A Lesson in Tightropes
Disability doesn't come with a "how-to" book that guides you through the difficulties you're inevitably going to run into. Before my diagnosis I scrounged through different forms and catalogs trying to understand my symptoms, asking myself, “ Why am I like this ?” until one day, I received it. My diagnosis. C-PTSD. Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I remember seeing the diagnosis on my health chart, " C-PTSD? I don't have PTSD ", I thought. I was wrong. I was always aware of my symptoms, but the diagnosis forced me to see them clearly. The sensitivity to tone, the fear of abandonment, the volatile reactions, they finally had a name. What began as " I don't have PTSD! " slowly became " Oh...I have PTSD... " After my diagnosis, I was upfront about my needs with others. Compassion & patience . I experience the world differently, and I need the extra care. My disorder means I was going to have difficult moments, but that do...