Hey tude... ta, I forever get confused over shame and guilt - for me they sort of just go together, and I've never really known which one is which in terms of definition!

I don't have much to add (LOL)...

Linasmon, I think it's good that you are openly admitting to your feelings.

The guilt, shame, and blame and 'deserving pain' thing could be due to how you were made to feel during your trauma? And oh, do I know the incongruences our logical minds tell us when our emotional feelings say differently! Part of your recovery needs to be about bringing those two together... that's where I am feeling a lot of you're frustration is at the moment.

In terms of other people, and your comparing yourself to them - The thing is, dominant issues of each trauma can be different for everyone... but pain is pain, and overall you will find everyone here, whatever trauma, suffers the same groups of symptoms (hence the same diagnosis) and understand the turmoil that gives. In terms of 'getting over it' - read up on PTSD, how it changes the brain, thought processes... you will find it is never so simple as that!

For me, I went through multiple trauma's. It wasn't a 'one incident' thing, though the first incident is where it all started. I can't identify what it is like to have the SAME incident going round, and round in my head. I can imagine it must make some people feel they are going batty though! And I can identify somewhat as some incidents do go round and round in my head - I just have a whole load of those, not the 'one incident' thing, so I can't identify with that entirely. My dominant factor is that I have several flashbacks, from several times in my life, and from different trauma's. I get confused, it's hard to figure out where my head is at times. Someone who had one trauma causing their PTSD couldn't necessarily empathise with that specifically, but will be able to understand on some level most likely we all share the same grouped 'symptoms'.We all certainly understand what it is like to feel terror, to have flashbacks (of whatever nature of trauma), and nightmares, etc. etc. Again, I have guilt and shame related to what I went through as a child, and this affects me sexually... someone who had, say, trauma from a burglary wouldn't necessarily understand that personally in the specific way that I do. But I wouldn't understand 'survivor guilt' on a personal level, because there was nobody else other than me and the person who traumatised me involved.

At the same time, I have said here before myself... PTSD is lonely. Being here helps, because we can identify with others, whatever the nature of the trauma... but at the end of the day, only each and every one of us suffered our specific trauma and how that impacted our individual lives- no one else can be you, so no one else can truly know your pain. And the same to anyone else. Though I think others have already explained that better than me.

A lot of people have already said some of what I've said here so apologies for repetition!