Question:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Galiganinda Dulin wrote: > I don’t know if this is strange or not, but it seems so to me. > My original traumas were pretty run-of-the-mill — sexual abuse by a > family member and physical and psychological abuse by a boyfriend. But > the ones that really get back to me recently are different, in that they > were caused by people who were supposed to be helping me. I’m talking > about in the hospital, they were doing their job of course, but the > result was terrifying for me. Lying in a restraint bed all night, > screaming and trying to get out, listening to the staff tell lies about > me, occasionally getting an injection that was supposed to calm be but > usually didn’t, having parts of my body fall asleep because of the > tension between the restraints (being pulled in opposite directions — it > often happened with my arms). This still affects me — I still often > sleep in the position of the restraints. That is, flat on my back with > my hands together over my stomach, or flat on my back with my hands > stretched out to the sides, depending on how forgiving the staff were > that night. I understand that I was a danger to myself or others, but > nobody deserves to be treated that way. And a lot of people who have > never been in hospitals refuse to believe that sort of thing could > happen. It would have been too strange for me to believe too, years ago… > — > — | "My God!–it’s full of stars!" > Galig Dulin | (Dave Bowman) > | (Arthur C. Clarke’s _2001_) > night…@netcom.com | "It could have been me/Yes it could have been me > | Why didn’t I say?/Why didn’t I say?" > ________________________| (David Bowie) > "Folk takes their peril with them into Lorien, and finds it there because > they’ve brought it" (Samwise Gamgee) > "How did this one life fall so far and fast?" (Suzanne Vega)
Hi. very interesting post. being traumatized by caretakers is a bit of a tuffie. I was hospitalized for 2 and 1/2 months for a physical illness – - icu, respirator, etc etc — major mess. the wrist restraints drove me nuts. from my point of view there must be a better way. there just never seemd to be enough staff around to help so restraints took care of any so called problems with a patient. i also still sleep in strange positions – ie: trying to hold the vent tubes in place so they wouldn,t pop off during the night (air is a bit of a necessity|). Sometimes I just shake my hands out all over the place. it seems to help relieve the memories of the restraints and psychologically makes me feel like I,m getting rid of them.. sounds silly but it workds for me. my typing is not real good after very little sleep last night but hopefully you can figure it out. i had many very good caretakers but there were also some awful ones. i,m kind of tired of having to try and understand their point of view. i was the one who was so sick. so now when no one else is home, i scream at the walls when i need to let out the frustration at having been mistreated by caretakers. as far as caretakers or med personnel not having a clue — weeell –from my point of view if they have no clue then they shouldn,t be in the field. we are all responsible for how we treat others and i think that handling the human spirit with care, compassion, suppport, love, iunderstanding (i could go on and on) mosst especially when that human is in dire need or pain ought to be a requirement for membership in the human race. in conclusion, as a stranger said to me "keep on doing whatever is healing for you" and know you are not alon. there is a lot of support here in this ng. :) the ptsd kid (at least until i find the rest of me again) p.s. i rreally appreciated seeing your post. i,ve never heard anyone else talk about trauma from hospital care. nice to know i,m not alone. thx.
Response:
Galig, Your story is NOT strange at all. In fact, there’s a term for it. It’s called Secondary Trauma. Some types of secondary trauma, such as the one you described, can be even more traumatic than the original trauma itself. I think the offending party often comes in the form of police or medical personnel who have no concept about psychological trauma, PTSD, panic attacks, etc. It’s often that they are not being mean, they just are absolutely clueless. I’ve encountered more than a few of them that have created more trauma for me too. By the way, the original trauma you described as "run of the mill" … I hope you don’t minimize it. "Run of the mill" makes it sound almost acceptable. It wasn’t acceptable, for you or anyone else. Each of us is unique with our trauma, but trauma is trauma. Some may be more common than others, but trauma is trauma. And you deserved better. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Galiganinda Dulin wrote: > I don’t know if this is strange or not, but it seems so to me. > My original traumas were pretty run-of-the-mill — sexual abuse by a > family member and physical and psychological abuse by a boyfriend. But > the ones that really get back to me recently are different, in that they > were caused by people who were supposed to be helping me. I’m talking > about in the hospital, they were doing their job of course, but the > result was terrifying for me. Lying in a restraint bed all night, > screaming and trying to get out, listening to the staff tell lies about > me, occasionally getting an injection that was supposed to calm be but > usually didn’t, having parts of my body fall asleep because of the > tension between the restraints (being pulled in opposite directions — it > often happened with my arms). This still affects me — I still often > sleep in the position of the restraints. That is, flat on my back with > my hands together over my stomach, or flat on my back with my hands > stretched out to the sides, depending on how forgiving the staff were > that night. I understand that I was a danger to myself or others, but > nobody deserves to be treated that way. And a lot of people who have > never been in hospitals refuse to believe that sort of thing could > happen. It would have been too strange for me to believe too, years ago… > — > — | "My God!–it’s full of stars!" > Galig Dulin | (Dave Bowman) > | (Arthur C. Clarke’s _2001_) > night…@netcom.com | "It could have been me/Yes it could have been me > | Why didn’t I say?/Why didn’t I say?" > ________________________| (David Bowie) > "Folk takes their peril with them into Lorien, and finds it there because > they’ve brought it" (Samwise Gamgee) > "How did this one life fall so far and fast?" (Suzanne Vega)
Response:
I don’t know if this is strange or not, but it seems so to me. My original traumas were pretty run-of-the-mill — sexual abuse by a family member and physical and psychological abuse by a boyfriend. But the ones that really get back to me recently are different, in that they were caused by people who were supposed to be helping me. I’m talking about in the hospital, they were doing their job of course, but the result was terrifying for me. Lying in a restraint bed all night, screaming and trying to get out, listening to the staff tell lies about me, occasionally getting an injection that was supposed to calm be but usually didn’t, having parts of my body fall asleep because of the tension between the restraints (being pulled in opposite directions — it often happened with my arms). This still affects me — I still often sleep in the position of the restraints. That is, flat on my back with my hands together over my stomach, or flat on my back with my hands stretched out to the sides, depending on how forgiving the staff were that night. I understand that I was a danger to myself or others, but nobody deserves to be treated that way. And a lot of people who have never been in hospitals refuse to believe that sort of thing could happen. It would have been too strange for me to believe too, years ago… — — | "My God!–it’s full of stars!" Galig Dulin | (Dave Bowman) | (Arthur C. Clarke’s _2001_) night…@netcom.com | "It could have been me/Yes it could have been me | Why didn’t I say?/Why didn’t I say?" ________________________| (David Bowie) "Folk takes their peril with them into Lorien, and finds it there because they’ve brought it" (Samwise Gamgee) "How did this one life fall so far and fast?" (Suzanne Vega)
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