C-PTSD and Chronic Isolation

@LW45 CPTSD and chronic isolation are heavy loads to carry. Dealing with it seems more complex than a simple set of helpful tips, though some may help at some times.

Just saying hello, and hoping others drop by and say hi, as well.

Hey @LW45 ,

Welcome to the forums. I'm sorry to hear how difficult things have been. If you are looking for conenction and a sense of belonging with peers, you've come to the right place, so welcome!

Your experiences are certainly something I can relate to, and I'm sure others on the forums can too. Whilst the world is 'moving on', you find yourself stagnant, neither moving backwards nor forwards.

One thing I've come to learn is that each person's journey is different. I used to compare myself to others and think I'm 'wrong' or 'faulty'. Yet as the years have gone by, I've learn to see that my journey is unique. It's one that only I can walk, and whilst I may have been 'stuck' for a period of time, there is opportunity to move forward - in your own perfect time.

I look forward to the community's insights as well.

Once again, a warm welcome to you.

Thank you so much for your kind welcome and for taking the time to reply — it really did help to feel seen and not completely alone.

I just wanted to gently add a bit more context, as part of what makes things especially hard for me right now is that I don’t have much external support around me — no real family support, no close friends, and very limited financial stability. I’m currently not working, which makes the “waiting it out” part feel quite scary at times.

Still, I really appreciate the warmth and understanding in your message. It means a lot to be met with compassion, and I’m grateful to be here and to hear from others who understand feeling stuck in survival mode.

Thank you again for your welcome.

Hey @LW45

Thank you so much for sharing this and for trusting us all with your truth. I want you to know that I hear you as someone who also lives with CPTSD and has struggled with isolation and loneliness throughout my life. I can hear how incredibly heavy things are for you right now. It makes so much sense that you feel exhausted after carrying 'survival mode' for so long. Please know that you are not alone in the way that feeling of grief for the time spent just trying to make it through each day. I'm holding space for you today, and I am simply glad that you are here with us all 💚

@LW45

Thank you so much for sharing your post, and welcome. I’m fairly new here myself, and I’ve already felt very welcomed by others in this community. I can really relate to parts of what you shared. I was diagnosed with C-PTSD last year, and for most of my life I didn’t understand or see that I had been walking around with untreated trauma and had been abused for much of my life.

When everything hit me at once, the loneliness I had carried for so long became even more intense. What was even worse was that people around me would share their opinions about it, and creating their own version of my experience in their minds. Regardless of being kind or not, it just wasn't helpful at all. I completely understand your point about just wanting connection without advice. It's ok, take your time and let your nervous system catch up to it all in it's own way.

I’m so happy and proud of you for taking the step to share your story. We are all here for you!

Hi @LW45 and welcome to the forums.. I hope you find the forums helpful and are able to find some connection here.. In my time on here,, I have found there are quite a few people who have CPTSD,, there may be others who just haven't stated their diagnosis..

I can certainly empathise with your post; I have CPTSD, depression and anxiety. I suppose I "coped" by working and studying a lot. I have retired now and even though I have thought about it before, I find that now I am grieving the things in life I might have/probably would have had I not been abused. One of those would be that I likely would have better connections with people and so I can also understand the lonliness aspect. I also have had the difficulty getting out of bed, especially when I have nothing planned for the day. I understand everyone's life is different, but just so you know there are people who feel at least similar to you.

Thank you so much for this. I appreciate your care, and i hear you've carried your own heavy experiences too. Your message really meant alot to read and helped me feel less alone today. @Till23

I am glad I was able to help you feel less alone today @LW45.. It was also lovely of you to say so. We will probably cross paths again on the forums.

Take care

Hi @LW45

I just came on here as I was thinking all of these same things. Debating which number to call to 'talk;' to someone, though likely i would be offered supports that I already know - grounding, look forward to something tomorrow, have a shower, eat something - you probably know what I mean. But none of that even hints at the exhaustion, the isolation, the sense of surviving just to survive.

It feels strange to say I'm glad I came across your post because it's helped me to feel less alone, and that's the sad part I guess. That reading a post that resonates with me on a deep level, when the post was someone else describing how I'm feeling when they too are experiencing C-PTSD and chronic isolation. That's kind of heartbreaking for me to feel relief from. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

It very much feels like a ride-it-out night for me, which is something i'm becoming all too familiar with.

I hear you. I feel you.

Thank you for your post x