OK, so we moved at the end of May. The new apartments is light years better than the old place, it's less expensive, etc. I thought it would make everything settle down and put my PTSD back in its usual holding pattern...Boy Was I Wrong. Here's what ended up happening:
On the surface, everything was better about the move. We didn't have to worry about leaking foundations, clogged and ancient plumbing, mold and mildew problems, lack of A/C, in absentia landlords, etc. All of those stressors were gone. It should have meant smoother sailing. I wracked my brain trying to find out what environmental factor was different that could possibly mean more stress than all of the now absent stressors of the old place. Was it a perceived lack of privacy because we are sharing walls again? No. Our neighbors are great and everyone respects everyone else's space. Was it the gun club next door? No. I know the sound of a shotgun being fired and it is part of the background noise here. It doesn't stress me out. It sounds nothing like rifles firing. Was I bringing stress home from work? No. I was loving my job and looked forward to the challenges I faced there every day. And then it hit me. I was dealing with sensory overload. The one factor that had changed from the old place to the new was the elimination of a physical location for my PTSD 'Fallout Shelter'. I no longer had a man-cave. I didn't realize how significant the effects of losing it would be until I thought about what I gained from it. Whenever I needed to get away from sensory overload, I went down into the basement and simplified things. I would use gaming as my focal point for cutting out all of the chatter. Now, as much as I love the new place, I don't have that. The place I try to get away from everything is right in the middle of the apartment. It doesn't allow me to get away from anything for even a millisecond. THAT's what was causing all of this stress. Finally recognizing this is a good thing, but now I need to find a way to shut out all of the chatter without having a physical location to do so. I will talk to Dani about this issue and see what we can come up with.
3 Comments
Dave Kashmer
7/2/2011 07:49:40 pm
Hi Max. Just read your post and now I understand why I haven't heard from you. I agree about the man cave thing. My back yard is my escape. Nobody bothers me there and my wife won't come out if I am busy goofing around (oxymoron).
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Max Harris
7/3/2011 03:01:31 am
Dave, thanks for the kind words and encouragement. A lot of what has been causing me the issues is the fact that I don't feel fully 'moved in' yet.
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7/6/2011 03:42:03 am
Hi,Max, Don't forget that shortly after you moved, your parents came over every evening to shower while their bathrooms were being remodeled. And as much as we all love each other....that had to have added to your stress!! Mom
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Max HarrisAs I continue my life with PTSD, I will share my challenges and discoveries on this blog. Archives
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