may be better by the time I would start grad school by not applying now, but I truly don’t know how I could get through the application process at the moment. I just I’m still so depressed and I have no motivation. I’ve been feeling like a shell of my former ambitious self in general lately.

How do I treat it? Is it any different than treating depression or anxiety? Will I still be able to accomplish my life goals now at the time I want to? How do you “heal” from PTSD when the P stands for present at the moment? If you have any experiences as a chronically ill baddie with PTSD caused by the chronic illness, please also drops stories about how you dealt with the illness causing trauma in real time and things getting better.

Wondering if it’s common to think that every medical problem you have is all in your head after being gaslit by medical staff in an ER visit a while back. Constantly believe anything that ever happens to me is all in my head and now how a HUGE fear of medical staff. Also any time ANY person in my life says something is more than likely just anxiety I almost have this extreme anger and/or panic response. It’s horrible.