Hi everyone,
I've been living with C-PTSD since I was about four years old—I'm 37 now—and for the first time in my entire life, over the past month, I've started unmasking. I've stopped pretending to be "normal" and embarked on a real journey to discover who I truly am. But here's why I'm warning you: don't do it.
Both my wife and my father are now actively trying to have me committed to a mental hospital—for real. And yet, for the first time as an adult, I don't feel suicidal. I feel clear-headed and more myself than I ever have. The police have shown up at my door twice, and I've been forced into mental health assessments. My father even threatened me outright, but when I told the police, they dismissed it as "not a threat"—he was just "trying to help" by getting me locked away.
Yes, I've changed. I've finally climbed out of the deep, dark hole I've spent my whole life in, and they can't stand to see me happy. I can now take walks outside by myself without crippling fear. I can step into shops I never dared enter before. I feel truly alive for the first time.
My point is this: if you start to heal, if you unmask and dare to be your authentic self, the whole system—family, authorities, everyone—will come for you. They'll punish you for being different, for not fitting their idea of "normal." So please, don't risk it. Stay safe.
