I want to talk about the side effects of programming that aren’t actual programs. There’s so much more to the trauma than that, such as:
- refusing to form relationships, especially if local, because of the fear that the new person knows or is affiliated with your abuser(s).
- being able to identify exactly what you are feeling, but unable to express the emotion. happy but can’t smile. sad but can’t cry. angry but can’t scream. scared but you’re not shaking.
- letting people hurt you, or hurting yourself, because you enjoy it. not even thinking you deserve it. you genuinely enjoy being hurt, because it’s all you’ve known.
- avoiding certain buildings, rooms, parks, roads, and places because they feel vaguely familiar, but you don’t know why.
- on the contrary, driving straight to those places for the same reason. you don’t know why, but you have a connection to this place, and you have to go.
- always assuming the worst out of loved ones. your partner forgot to text you before they left? they hate you and are plotting how to leave for good. friend gave you a gift? they’re testing your reaction to see if you really like them.
- struggling with hygiene. not because you deserve to not be taken care of, but because you don’t know how to take care of yourself. you don’t know how to brush your teeth. you don’t know how often to change clothes.
- not knowing the difference between good and bad smells. you’re sweaty and people keep looking at you funny? it’s fine, it’s not that strong. someone says your clothes smell dirty? they were cleaned a week ago, so they’re fine.
- finding people who are positive or happy either weird or stupid. i hate that girl, she’s too bubbly. that guy smiles too much. they’re too nice to me, they probably don’t even know what it’s like to suffer.
and it’s never on purpose. usually it’s never even noticed. this is how we survivors have lived for our whole lives. this is the environment we grew up in, the place we learned to survive. and it’s hard to adjust to a world where you are seen as weird, gross, or mentally unwell. it’s hard to open up and get help from people who think you’re too far gone.