My name is Cassidy. I’m 20 years old and I live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. What that means is that I constantly live with anxiety, hypervigilance, flashbacks, and nightmares as the result of a trauma. I was diagnosed on October 31, 2011, but I’ve probably had PTSD for years.
I’m having to relive my trauma right now. I’m currently living with my mother and sister. They’re both PTSD denialists, meaning they think I’m making it up or exaggerating. They abuse me psychologically by purposefully setting off severe anxiety and flashbacks (known as a ‘trigger’). They have also tried to force me to do illegal drugs in hopes of getting rid of my anxiety so that I’m easier to “put up with”. The abuse gets physical from time to time too, and I’ve been denied my medication and access to a doctor. I’ve had to save up money or borrow from friends in order to get my prescriptions.
I have tried to leave before, but my mom bullied me into staying by saying that she will cancel both my phone and my health insurance if I try to leave. I need both those things in order to keep up with treatment.
I really wish it didn’t have to come to this, but if I don’t want things to get so bad that I resort to self-harm or suicide, I have to move out.
And that means I’ll need donations. I’ve set up a PayPal here.
Even if you can’t help financially, you can help by signal boosting.
