Evie, disregard my last post. Apparently I missed the point, bec explained it to me already much better and I get it now what y'all are talking about. I was off.

Hehe.. man you are lost..

K. I'll use an example.

Take the work issue. You have a bunch of people with the severe end. They can't work. The stress overloads on them immediately. They end up with severe health issues. They have no choice but to stop working or face death. They have to struggle on welfare, their husbands wages whatever. Then comes along someone with milder PTSD who says .. well I work because I have no choice. The implication and insult is very clear.

This is what I'm upset about. And it's been happening over and over again.

Does that explain it?

bec

Hee hee I posted prematurely. You have to take in consideration I was posting this while being serenaded by a little one... At the top of her lungs. Thanks for pulling my head out of my ass bec :) What are friends for right LOL?

This one was very hard for me too. I hate not being able to work. Choice?? Yeah I had a choice. I could live under a ****ing bridge. In fact before I was with my family I was homeless for a time. That's how much choice I had with regards to working. This is a good example too of how people could word things differently... like think before you post (and believe me I need to think before I post too!!). But it would have been so much better to say, "I am grateful I was able to work". That way there's no implying others are deficient because they "choose" not to.

I was talking to a friend just now who said I should give an example of what I have been told in PMs as well. Here is the typical "encouraging" PM I have received: "Oh Evie, you are such a trooper, I know if you keep plugging away you will get to where I am soon enough". Thankfully I don't get those much anymore, but I have told everyone off. ;)

As I feel that the remark of "well I work because I have no choice" was directly aimed at me, I will defend myself. Normally I refuse to get into a pissing contest with people, but this one time I will.

My daughter moved out of my home at 17. At the time I was on public assistance fro Aid to Dependant Children. I was divorced, flaring PTSD. I was a basket case. Anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks, agoraphobia, anorexic, and bulimic. I was thrown OFF Aid, because I no longer had any dependant children living with me. I was FORCED to go to work or live on the streets.

I have worked for most of my life to overcome PTSD. I have worked my as off to get where I am today. So I apologize if my being BETTER offends anyone here on this forum

I am god damn proud of the work that I have done to better myself and my symptoms...


Wouldn't it be a sad world if NO ONE EVER GOT BETTER?????

That's good for you Wendy, but your missing the point. You were ABLE to do it. We are saying not everyone can.

One more thing about the work issue. I would LOVE to work right now. If I had a choice, I would totally be working right now. But I don't have a choice, that's the point. I can force myself to work for about 2 days, then I totally crash. I completely shut down. I have lost every job I've tried because I simply cannot take the stress. There's a good reason I'm living with my family right now. I absolutely could not make it on my own without financial assistance. I've been homeless before and I'm certain I could be again. Does everyone here know that more than 60% of all homeless people are mentally ill? Do we say those people have a choice to work or not? Some very insensitive people might. But most realize those people are very ill and don't have a choice. I don't believe not being able to work at the moment is a reflection of my character or lack thereof, I'm simply not capable of it for now and I accept my limitations. It's a goal I hope to achieve in the future though.

Evie you feel the way that you do. I feel the way that I do. You feel that you can't work. I felt I had NO CHOICE...It was either work sick, or live on the street. I chose to work because living on the street wasn't what I felt I could do at the time.

I worked sick, would come home and puke. Either on my own or foced myself too.

I'm sorry that you can't work, but I HAD too. I'm glad now that I had no choice. I feel it safed MY sanity.

I'm sorry if anyone on this board feels that being better means that I am looking down at anyone. That's just plain bullshit as far as I am concerned. I was as sick as the rest of you 20 yrs ago.

Your still not getting the point Wendy. It's not how I feel, it's the truth, I cannot work. It has been verified by doctors, by myself, by my family. I am very happy for you that you are able to work, but please don't pass judgement on others less capable than yourself.

Some of us (myself included) are able to "work sick" because our symptoms are milder than what others experience. It's easier to 'muscle through' it if it's not as bad to begin with.

You don't know how "sick" anyone else is here, not truly, and passing judgement on anyone but oneself is simply disrespectful.

What's to be lost, She Cat, by simply accepting that other people are not able to do what you are because they have a different experience of PTSD?