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Something’s not right

Need a little help tonight

Need a little help tonight

I’ve had a pretty terrible last couple of weeks. My husband and I had an argument a couple of weeks ago about something that has affected our (to put it bluntly) sex life - something that is a direct connection to my past CSA. I’m still rattled about it.

This argument happened while I was under a huge amount of stress when my mum was in hospital. Moving forward to now and I have now moved in with my mum now she’s out of hossie as she needs round the clock care. I have managed to convince her Dr to drop one of her medications that was giving her hallucinations and now she is essentially going through withdrawals for the last 2 days and refuses to eat or drink - which is a problem in itself as she is diabetic. Tonight I threatened to put her back in hospital so she did eventually eat 1/2 a sandwich.

Today my husband and I had a couples counseling session - and the session was spent talking about that argument. I had to relive the events of the CSA and describe the feelings that it still brought up in me now. I was crying and shaking - I can still see it all like it happened just yesterday, not 40+years ago.

I used to disassociate a lot when I was a child, and through today’s session I’ve learned that I do it a lot as an adult but in a different way.

Tonight I’m feeling very triggered, I feel very shaky inside, I feel like I can’t breathe deeply, I just want to cry but

most of all I feel extremely frightened. I have a particular vision in my head that I just can’t get out. I had to describe that moment from long ago today and now it won’t leave me alone.

Has anyone had any experiences like this, how did you cope with it? I don’t want to sleep tonight, I’m scared of closing my eyes and only seeing this vision.

322 replies

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In response to: Need a little help tonight

Re: Need a little help tonight

It really is a terrible sensation @Razzle It feels like the world is closing in on you but there is no real threat although everything we see in our own minds and feel says that there is. That is never a good place to be and incredibly hard to deal with. Keep up the breathing - as hard as that is it does help to regulate the part of us that we can control. Nights like these are just ones to get through Hon - they are excruciating and feel like they will never end but it does end eventually - riding it out with you

In response to: Re: Need a little help tonight

Re: Need a little help tonight

Thankyou @Zoe7 I’m sorry you have had to go through these kinds of nights too. It does help to know I’m not alone here

In response to: Re: Need a little help tonight

Re: Need a little help tonight

You are definitely not alone here @Razzle and as hard as those nights have been for me they at least give me some understanding of what you are going through Hon - I wish it was not the case for you but I am more than happy to sit with you through this.

In response to: Re: Need a little help tonight

Re: Need a little help tonight

@Zoe7 I’ve just taken a couple of Painkillers to help with the headache, hopefully it will slow my brain down too. My jaw is so sore, I didn’t realise just how hard I had it clenched until I opened my mouth to take the paracetamol

In response to: Re: Need a little help tonight

Re: Need a little help tonight

That would be making your headache worse too @Razzle and also causing extra stress. I hope the pain meds help with the headache because it will be next to impossible to sleep whilst you are in pain. Have you been drinking plenty of water too - I know even that is hard when you feel like this but it is super important you keep hydrated.

In response to: Re: Need a little help tonight

Re: Need a little help tonight

@Zoe7 I feel like I have just run a marathon just getting to the kitchen and back just to take the Paracetamol. I’m exhausted, both in my body and my head. I can’t remember ever feeling like this

In response to: Re: Need a little help tonight

Re: Need a little help tonight

@Zoe7 I’ve been sipping water all night hoping it would settle my tummy. I feel like I need a dark room before it turns into a migraine, but then I’ll only see the vision

In response to: Re: Need a little help tonight

Re: Need a little help tonight

Oh @Razzle I hope it doesn't turn into a migraine - that is the last thing you need. I totally get that feeling of the darkened room and the 'monsters' that live there - I often sleep with a light on to avoid such nights - and it helps when I have nightmares to find my barings when I wake suddenly. Maybe tonight a soft light would help a little to not feel so encompassed in that darkness.

I am glad you have been sipping water too Hon - how are you going with your breathing?

In response to: Re: Need a little help tonight

Re: Need a little help tonight

@Zoe7 I usually can’t sleep with any light, but my room here is next to my mums, and she gets a little confused during the night and can’t find the bathroom, so I leave the bathroom light on for her, it does lighten my room too.

I have have been getting migraines often for most of my adult life. I’ve stopped clenching my jaw which has helped.

My breathing got a bit erratic before, I stopped concentrating on it while I was trying to relax my jaw, but I’ve started counting again

In response to: Re: Need a little help tonight

Re: Need a little help tonight

Good on all counts there @Razzle It is amazing how much we actually forget to 'breathe' when we are under stress. One of those little essentials of life can be forgotten but it does help to calm us a little. I used to do that with the kids that were highly emotional or angry - it does work but is so hard to achieve at times.

Is your Mum in bed? I am glad you at least have someone around even though you feel very much alone right now. It is a horrible feeling but when we are this heightened it is hard not to feel like there are others here with us or that anything we do helps. You are doing all the right things tonight though Hon - it really is sometimes just a matter of getting through minute by minute.

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