Declarations for the good of mankind

[BrianR]

Wolf has earned that privilege.

[Treasenuak]

I have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by my psychologist and can tell you that if you do truly have it (rather than faking), it interferes with your daily life on a pretty grand scale. Now, understand, I've had this diagnosis for six years, and there are parts of it that I've been able to overcome. However, I still have flashbacks on a regular basis; sudden movement out of the corner of my eye or sudden noises will send me into complete panic. I cannot handle crowds of any size. If I'm in a restaurant or similar facility, I have to sit with my back and side to a wall, in a corner, and someone has to be between me and the waiter/waitress at all times. I wake up screaming in the middle of the night from the nightmares. I've been told I'll sit up screaming and still be sound asleep. Yes, I've learned to cope with and adjust to all these issues, and I have a full time job and am a contributing member of society... just like depression, PTSD can be handled medically and worked around. It CAN be debilitating in more serious cases, but then so can depression. Those cases tend to be a bit on the less common side though. Does all this answer y'all's questions?

[Cicero]

lol! Brian, calling you dumb on this one is more of a right. I can not even fathom, why you would try and piss all over a possibly deadly and dangerous disorder. And act as if it's a disorder of hypochondriacs.

Let's just say hi to the army wives right now. How do you feel about your ex-husband's PTSD? Or how about the time he tried to kill you? Brian R has an idea.
*edited* srsly.

[BrianR]

Treasenuak, may I ask what your trauma was?

[Treasenuak]

Brian, my trauma was living for two years with a man who physically, emotionally, mentally, and sexually abused me every single day I was with him. Not only do I have PTSD from it, I have a dissociative identity disorder as well (aka, I developed a split personality)

[BrianR]

Originally Posted by Treasenuak

Brian, my trauma was living for two years with a man who physically, emotionally, mentally, and sexually abused me every single day I was with him. Not only do I have PTSD from it, I have a dissociative identity disorder as well (aka, I developed a split personality)

May I ask why you remained with the jerk or didn't kill him in his sleep? Animals like that (I refuse to call them 'men') should be put down. Women are NOT helpless. No, I am not calling you culpable. But I personally would either walk on or kill an abusive partner, regardless of my feelings for them. There are resources for battered women including anonymous shelters, legal help with property or children etc. Why? Why put up with abuse of any kind? What are you doing about your situation now?

Please don't tell me medication. I have a personal revulsion against anyone with a 'psy' in his/her title, but will concede that they can help some people who need to air their problems. I rarely agree with medication as a means of treatment long term. All it does is mask problems and cover up feelings.

People can handle stress. Some need help learning to cope but all can do it. I've been stressed more than many, tried to deal with well-meaning "professionals" who caused more harm than good and ultimately discovered that they cannot fix anything they can't medicate away and drugs are nearly always their first reaction.

"When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Drugs are all counselors, psychiatrists and social workers have that does anything concrete from the patient's view. Nearly everyone I know that takes some form of drug to "cope" has been on that drug long term and will remain so because they see it as an easy fix to a complicated problem that they have to work out, ultimately, on their own and that scares them. So they retreat to the safety of a pill.

My own problems were actually identified by a friend who had the same problem and recognised the symptoms. Once I knew the identity of my enemy, I worked out a plan to get back to normal and executed it. Yes, I talked to her and used some of her own strategies but not all worked for me, they were hers alone. I even talked to the right "professionals" and they confirmed my diagnosis.

Guess what the first thing they offered to me was? Yep, pills. I declined and now I'm fine without their help.

Would you like to talk to me sometime and I'll offer help if you want it. I promise, no slapping.

Brian

[hamadryad]

Originally Posted by BrianR

I declined and now I'm fine without their help.

Would you like to talk to me sometime and I'll offer help if you want it. I promise, no slapping.

Brian

Funny. You don't sound "fine." You sound hostile.

Speaking as yet another person diagnosed with PTSD, I think I'd rather have my heart cut out with a spoon than talk to you about it.

And, no.... you may not ask me about the circumstances regarding my illness.

[Cicero]

Originally Posted by hamadryad

Funny. You don't sound "fine." You sound hostile.

Speaking as yet another person diagnosed with PTSD, I think I'd rather have my heart cut out with a spoon than talk to you about it.

And, no.... you may not ask me about the circumstances regarding my illness.

