Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Hello, I'm seeking your support.

I was recently laid off from a job that I truly enjoyed. Over the past 10 years, I have grappled with depression and anxiety, and I have been taking medication for the past 4 years.

Losing my job has significantly exacerbated my feelings of depression and anxiety, to the point where most days, I struggle to get out of bed. I find myself spending the whole day eating, watching Netflix, and mindlessly scrolling through social media.

My job was a beacon of hope for me, especially after it took me 3 years to find a job following a 7-year tenure at my previous workplace. Now, I feel hopeless about finding another job. I am so drained and disheartened that I can't even muster the energy to work on my resume and start applying again. I keep asking myself, "What's the point?"

Especially considering that I'm a 38-year-old single woman, the thought of failing at everything and never achieving anything in life keeps taunting me. How can I start over at this age with nothing to build on?

In any case, I was hoping that you could provide me with some ideas and recommendations for sustainable morning and nighttime routines that could assist me during this challenging period.

Thank you very much 🤍

#52SmallThings #MightyTogether
#Trauma #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #ADHD #CPTSD #Fibromyalgia
#ChronicFatigue #CheckInWithMe #Grief #ChronicDepression #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder

Hello, I'm seeking your support.

I was recently laid off from a job that I truly enjoyed. Over the past 10 years, I have grappled with depression and anxiety, and I have been taking medication for the past 4 years.

Losing my job has significantly exacerbated my feelings of depression and anxiety, to the point where most days, I struggle to get out of bed. I find myself spending the whole day eating, watching Netflix, and mindlessly scrolling through social media.

My job was a beacon of hope for me, especially after it took me 3 years to find a job following a 7-year tenure at my previous workplace. Now, I feel hopeless about finding another job. I am so drained and disheartened that I can't even muster the energy to work on my resume and start applying again. I keep asking myself, "What's the point?"

Especially considering that I'm a 38-year-old single woman, the thought of failing at everything and never achieving anything in life keeps taunting me. How can I start over at this age with nothing to build on?

In any case, I was hoping that you could provide me with some ideas and recommendations for sustainable morning and nighttime routines that could assist me during this challenging period.

Thank you very much 🤍

#52SmallThings #MightyTogether
#Trauma #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #ADHD #CPTSD #Fibromyalgia
#ChronicFatigue #CheckInWithMe #Grief #ChronicDepression #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder

Don’t tell me to conquer my “demons”. That I have
“emotional baggage”. That I need to clean up my life, repent, repair my relationships and restore my place in society. That I need to change my perspective from “half empty to half full”. Just think positive, smile, lighten up, etc. All of this is dripping with misogynistic beliefs and patriarchal values. No, I won’t put a fucking smile on my face for anyone. I don’t owe anyone pretty, or perfection. I don’t have to be anything other than what I am or feel. I am not ashamed of my mental illnesses or disabilities! I am not trying to rid myself of anything. I embrace all of me. All of my humanity, all my emotions all my feelings, all my wounds, and scars. Don’t ever, ever tell me, my trauma is “darkness”, “evil” or “demons”. That is emotional abuse and is part of the problem that caused most of us to get sick in the first place. Morality causes almost all suffering in society. Not the lack of it, but the strict enforcement of it that leads to all kinds of condemnations, violations of rights and lack of emotional intelligence and empathy in the world. I support Radical Self Acceptance!

#Bipolar2
#Bipolar1
#MajorDepressiveDisorder
#Depression
#SubstanceUseDisorders
#PTSD
#CPTSD

Don’t tell me to conquer my “demons”. That I have
“emotional baggage”. That I need to clean up my life, repent, repair my relationships and restore my place in society. That I need to change my perspective from “half empty to half full”. Just think positive, smile, lighten up, etc. All of this is dripping with misogynistic beliefs and patriarchal values. No, I won’t put a fucking smile on my face for anyone. I don’t owe anyone pretty, or perfection. I don’t have to be anything other than what I am or feel. I am not ashamed of my mental illnesses or disabilities! I am not trying to rid myself of anything. I embrace all of me. All of my humanity, all my emotions all my feelings, all my wounds, and scars. Don’t ever, ever tell me, my trauma is “darkness”, “evil” or “demons”. That is emotional abuse and is part of the problem that caused most of us to get sick in the first place. Morality causes almost all suffering in society. Not the lack of it, but the strict enforcement of it that leads to all kinds of condemnations, violations of rights and lack of emotional intelligence and empathy in the world. I support Radical Self Acceptance!

#Bipolar2
#Bipolar1
#MajorDepressiveDisorder
#Depression
#SubstanceUseDisorders
#PTSD
#CPTSD

Yesterday I responded to a post regarding Narcissism, as I am a survivor of narcissistic abuse (Hitchcock style, seriously). Over the past few yrs I've uncovered instances where individuals who have studied a particular illness extensively, claim with all certainty that they've thoroughly captured all of its aspects.

This is extremely hard to deal with, because often missing facts perpetuate social vulnerability. Why vulnenerability? Because predators hunt and potential victims can be better equipped for self-defense if they know what to watch out for.

Has anyone else has run into a similar situation for this or any other mental health illness(s)? Dr. Ousterhout, what type of mindfulness approach would you recommend in this type of situation? Any other thoughts you could share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

#MentalHealth
#ADHD #Trauma #Anxiety #Depression
#ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder
#TraumaticBrainInjury
#PostconcussionSyndrome
#ParoxysmalHemicrania
#ChronicVestibularMigraine