WinsomeDefiance
Posts: 6719
Joined: 8/7/2007 Status: offline
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I dont' really like to put my personal stuff out there for criticism - I'm a pretty private person. However, the honest and transparent sharing on this site has really helped me to not feel so alone in my situation and has helped me with the feellings of being 'less' or 'unworthy' of having a relationship with someone. I used to read the "fix yourself before you get into a relationship" comments and cringe because it left a hopeless sinking sensation of feeling as if I'd never be fixed enough to have anyone in my life. Now, I feel like I should share, because maybe it will help someone else? I experienced a really bad situation that basically falls under the whole rape umbrella although it was really non-consensual torture. It took a couple years of therapy, and I still have a hard time with wanting to reconnect with people, but still isolating and hiding away from putting myself back out there. It doesn't help that I'm this uber magnet for drug addicts and alcoholics. Still trying to figure out how they zero in on me, but I'm like catnip to them. Sometimes I feel like I'm tentatively picking my way through a minefield of sociopaths and addicts and it can be paralyzing not sure where to take my next step. I have some serious triggers as well, which actually is what helped me realize I wasn't as ok as I tried to make myself. This is turn helped me suck it up and seek therapy. I'd never been a fan of therapy, honestly and had little patience with the idea of people whinning and moaning about how their mom's didn't love them or some such. Nothing like a little humble pie, to put some perspective on things . Back to triggers. Just having someone raise their voice at me can put me in a bad place and its hard for me to find my back from it. I don't seem to have a fight reflex, but my flight one is on a hair trigger. I fell into a pretty deep well of depression and what amounts to self harm. Not the suicidal self harm, just the quit caring about yourself kind of self harm. I guess you can say I wanted to make myself unattractive, because it felt safe. If no one wants you, then no one can hurt you kind of thinking. It was easy to hide the emotional and mental illness from family and friends, because I am physically ill. I have connective tissue diseases that make keeping my life quiet and simple a necessity, so no one really thinks twice at my long periods of being reclusive. There are a lot of people, on these boards, who have been open about their struggles with mental disorders and I find their transparency and honesty not only brave and admirable, but something of a life-line. A sort of anchor, that keeps me from drifting too far away from society and my hope for finding my way back. I hope that you get a chance to read their old posts, or talk to them personally. There are some truly remarkable people on these boards who have their shit together, despite (or maybe because of) dealing with some very stigmatized issues. Best wishes, and thank you for putting the question out there. Charlotte
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