Progress I Have Been Told

Progress I Have Been Told

KMCINVA

Greeter
Staff member
Friday night was an interesting night. I was at a friends house and I went to the bedroom to get changed. I had a difficult week, talking and reliving the abuse and having to speak about periods of the PTSD and certain triggers--which I do not like to tell all to certain people. But I had to share some because they were noted in various reports.

Next thing I knew I was in the downstairs of the home. It is what happened before that which concerned me. I gather I went to the bedroom and somewhere along the way I began to dissociate--I was exhausted and worn down but did not feel dejected or anything. I was told they heard a bang and they came up the stairs. They looked in and the window was opened and I was gone. They quickly ran outside and I gather they found me and led me back to the house. I was supposedly very polite but could not answer any of their questions about who I was or who they were. They said I kept asking to leave. It was a short episode when I came back and then I learned how I came to the downstairs of the home.

Spoke with the doctor and he said I was making progress--I said progress I thought would be when these episodes cease. He said yes but this one was short and reminiscent of an event in my life. He reminded me I have been reliving the trauma for the past several months, speaking of the abuse, traveling to the diocese, disclosing more specifics to the diocese and he knows I did not tell all because of my fears. I told much of the abuse but limited the disclosure of the triggers in the home because lawyers and doctors as well as the diocese has said they show signs of very disturbed individuals who should not be protected. Some have said they would risk my life to hide the truth of what they have done from the day they abandoned me while I suffered syncope through the next 15 plus years. I try to smooth it out so as not have many think what is probably the truth of who they are and have become. He said I should hide and be fearful of what they did to me because they are aspects of the trauma that needs to be resolved. He said they will not help to resolve my trauma because their abandonment as a child is a trauma for them to resolve. How each of them processed it is different but their behaviors are classic and the one who was abandoned and their family who instigated much of the abandonment live in denial choosing to put 100% of the blame on me. I know the children have issues but they prefer to deny and take others down through mockery, making fun and laughing at, which was a pattern with members but not all of their other family.

I was lost and he said I recreated a trigger event--he said think what I had to do when I was locked in the office in my house. I said I climbed out the window. He believes (but gave a caveat-their understanding of trauma and dissociation is still evolving)I am progressing through the trauma by recreating an event to escape from the the abuse of being locked in the office which was similar to being in the church cellar. The event was climbing out the window as I did when faced with being locked in a room in recent years. I asked how did I get to the ground because I was on the second floor. He said he did not know but people in dissociative states can retain most of their senses and only lose identity and place. I asked where was I going, and he laughed and said we still do not know the answer but he said it appears I am running to safety now and not the abuse. In the past I may have been running to the abuse, for part of me saw the abuse as safety. He said I am begin to accept the child within. I will take his word because when I did come out it, I did not have the anxiety I usually possessed after an episode..

Through all this I seem to have lost my phone. I know I brought it in the house and was going to charge it. I do not remember if I plugged it in. It has been missing since Friday night. I know it is in their house somewhere or did I lose it during my escape. They are continuing to look for it--In a way it is nice not to be encumbered with the phone--I have the laptop for emails and that seems sufficient. Hopefully it is found.

Thought I would share--sounds like progress in this healing journey which is good news to me. I just need to get rid of the depressed moods that seem to take over at times. In time I guess.

Kevin
 
Kevin:

Yes, the distinction between abuse and safety is an important one. It also seems to me that earlier in life, I made them in my conscious mind to be very different. And yet in my actions, found myself still in abusive situations.

Lately, I have found that the paths to each one seem to lie very close by. By that I mean perhaps that my perception of the distinction is better. By being more emotionally present, I can sense where abuse is possible and where safety is also available. Perhaps, like yourself, this is progress because making the move into safety may be a sign of how I rely less on actions that could prove otherwise.

In trauma terms, I believe this is called the substitute action. It is when there is something done to adapt that is not in one's best interest, but becomes a common way of dealing with a situation.

I hope you will continue to slowly accept and understand what has been difficult. For me one key has been to gradually desire to live less numb and more myself.

FB
 
I have never experienced a flashback/dissociation that extreme. I feel stronger reading your post. You have a great deal of courage in confronting this.
 
FB,WS,Greenwizard, MojaveMike

Everyone thank you. This roller coaster has to stop one of these days. I can feel great, then wham the depression hits. I am struggling today--not sure why--the exhaustion does not help. I just want sleep, maybe two days straight. I cannot function or work. I will be going to friends later today just as a precaution.

