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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have two children, ages 5 and 7. This year, I have been having difficulties with unexplained periods of distress and worry. My husband suggested I meet with a therapist, which I am currently doing.

One thing that came up, and seems to be something I haven't dealt with, happened in childhood. We were living in a flat in London while my dad finished his PhD. We had neighbors across the hall with an infant. When I was 7, I used to go over there frequently as the parents worked long hours, and weren't there. One morning, I came in and found the baby dead in the crib. Now I know it was neglect and disease. Soiled nappy, vomit on the sheet, and the the infant was rigid. Got my mom, she handed me off to my dad to go to the park, and we never talked about it. My brother was too young to understand what was going on.

It has stuck with me, and my therapist thinks that now that my oldest is 7, unresolved questions and guilt/pain are surfacing. I am working on it. I am putting this out there to see if others have issues that resurface later in life, without warning, that throw your world out of wack.

Perhaps time would have benefited me if I had processed it as a kid. I don't blame my parents. I don't know what I would have done as a parent, and that scares me. [/quote]

So sorry! Here’s my take on it (PTSD/survivor of years of childhood sexual abuse):

It mostly gets better if you work on it with a GOOD professional and reduce triggers in your life overall. I had to retrain my brain and body. It look five years. Psych meds helped, but they only treated my anxiety and depression. The underlying stuff took wrenching therapy sessions and some very difficult conversations with family members. Reconfiguring my life is an ongoing project. The last few weeks have been very difficult for me due to the news. My DH suggested that I avoid the news for a while and promised me he’d let me know if Trump resigned, aliens landed, or a cure for cancer was found. Everything else was less vital to know while I take care of myself.

There will still be rough patches now and then, but they will be less frequent and less severe. Anniversaries of bad events or your kids reaching that same age are common so it make sense that you are dealing with this now. Sometimes you can’t evade triggers. Or things resurface without warning. With good therapy, you won’t be as hard on yourself when you climb out of bad patch.

It sounds trite, but[b] visualize yourself providing appropriate care to seven year old you. Treat her physical shock with a blanket and a cup of hot, sweetened tea. Say what she needed to hear. I did this probably fifty times before I sensed that got it right and could move on.[/b][/quote]

NP here.  This brought tears to my eyes.  What a beautiful thing to suggest.  All the best to you in your own recovery.[/quote]

OP here. I shared that I had forwarded this thread to my therapist. She thought that this was wonderful feedback. Thank you PP. [/quote]

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