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Tag: PTSD

  • To The Person Who Said Yeah Right That’s Not A Service Dog

    This is to the rude person that said to their child (after their child said “look daddy, a service dog!”) “yeah right, that’s not a real service dog.” And to the woman who said “Looks like anyone can put a vest on their dog and call it a service dog these days.” And to the many others who have given me rude comments and dirty looks. You judge me without even knowing me.

    Don’t I look fine? I look like I’ve got it all going for me. My hair is perfectly curled, my makeup is flawless, and I’m cute as a button in my favorite Disney attire. You wouldn’t think anything could even be wrong with me.

    You see, not all disabilities are visible. I have PTSD from watching my 6 year old son die right before my eyes in a car accident on our way to Disney for his 7th birthday. I see the image of my child being killed every day of my life for the last 8 years. Every. Single. Day. I have awful panic attacks that happen at random and I can’t predict them. I have terrible night terrors and severe anxiety. This Service Dog sitting next to me helps me stay calm and when a panic attack happens, he senses it. He immediately leans against me, I bend down to him, he puts his nose to my nose and he brings me back to reality without having to use seriously addictive medication. This Service Dog is my best friend. He makes me feel like I can conquer the world and gives me that confidence, just by being by my side. When he is “working” with his vest on, he walks right beside me, not pulling me. He doesn’t get distracted by other dogs walking by, he is always paying attention to what I’m doing and if I’m getting anxious. I have spent many many many many countless hours working on his training with All American Dog Training Academy making him into the service dog his is today. He doesn’t bark at anyone, he doesn’t even pay any attention to anyone walking by. If I just “wanted to bring my pet with me everywhere” he wouldn’t be this well trained and in tune to my needs.

    Just because someone is different than you, doesn’t mean you need to be a complete asshole. You have no idea what someone has gone through and what they have lived. Instead of judging someone, maybe just be empathic to their situation and not make snide comments as they walk by.

    No, I don’t HAVE to explain myself, but I do it to maybe help someone else with a service dog that has gone through the same experiences of rude people that I have. And maybe, just maybe, those rude people will read this and realize how hurtful they truly are.

    Just remember, you never know what disability someone has by looking at them on the outside, so don’t be an asshole.

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    #servicedog #servicepoodle #servicedogsofdisney #waltdisneyworld #wdw #magicKingdom

    Credit https://www.facebook.com/RedWhiteandBethune/

     

  • Today It Happened He Asked To Try For Another Baby

    Today it happened.

    My fiancée brought up getting pregnant again. I knew it would happen.

    He said “I want to see if we can have a normal pregnancy you know. Have a baby come home two days later and you actually get to breastfeed.”

    I told him I never want to be pregnant again and if we really want another child we can adopt, I cannot be pregnant again, I mean biologically I can but Mentally I cannot do it.

    I really would like to get pregnant and have an easy pregnancy but I’m too scared to. I delivered my twins at beautiful twins at 25 weeks and 4 days, my baby girl passed away, and Max my baby boy spent 140 days in the NICU before he could come home, every day I sat by him, praying he would survive and was so happy he was still with me but at the same time mourning the loss of my little girl and organising her burial all whilst my son held on to his life and was fighting for every breath . I CANNOT DO IT AGAIN.

    My partner has suggested I have therapy and thinks that I might have PTSD, how can I be pregnant again, what if it happens again I don’t think I have the strength to fight my emotions again, to see my baby struggle, to loss another baby, yes i may go on to have a “normal” pregnancy and birth but I do not want to take that risk I AM NOT STRONG ENOUGH!!!

    How do I make my partner understand that I am weak but at the same time I am just happy to be a mum to one, or am I ill, should I get over my traumatic time and bite the bullet and try for another child?

  • PTSD Is Only From War- Mocking & Education

    I have something that has been weighing so heavily on my mind since I heard it and I need your advice/ to get it off my chest. We recently hired an 18-year-old at my work that disclosed in his interview that he has overcome anxiety/depression and has a service dog due to PTSD.

