New here

[SarahV]

Hi.
I'm working on adjusting to the idea that I have CPTSD, even though it explains so much—still struggling with skepticism and self blame. But I'm glad to have found this group and am looking forward to learning others' stories.

[NarcKiddo]

Hello, and welcome. I have found everyone here to be friendly and supportive. I am sure you will too.

[Papa Coco]

Hi SarahV
Welcome to the forum. It seems like the first step in healing is learning we have C-PTSD, while the second step for so many people is becoming able to fully accept the diagnosis without feeling like a fraud. It took me a great many years of skepticism and self-blame to get through before I began to accept that traumatic responses can't be formed in any person without a real trauma to form them. I have most of the symptoms. I struggle exactly as the professionals say C-PTSD makes us struggle. I have trauma, and no one can have trauma unless something traumatizing happened for real. I had to accept that my life wasn't as easy as I always tried to make it seem.

Right now, I'm half way through the book The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. His science of how the brain processes trauma has finally put all my skepticism to rest. I think that now, after nearly 20 years dealing with the trauma diagnosis, I'm finally fully able to accept that I qualify fully for the diagnosis, and the treatments.

I'm very glad you found this forum. I hope you find support and comfort here, as I have.

Welcome.

[Larry]

Hi ,  welcome 

[storyworld]

Hello, SarahV, I understand and can relate to your struggle. I hope you find encouragement and support through this group. One thing that has helped me is that my siblings share my struggles, and one of them is exceptionally successful. My respect and admiration for her, regardless of her trauma responses or history, helps me view my struggles with less judgment. (Although I'm still working on toxic shame.) I've heard/read that sharing our stories and feeling heard and seen helps to break shame. For me, this forum has been the safest place I currently have to begin to share. I hope that is the case for you as well.

[Kizzie]

Hi Sarah and a warm welcome to OOTS     I hope coming here will help you a lot with adjusting to the idea of having CPTSD and then knowing how to deal with the symptoms.