Hello? Anyone there?
Because in my experience dealing with my #CPTSD, no one answers.
I point blank tell a select few friends what I am doing--EMDR therapy, confronting my trauma, healing my abused ad neglected inner child. (Well, I don't really say it that way.) And... crickets.
Worse, one "friend" had all but congratulated me, "It's good that you can compartmentalize." Oh, how I wish I wasn't slow to process... How do I wish I would've said, "Really, the way you compartmentalize your weekly UTIs, back pain, and Ehler's Anlos complaints?" Cause I don't appreciate having to put my lifelong condition in the closet. This is my challenge--yours is some other disease and you don't seem to every shut up about it so why should I?" That's what I wish I said.
I'm angry. Friends who have known me for thirty years practically ignore anything I divulge about my journey. And being ignored is neglected inner child's trigger. I don't even give any details. Merely the mention of I have #emdr therapy ellicits silence. Can't touch that--I might as well have said I'm getting STD testing. No words.
How about, "How is that going?" How about, "Sounds hard, are you okay?" How about, "Tell me what that's like." I've never had Ehler's Danlos and I listened and supported all her whining and moaning and groaning for months.
When somebody asks you about your trauma, and especially #ComplexPTSD, please tell them how lonely and isolating it is. Say it loud; say it often.
So that someday, people won't be afraid to talk about it; they will have heard it often enough. And they hopefully will try to make it less lonely for you.
#ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #PTSD
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