The progression in tackling the trauma seems to be going forward per the experts--but it takes so much energy and time unraveling the emotions and memories. Never imagined it would be this difficult--I thought it would be a straight line to the finish line. I was wrong 1000 times over. The Diocese is still back and forth and sometimes I wonder why did I even go forward with them. They are the perp, the judge and jury. We need the statute of limitations to be extended. One of the survivors said we have told the truth and he said the Church will always have their own "alternative facts". Those with power can do as they wish and they have the power here as the judge and jury. This could take years I gather and I do not know if I have the strength to keep it going. Everyone will be dead and maybe that is the plan. I know others who have been through the process and it was devastating, some turned to addictions or attempted suicide from feeling re-victimized. It should not be that way.

I cannot take any stress, threats or antagonism from anyone. I just need to focus on getting my head in the right direction. Amazing those that tormented and pushed me to the edge get upset because I cannot function from their words and actions and now that they are being impacted I am ridiculous, stupid, etc. Amazing they can lie and destroy a life but when it ripples to them they inflict more harsh words and they forget the abandonment, spitting, locking in the room and I think of climbing out the window in my house to escape. I think these feelings make it worse for me because I say to myself f**k them because the have nearly killed me and let them see the rewards of their destruction. I fear hearing their voice or seeing them. My stomach churns and I become scared. Their words and actions have been destructive to my health and healing. They do not understand the damage they have done or as my doctor said they do but cannot face who they are. Whatever.

Depression just zaps ones energy and desires to live. I understand it and do not want to repeat Thanksgiving's events. Writing here and hearing from others as well as sharing my experiences is helpful to me.

MojaveMike dissociation runs a wide spectrum. I am somewhere to the right of the center but not at the far right end. I have been hospitalized and in a fugue for a few days--it is my way to cope--and when the emotions become overwhelming or the memories and triggers are flying this is where I go. Doctors say now to safety and the not the abuse. I am recreating more current related triggers I have been told. I have been told the fugues may have saved my life because I may have resorted to other methods of coping. During Thanksgiving I did not dissociate and chose something I should not have chosen to cope.

I am fighting not to let the depression push me back--I want progress and to touch the goal post. Sometimes the depression paralyzes me, grips my hands, my head and I cannot move. Phone still missing and I could care less--not a good sign.

Anyway it is a battle and one day I hope to win the war. Thank you. I hope you are doing well and moving forward in your healing.

Kevin
 
I am sorry to hear what the Church is doing to you. I cannot imagine. I'm just dealing with one thoughtless and selfish person, and that throws me into a tailspin some days. I know it's easy to say to not let what the Church says to you get to you. Not so easy in practice. You did and do deserve so much better. I really hope that you can come out of the other end of the tunnel and be happy.
 
Greenwizard

It is the process--the church has generally been good and supportive. But the process involves many and it complicates it for everyone. I do not want to throw them under the bus, yet. It is just the reliving of the memories over and over that is taking its toll. I guess I am just exhausted and want it over. There is no easy process with CSA. The survivor is the one who is always on the defense because of how they feel about themselves, how others view them and the abusers need to deny abuse. It is just too much at times that I vent and need relief.

I also think what the family has done has push be to states of desperation and destroyed a will I once thought I had but not today. I hope tomorrow is better but I think until I totally extricate myself from them and tell those that have been lied to about the abuse I will be pushed down--but I do not have the strength to undertake. The doctors said their joint efforts to lie and deny about my abuse has a negative compounding effect on my mental health. He said they have many sociopath tendencies from disregard for the truth. I said he is not the first to say that of their behavior. He said it goes back in their family. They know the priest has been suspended from priestly rights but continue with their lies and denials. He asked has one called to say they were sorry or were wrong. I said no and he said it supports these tendencies. He said they deny the abuse of the family friend who was a priest and the uncle and aunt who beat their daughter because she was dating someone of another faith. He mentioned the spitting on me, throwing of grease, abandonment,the threatening call I received from the ex as I was in the Neurology Unit at the hospital after being missing for several days and he went on. I could not dispute one thing he said. I said then there is all the times their father had to leave the table while they laughed and waved their hand goodbye. He said further disturbing behavior and shows a highly dysfunctional family. He said they would be happy if I was dead and then the truth about them and the former family would not be told. He asked what I thought of those words. I said I have thought that for a long time as have others from T's and other survivors. He then turned serious, for he has read my note I want disclosed if I die--he said they then will be subject to the pain they caused. He asked how I felt about that and I said all I want is for them to get help so they can be happy and have the life they deserve. He said let go of them, they can only save themselves but will destroy others or themselves if they do not get help.

I am rambling. Just trying to keep going, exhaustion is a terrible thing. I am with friends tonight and they have their home remedy for sleep waiting for me. Even 5 hours would be welcomed.

The lost phone has started to drive me crazy. It has to be somewhere in the other friends house. They are keeping an eye on it. I hate getting a new phone. I am a creature of habit.
 
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