Coping Today
How do you get past being sexually abused as a child? How do you get past your parent’s mental illness?
Those have been key questions for me, especially over the last 25 years.
I was diagnosed as having Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder around 6 or 7 years ago. At first, I was rather disbelieving. How could I have PTSD? That’s something soldiers get from battle, isn’t it??
But through therapy, my own research and talking to other incest survivors, I have come to better understand my diagnosis.
A short list of things that help me, personally:
1. Antidepressant. Helps me with better coping tools. I took Paxil for many years, but after so long, I began to feel a much smaller range of emotion – I wasn’t depressed all the time, but I was having a hard time finding pleasure in everyday things too. I now take Lexapro and while I still struggle with some anxiety on it, the coping ability is better.
2. Therapy. I’ve been in and out of therapy for 12 years. I’ve had awesome therapists, uninterested therapists, and all in between. Talking – about all those things I’ve never been able to talk about – made a difference.
3. Pursing my passions. Dance and knitting being the most prevalant. Doing something I love every day.
4. Forgiving myself – this wasn’t my fault. Some days I have to say that 100 times before I can begin to grasp it.
Next: Extreme self – centeredness leads to a break
V said,
February 24, 2009 at 9:27 am
I just found your blog, and I am going to blogroll you so I can keep in touch. I am also a survivor (if you can call me that right now) of incest, by my “Dad”. I too have PTSD, OCD, Night Terrors, I am germphobic, so many things. It IS hard to believe when you get these diagnosed, it’s even harder to come to terms with the fact that “family” caused it. I hope you don’t mind my blog rolling you, and reading, commenting. I love to find others like me, so I know I am not so alone.
Thanks!
V