New Member

[glbreed]

I am a new member.  I recently discovered CPTSD while searching online for information about the effects childhood bullying can have on a persons life.

I was diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder ten years ago by a psychiatrist and put on meds and I never identified myself in any of the books or websites I read on the subject.  I knew immediately upon reading the symptoms of CPTSD that I had found what was really wrong with me.

I have lived 34 years in torment due to being bullied as a child.  I am so thankful to finally have an answer and to know that I am not crazy and that recovery is possible. 

Thank you

[KayFly]

Welcome glbreed,

Really glad that you are here and that CPTSD really resonated with you, so you can put a name to what is going on with you. I am new here as well but have found much support and empathy for day to day situations, as well as long term effects of having C-PTSD.

I personally was bullied for most of my life as well as sexually and physically abused, but YES. Bullying in itself can cause C-PTSD.  It's one of the most horrid of my experiences for sure.  I have been reading my way through Pete Walker's Book "Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving." And it has been helping immensely with coping mechanisms and just self awareness. He addresses bullying in the book. I don't know if you have read?

Another book I recently read (in case you like reading..I don't really but if it really sparks my interest, I will read it), is called "I Am Me" by Patrick Dati. This book is his memoir of being a survivor of childhood bullying and sexual abuse. Most of the feelings and experiences he talks about really hit home for me, and well, I cried a lot while reading it.

But its good to feel like I am not alone.  There are many insightful beings here, and I hope you find comfort and safety here, as well as empathy and the feeling of being connected, and not alone.



Welcome!

[glbreed]

Thank you for your kind welcome, and thank you for the book recommendations.  I will look into both of them. 

[KayFly]

Awesome!!

[woodsgnome]

 , glbreed.

At least you kept looking when those books you were roaming in didn't seem to fit what you were feeling. Sometimes it helps to question the original diagnosis. Because the bulk of this work has to come from what your heart is telling you.

I think that's perhaps the key to using this site. There are a lot of topics and they can be taken in different directions. That's the sad news, first; the this-always-works answers to any of this don't always pop out in dramatic fashion. But, the seeds to what might work or has helped someone else get planted, and can grow. At the very least it's encouraging to realize you're not alone.

The Walker book that KayFly mentioned strikes me the same way. Unlike lots of self-help books, he doesn't give you THE answer, but he first describes the territory and then points out some helpful routes in and through. He prescribes only one certainty: this won't be easy. Plus, unlike lots of writers, he's had to walk the talk in his own life.

I too was sexually/emotionally abused and bullied both at home and later at schools where it was exacerbated by teachers who set my peers against me, too.

I'm still on the trail...it's had some more painful twists, but finding this site has helped me get some relief, if not those dramatic answers I spoke of before. Best wishes  .