Post-Relationship Traumatic Stress Disorder

So, is Post-Relationship Traumatic Stress Disorder a thing? I feel like it could be. I watch it unfold on my Facebook feed to varying degrees and I see it play out in real life, but nobody really talks about it. I think it manifests itself in absurdly obvious ways, like "my ex had a tattoo like that, so no," or "her name starts with an A, so no..." We have hangups or red flags or whatever you want to call it. We have these nuanced preferences from years of dating and relationships. Then, you meet somebody and you give them a chance. The one caveat to this scenario is that you project on to the new person all of the bad experiences you've had in the past: "Oh, you wouldn't like that because insert ex's name here hated it." Or some other similar assertion. However, they catch you off guard when they say they would totally be up for it. So, then, you have to ask if they're sure. Of course, they are. It leaves you dumbfounded, yet oddly appreciative. That phenomenon starts popping up in random intervals that coincide proportionately with your assertions. You slowly start to figure out that this person isn't like your ex at all. You never realized how much damage your ex did to you, or what you were willing to settle for. Then, this new somebody snuck up on you and proved they weren't all the same and now you have some healing to do whilst moving forward. It's OK--heal your heart and your mind. The new person will understand why you're guarded, but let them prove they're different. You will mend. You will be whole again.

**This in no way mocking PTSD, but I think PRTSD is a part of life that is swept under the rug and never addressed by many people.

#relationships #love #pastcreepinguponyou