Monday, December 26, 2016

I am not ashamed anymore.

I have found out that one of the most important things you should work on when coping with mental health issues is on combatting your feeling of shame and guilt. Society tends to stigmatize such issues and cause the suffering person to feel shame.

I have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to very nasty things which happened to me in my childhood. I am no longer ashamed of this condition. I did nothing wrong - wrong things were done to me by others. I am not guilty of anything. I have nothing to feel shame about. I survive, I function almost normally - this is something I should be proud of, given my past.

I no longer feel shame for having PTSD. I don't give a damn about any negative idea other people will have about it.

Some people might unfriend me on Facebook - I don't give a damn. I prefer friends with a capacity for compassion.

Prejudiced people might point and say "look at the madman" - I don't give a damn. They can wallow in their ignorance as long as they please.

Some potential employers might be discouraged to hire me - I don't give a damn. There are other people in the world with human hearts with whom I can work.

I am who I am. I have no shame in that. My suffering and my struggle to live on despite it is nothing to be ashamed of.
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7 comments:

  1. carlcDecember 26, 2016 at 10:16 AM

    As you note, any problems people have with you are of their own making. You are you and I is I. Those who cannot accept this are of no consequence and can be ignored.

    Take care of yourself (and keep writing the great stuff you already do).

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  2. ChrisDecember 26, 2016 at 10:19 AM

    Bravo! I'm 66 and still wrestle with some of the things done to me in my youth. Some people understand, some don't. As long as I understand, what others may think really has nothing to do with me.

    Best wishes,

    Chris Johnson

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  3. commissarmoodyDecember 26, 2016 at 1:15 PM

    Nora should you feel ashamed. I also live with PTSD. Accepting it as part of who you are, will make like a lot easier. Hang the oppions of those who judge you.

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  4. paulierocketsDecember 30, 2016 at 9:03 PM

    While I do not have PTSD, I am taking medication for mild depression, and my wife has schizoaffective disorder. There is no shame in any of these things any more than there is shame in cancer or diabetes.

    In fact, just standing up and being counted is not only brave, it lets others know they are not alone and that they are not as rare or unusual as they may sometimes feel. So good on you!

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