.
.
.
That kicks ass. Kthxbai.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by BrianR

May I ask why you remained with the jerk or didn't kill him in his sleep? Animals like that (I refuse to call them 'men') should be put down. Women are NOT helpless. No, I am not calling you culpable. But I personally would either walk on or kill an abusive partner, regardless of my feelings for them. There are resources for battered women including anonymous shelters, legal help with property or children etc. Why? Why put up with abuse of any kind? What are you doing about your situation now?

`snip`

Brian, with all due respect to you and your opinion, you really can't judge the "why" women remain. Please try to understand it's so much deeper than the black and white "kill him, get help, just leave." Many women eventually do...but the thought processes that take them to that point are something that can't possibly be understood unless you've gone through it.

It's such a complex thing that I can't even begin to make sense of it myself, much less break it down in a post.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

snip~ Please try to understand it's so much deeper than the black and white ~snip~ but the thought processes that take them to that point are something that can't possibly be understood ~snip~ It's such a complex thing that I can't even begin to make sense of it myself ~snip

I think most men do recognize this emotional/hormonal effect on their thought/decision/action, process, is part of what defines women. It's part of what makes them good mothers and care givers.

It also makes us hesitant to vote for them.

[Cicero]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Brian, with all due respect to you and your opinion, you really can't judge the "why" women remain. Please try to understand it's so much deeper than the black and white "kill him, get help, just leave." Many women eventually do...but the thought processes that take them to that point are something that can't possibly be understood unless you've gone through it.

It's such a complex thing that I can't even begin to make sense of it myself, much less break it down in a post.

Unconditional love. It's that easy. Women were built to absorb tons of pain, and they put up with a hell of a lot. All of them. The physical pain hurts but the residual psychological effects don't just go away. There is this thing we have called empathy, care, and compassion. These are double edged swords and women have to sit on the blade sometimes. Men have varying degrees of this too. We are traditionally more emotionally mature, but with this comes resposibility, then comes inevitable pain. Most women are tortured by those closest to them when they are tortured (statistically). Yes, that screws you in the head. Not only are they viewed as second class in most countries, but they are also treated like dogs. So the dog keeps coming back home and takes another beating. Some women love unconditionally and some do not. Then there's the women with absolutely no self-esteem or self-respect, and even unconditional love is lost on them, because they only know how to submit. Then it's ok to push them in the dirt just because you can.

Talk a woman out of love, see what you get. When all the love is beaten out of a woman, you get a psychopath. Love, care, and compassion keep women healthy. But there is a drawback, because sometimes it makes them sick. Watch a woman that has a murderous son. She still loves him now doesn't she? Unconditional love. That's what people admire about women in the long run, but it is also something to be taken advantage of, and people do it because they are sick immature freaks.

I say "people" because women can be abusive as well.

If anyone wants to argue with any of this, go ahead. It isn't firm. It just sounds like it.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Cicero

Talk a woman out of love, see what you get. When all the love is beaten out of a woman, you get a psychopath. Love, care, and compassion keep women healthy.

Well it's not been beaten out of me, but as a woman without a partner or children I can't say I agree with your diagnosis completely.

But I do agree that in general women are driven more by emotion and men by ambition. I just don't see one trait being worse than the other in political terms. Even an overly emotional leader surely couldn't kill as many of their own supporters as Stalin or Mao.

[Pie]

Originally Posted by Cicero

Unconditional love. It's that easy. Women were built to absorb tons of pain, and they put up with a hell of a lot. All of them. The physical pain hurts but the residual psychological effects don't just go away. There is this thing we have called empathy, care, and compassion. These are double edged swords and women have to sit on the blade sometimes. Men have varying degrees of this too. We are traditionally more emotionally mature, but with this comes resposibility, then comes inevitable pain. Most women are tortured by those closest to them when they are tortured (statistically). Yes, that screws you in the head. Not only are they viewed as second class in most countries, but they are also treated like dogs. So the dog keeps coming back home and takes another beating. Some women love unconditionally and some do not.

Cic, excellent post. I do know women (one in specific) that fit your description to a tee. And it's not some person with "no other options" or lack of will -- she's perhaps the smartest, strongest (and best educated) person I know. Unconditional love, to her, means once she has made a commitment, She. Will. Not. Back. Down. No matter how much it hurts her (and it has, many times).

I somehow missed all those "feminine" qualities. There isn't a person or thing in this world I couldn't walk a way from. It might kill me, but I'd turn my back on them and walk away forever if I was rejected. I don't hand out many second chances.

I can't decide which is worse.

[monster]

I declare you are all insensitive poopy-heads. my PTSD evaporated on 9/11 *sniff*

[Treasenuak]

awwwww -comforts monster-