Trauma Sucks

I have PTSD from an active shooter situation at my school. If you need to talk, please do.

[actuallytraumatized]

Hello, friends and followers! It’s been awhile since I’ve posted on this account.

The reason that it’s been awhile?

I’m doing better.

I still have hard days once in awhile, of course, but my hard days are no longer as difficult and I am more able to manage them. Why? Because I went to therapy, and I worked really, really hard to apply what I learned to my life.

It’s been a few years, and at its worst I thought I would never come out on the other side... but guess what? I have!

I know you might not feel like it, but I promise you, there’s a whole! entire! life! left out there, and it’s yours.

I love you and I believe in you. We’ve got this.

[unaverage-confessions]

When my therapist debates my negative thoughts with actual facts

I’m like:

[gentle-reminder]

gentle reminder

the difficult days don’t last forever

[prettypositivity]

sis, it’s time for you to be happy again

[partyshoggoth-blog]

Oh No That Was Probably A Really Weird Thing To Say Wasnt It: A Memoir

[quiet-reassurance]

Big trauma mood

[mental-health-recovery]

You’re not reading this by accident.

Everything is going to be okay.

Breathe and remember that you’ve been in this place before.

You’ve been this uncomfortable, anxious and scared, and you survived.

Close your eyes and feel the universe within you making a way for you right now.

[lovelysuggestions]

Though it may not seem like it right now, you have so much more to look forward to in life. One bad day will seem like nothing when you have your first real love, when you hold your first born child, when you score your dream job in a few years. There is so much more in life than this, you just need to hold on. 

[goodbyeworld95-deactivated20190]

Therapist: Are you ready to discuss this traumatic event?

Me: Yeah

Me, 3 minutes into the therapy session:

[unwelcome-ozian]

We often think of trauma symptoms as something to be cured, when in fact they’re the cure run amok.

The more that we are able as a society to recognize that trauma is not an illness, but a response to an overwhelming event, the more that trauma survivors who have post-traumatic stress will be able to talk about their symptoms and find relief.

[openblogtomyabusivemother]

So many people on here want to be your savior. Beware of that. I am the only one who can save me and you are the only one who can save you. I don’t share my stories so I can be your savior. I share them in case it can help you save yourself.

[actuallytraumatized]

me when having a trauma episode: This is just what my life is now. I will never be okay. I will never be normal. I'm damaged and ruined too much for anything. I'll never be healthy. What they did to me destroyed me. I will suffer for as long as I live.

me when I'm having a good day: I have done it, I have achieved a good life, everything is fun and life is endless possibilities maybe I will climb mountains today nothing is out of reach!! Also I will not be in a single bad mood ever again!

[survivorsau]

[valiumvampire]

i feel like nobody wants to talk about the actual effects of trauma. like yeah people like the aesthetic of abandoned hospitals and teddy bears and bruised knees but the real reactions we have to trauma is so hush hush yknow? trauma reactions can be ugly and messy because….trauma is an ugly and messy thing. my mind had to adapt to abuse. so much of the way i think is affected by trauma. it’s not always the way it’s portrayed in movies and books

[actuallytraumatized]

Can I ask yoyr opinion on whether you think something is sexual abuse?

I have no experience with that kind of trauma, and I am not a trained responder. If it will make you feel better to confide in me, you may, but I strongly encourage you to seek help from someone who is trained to assist you in addressing any traumas or struggles you may be facing in your life.

[unaverage-confessions]

My therapist when I tell them that their suggested skills actually worked:

[positive-affirmation]

Don’t put off seeing a doctor or specialist about your mental health/wellbeing.

A lot of the time, mental health disorders will lie to you and make you believe you’re not ‘sick enough’ to get help. They make you believe that it’s not real, that you’re making it up, or that there are other people out there who are ‘sicker than you’ so you should just put up with it.

But just listen to me for a minute, from someone who’s been there and knows what it’s like to think those things.

If you’re crying for days at a time and you don’t really know why, then please speak to your doctor.

If you’re feeling empty with no motivation or excitement, please speak to your doctor.

If you’re constantly hearing horrible thoughts about yourself in your head, please speak to your doctor.

If frequently you find yourself alone and scared and hiding from everyone, please speak to your doctor.

If you feel overwhelmed and you can’t carry on, please speak to your doctor.

If you have a gut feeling that something might be wrong, even if there’s only a 1% chance, please speak to your doctor.

You don’t have to keep going through this. You don’t have to feel this way. Please seek the help you might need.

[iamatinyowl]

It’s okay if you can’t deal with everything immediately.

It’s okay if you experience trauma and you need to take a while to sort through it. You are allowed to choose to unpack something when you have the energy and emotional stability to actually wade through it. You don’t have to process everything as soon as it happens, you can put it away until you have the spoons for it and it doesn’t mean you’re repressing it. You’re allowed to acknowledge something has happened and you’re not in a good place to sort it out in your head.

You can take a breather and take your time and process at your own pace.