    My district manager (who is male) and store manager (female) interviewed him, then consulted with me and we ended up hiring him. He is not allowed to bring his service dog to work, as it’s in the food industry, which he is ok with. Fast forward 2 weeks into his training, they ask me how his performance is, how it’s going, etc. After giving my feedback (mostly positive), they begin to discuss amongst themselves and I overhear them actually mocking him for saying he has PTSD and “needs a dog.”

    The male district manager goes on to say PTSD is something you only get from war. This infuriates me and I pipe up, doing something I have never done before, and say, “excuse me. I have never been to war and I have clinically diagnosed PTSD.” This is something I never disclose, because it’s my private business, but it’s obvious they are ignorant and could use some education. They both were utterly shocked and said, “you do?” Then the male has the audacity to ask “what I have PTSD from, ” to which I replied “none of your business, but people can get PTSD for a variety of reasons, such as being an emergency responder, being in a car crash, or a victim of violence, crime, or trauma.” This ended the conversation.

    Now, don’t get me wrong. Both bosses are actually nice people, but I have never experienced that level of ignorance in my life. There are people in the world that actually think ONLY military get PTSD??? How can you be so blind to the constant trauma people endure on the news headlines every night?

    How can I educate these people to actually understand what this boy, myself, and others are going through, while not stepping outside of my bounds of an employee? It’s really eating at me. I am well liked and respected there, as I have proven myself to them, but they do not give this boy much hope for a future with my company and I feel they have written him off simply because he was brave enough to disclose his battles.

  • I Can’t Have Been Raped As He Was My Boyfriend

    Last September, I was raped by my (then) boyfriend. He booked a hotel for the night near me (he lived 2hrs drive away) so we could spend some time together. I’ve got some health conditions and chronic fatigue so I’m always in quite a bit of pain. He wanted to try different styles etc but I didn’t and he got a bit annoyed.

    He said if we weren’t going to have sex, I could perform oral sex on him. I said no because I don’t like it but he wouldn’t listen and he deliberately tried to sit on my face and force me to do it until I pushed him off and he called me a b***h. I thought it was weird at first but then he started laughing and said it was fine and that he was going in the shower.

    When he came out, he seemed in a mood and asked for sex and I said I felt too tired but he said I owed him because he paid for the hotel and we hadn’t had sex that night yet. I felt uncomfortable but still said no. He was annoyed and said he was going to sleep. I knew I would be up all night over thinking everything so I took some sleeping pills (they were prescribed) and went to sleep.

    I often wake up with sharp chest pain and pressure so when I woke at 2am with this pressure on me, it didn’t startle me too much. It wasn’t until I was becoming more aware that my (then) boyfriend was on top of me and was forcing himself inside me. I said no but he told me I had already said yes and couldn’t change my mind and I owed him anyway. (Sometimes I sleep talk so don’t know if I said yes when I was asleep).

    I tried fighting him off but I couldn’t and I tried shouting out but he kept on kissing me over and over and I was struggling to breathe. In the end, I gave up and waited for it to be over. When it finished, I got changed out of my pyjamas (he fell back asleep) and I went to the garage over the road from the hotel for some air and a drink. I didn’t have enough money on me for a taxi, my mum thought I was with friends and she doesn’t drive and wouldn’t have been able to afford a taxi for me anyway.

    I went back to the room and stayed awake all night, I sat in the chair. The next morning, he had to drive straight back home (he is in the RAF and was on duty that afternoon). I decided to let him sleep as long as possible so he would have to rush and not have time to talk. I pretended I didn’t feel well and didn’t really say much. He dropped me off at a chemist, which I thought was weird, but he said he didn’t use a condom and I needed to take the morning after pill.

    I got out of his car and we haven’t spoke again since. I got the pill, went to the sexual health clinic, where they done a full STD panel and reported everything. I was started on prophylaxic Hepatitis B injections, at first I wasn’t sure if I was raped, I was naive and thought that if you are in a relationship it isn’t rape, but after speaking to my mum she made me see clearly .

    Luckily everything was all clear. I had regular counselling sessions, was diagnosed with PTSD and prescribed more sleeping tablets and a short course of diazepam. 2 weeks ago, I finished counselling and have managed to put most of the incident behind me, I even found the courage to report him and get him convicted.

    Even if you are in a relationship No still means No and Rape is Rape, if you do not consent get out and report it, you are not alone and you WILL be believed.