(This might contain triggers; mentions of abuse in relation to C-PTSD but I keep it as vague as possible, no detailed descriptions)
Hello everyone, I'm new here. My partner of 11 years has bipolar II and severe C-PTSD from multiple instances of abuse occurring all throughout childhood, into young adulthood, and then going to Iraq with the Army in OIF 2 and part of 3 just sort of kicked off all of their (they are non binary) issues and started a downward spiral that led to delusions (making up past memories, hearing voices), suicidal ideations (and an attempt in 2013), major depression, panic anxiety, hyper vigilance, etc etc etc. They are completely unable to leave the house and can barely tolerate being present in the house. For a long time they were dissociating to the point of losing huge chunks of time and they were completely numb. Once we got their bipolar under better control, the voices and delusions started to clear up and they started getting more "clear headed" and over the last couple of years has been getting some memories back, feeling emotions finally. But all of that is too much.
They said they aren't feeling anxiety (one of their meds controls the constant anxiety they were feeling) but everything is just too much. They can't dissociate anymore or focus on anything at all, and every little thing, noise, light, activity around them (and we have two kids so it's impossible to get any quiet) distracts them and leads them into what they call a storm, where thoughts just start screaming at them from all angles and then they just start spiraling and have to lay down and sleep and shut their brain off. But they can't get away from the noise; like I can't get them to like go upstairs and just get some quiet because then they start feeling isolated and the storm happens anyway.
We are both at a loss. Their therapist has ascribed this storm to PTSD but we have no effective coping mechanisms. Everything has failed. Fidget spinners/fidget other things, reading, coloring books, apps, video games, meditation/mindfulness, talking, engaging in a project, every other thing we've seen that could be tried. They were diagnosed as ADHD as a child but it was also their parents doing the majority of the abusing so everything from childhood is suspect. And their team is hesitant to prescribe anything for potential ADHD or even look into diagnosing it because everything overlaps so much.
Does anyone here have anything similar? Is there any way you've found to cut through that storm? (Funnily enough this website is called Out of the Storm and that's what they've always called this phenomenon) Thank you. I hope everyone is having a good, low-pain, low-symptom day.
Hello everyone, I'm new here. My partner of 11 years has bipolar II and severe C-PTSD from multiple instances of abuse occurring all throughout childhood, into young adulthood, and then going to Iraq with the Army in OIF 2 and part of 3 just sort of kicked off all of their (they are non binary) issues and started a downward spiral that led to delusions (making up past memories, hearing voices), suicidal ideations (and an attempt in 2013), major depression, panic anxiety, hyper vigilance, etc etc etc. They are completely unable to leave the house and can barely tolerate being present in the house. For a long time they were dissociating to the point of losing huge chunks of time and they were completely numb. Once we got their bipolar under better control, the voices and delusions started to clear up and they started getting more "clear headed" and over the last couple of years has been getting some memories back, feeling emotions finally. But all of that is too much.
They said they aren't feeling anxiety (one of their meds controls the constant anxiety they were feeling) but everything is just too much. They can't dissociate anymore or focus on anything at all, and every little thing, noise, light, activity around them (and we have two kids so it's impossible to get any quiet) distracts them and leads them into what they call a storm, where thoughts just start screaming at them from all angles and then they just start spiraling and have to lay down and sleep and shut their brain off. But they can't get away from the noise; like I can't get them to like go upstairs and just get some quiet because then they start feeling isolated and the storm happens anyway.
We are both at a loss. Their therapist has ascribed this storm to PTSD but we have no effective coping mechanisms. Everything has failed. Fidget spinners/fidget other things, reading, coloring books, apps, video games, meditation/mindfulness, talking, engaging in a project, every other thing we've seen that could be tried. They were diagnosed as ADHD as a child but it was also their parents doing the majority of the abusing so everything from childhood is suspect. And their team is hesitant to prescribe anything for potential ADHD or even look into diagnosing it because everything overlaps so much.
Does anyone here have anything similar? Is there any way you've found to cut through that storm? (Funnily enough this website is called Out of the Storm and that's what they've always called this phenomenon) Thank you. I hope everyone is having a good, low-pain, low-symptom day.