C. - My Intro./Mi introduccion

[C.]

Hello Supportive Community Members,

I recently joined here and I'm very heartened and encouraged to see this opportunity for on-line support.  What a wonderful resource.  I'll provide a short summary here, although I look forward to sharing more about my story and hearing about other's over time.  For me story helps with the healing.  Knowing others experiences validates.  Receiving and providing support in "community", well I think that is what healthy relational life needs to be, whether it's lite like laughter or intense like the sharing of tears.  Suffice to say my life story is like so many here.  I experienced emotional neglect 24/7 throughout my childhood/adolescence, then again during most of the 22 years that was my marriage.  I am relatively new to the deeper level of healing that I began in 2012 and alone.  Thankfully I now have a "good enough" therapist.  I am persistent, tenacious, efficient, creative, kind, compassionate, and resilient.  I read/write/speak English and Spanish.  I've been accepted into and lived within Mexican/Chilean/Latin-American cultures most of my life.  It is probably where I feel the most comfortable and at home socially.  I prefer communicating in Spanish although it isn't my first language.  Unusual, I know!  I feel a bit sensitive and vulnerable on the culture/language topic

I discovered the term "complex" ptsd a long time ago, but found little about the term, i just knew that ptsd didn't fit but neither did the descriptions of depression, generalized anxiety, borderline, etc.  Then a few months ago I started reading Pete Walker's book and everything "fit."  100%.  My life experience, my current reality, my healing, my hopes.  Soon after that I discovered this online community, registered and now I have been reading and letting the ideas percolate before writing.  I noticed that simply posting here is causing me to feel a bit anxious... 

I look forward to providing and receiving support and learning more through this journey of healing with it's victories and it's challenges, and as is so poignantly stated, "coming out of the storm" THRIVING!!!

[schrödinger's cat]

!Hola! Bienvenidos a OOTS. Espero que haya algo para aquí que te ayude. And I also hope that no one is going to take a red pen to my Spanish, it's so very rusty. My old Spanish prof would glare at me if he read this. Anyway, I'm glad you found your way here, and I hope you'll find something here that's helpful.

I understand what you say about the language thing. I studied languages, and the connection between language and identity is immensely powerful and endlessly fascinating.

[Kizzie]

Welcome C, glad you found your way here to us!     

The first post is always the hardest and after that it gets easier as the community here is very welcoming, supportive and encouraging.  When you have a moment, please read over the Members Guidelines and when you're ready post here or in any of the forums.

[C.]

Thank you for your kind responses.  Gracias por tus respuesta amistosas.  Significan mucho para mi.  They mean a lot to me.  Yes, I look forward to posting, supporting, being supported and learning here.  And yes Cat, you definitely spoke to my heart about language.  Much of the loving support I've received in my life has been in Spanish and all of the abuse and neglect in English...so when i hear spanish, irregardless of grammar and spelling! , it reaches my heart through some positive brain pathways    and that is not to discount anything in English...it's hard to explain.  De nuevo gracias a todos por su apoyo.

[flookadelic]

Hello C! It was only through my realisation that I had CPTSD that I felt I could direct my efforts in the most helpful directions rather than slightly blundering around in a PTSD framework. I'm delighted to make your acquaintance and do apologise for my lack of Spanish! However I can warp grammar to a point where English may appear to be my second language!

Take care and I very much look forward to seeing you around the place! Flooky.

[C.]

Thanks for your encouragement Flooky!  I'm not great with grammar either so now we can destroy two languages together haha

[alovelycreature]

Your strength based attitude is inspirational. Welcome! 

[C.]

Thank you Lovely.  I try! :thumbup:c

[neenonee]

Cool about the languages, and that you've found compassion in the Hispanic culture. I say anywhere you can get kindness is a good place.

[C.]

Thank you nonanee.  I think it's in part because I simply didn't experience the abuse/neglect in the Spanish language so I have a lot fewer triggers in environments in that language.  And true, fluency helps!  Thanks for you post