My name is TooMuch and I am a recovering Catholic
I say this because I still believe in marriage
I went to post to someone in response to this but thanks to Vista the dang browser closed!
When my stbx was working the program he was not in denial, had he continued working the program I might not be posting right now or I would be posting from a totally different perspective. He's not and I am not so here we are.
Not all relationships are the same but if we are not willing to take our own inventory between relationships then there is a very good chance we will be drawn to the same type over and over. In my line of work we call doing a complete inventory a wall to wall. I have right now done a daily count but have not yet done a wall to wall, it needs to be done before the end of the quarter or my accounts payable will be very upset with me lol. After all, we can't bill someone for something that isn't there.
Nerves, loud noises, anxiety attacks; let me add a new one to the mix, the dog that can recognize the sound of a vehicle from a mile away. Yep, the nerves get shot.
I am one of those lucky folks who have been diagnosed with chronic post traumatic stress disorder. I so understand. For the most part when you leave the cause of the stress this will pass. If it doesn't well number one, if you smoke anything other than cigarettes, stop. This only increases anxiety attacks. I am not saying anyone does but if you do this is a word to the wise. If you are able to feel a panic attack coming on try to go into a dark quiet place and just breath for a minute or two. Try to take at least fifteen minutes a day just for you and you alone. No thinking allowed! Plenty of sleep because a lack of sleep is a big panic attack trigger, same with diet. Lay off caffeine as much as you can. If you can cut back on smoking cigarettes or quit that much the better. Take walks or exercise, this is a great stress reliever and produces the hormones the body would make with out the help of pharmaceuticals. OK, off my soap box, I just know these are things that worked for me.