Skylark1

I'm really struggling right now. PTSD is triggered 100% and in overdrive.

scienceguy, thank you so much for posting this -- and for stating the painfully obvious so well. You just made a bad day a lot better. :) Like you said, I think the most disturbing thing, for me, is that these guys can just sit there and gawk knowing so many strippers -- and therefore, likely the ones in front of them -- were raped or molested as little girls. I mean, how sick can you get? And here's some more research: http://www.towardsfreedom.com/253.html Adding to the demands from club owners, strippers are subjected to abuse in both upscale and lower-class nude clubs. The protection that bouncers are said to provide is minimal due to the fact that bouncers are essentially paid by the customers; so the best interest of the stripper is not always in mind. Strippers are propositioned for prostitution often and harassed when they don't do what is demanded of them... When someone commits a crime without getting caught or having consequences, they are more likely to perpetrate again. Individuals who endure physical, verbal, or sexual abuse most commonly feel worthless and used. Once a stripper has been lured into this depreciating means of making a living, many of them turn to alcohol and drugs to escape reality... There is no question as to the importance of entertainment for the human race. As far as history shows, we have never existed without some form of it. It is sadistic when we allow one's idea of entertainment to humiliate and degrade the life of another. Strippers are not just exotically dancing on poles a good distance from others -- as some might say. To keep the acts fresh, club owners have invented many different ways to entice their customers. Lap dances are customary to most nude bars and depending on the bar, the dances are either monitored by a bouncer, or they aren't. Behind the walls of the V.I.P. rooms or even out in open areas, strippers are pressured to do so much more than dance. Some states in the U.S. regulate how many feet away a stripper must be to perform a lap dance, while some don't. This leaves a large window of opportunity for club owners to encourage illegal behavior in order to satisfy the paying customer. Due to the safety issues within the walls of these erotic environments, there is no justification for there existence. While some may argue that it is our human right to be sexually enticed or to be the sexual enticer as a form of enjoyment, there is no place for these acts in the career world. The laws are too negligent, and the effects are too drastic on individuals turning to this career. People that defend the importance of strip clubs are only defending their right to sit back and watch as another human being is degraded." http://m.catholicnewsagency.com/resource.php?n=1078 "Among strippers, eating disorders are rampant. Many of the women starve, vomit, abuse exercise or laxatives to become the unnatural shape that is demanded of them. Plastic surgery is almost invariably required especially artificial breasts to produce unnaturally large breasts. This surgery is considered a necessity despite the evidence that artificial breasts interfere with mammograms, and are implicated in autoimmune deficiency disorders in the women, and digestive disorders in the babies of the women who have had the surgery. Strippers are often substance abusers as well; one study found the number to be 40%. Sometimes this is-because they have to numb themselves to be able to do the work they do. Often the consumption of alcohol is required on the job. Strippers who refuse to drink or who refuse to accept drinks from customers can be fired, coerced or threatened by bosses. Even strippers who have told their superiors that they are alcoholics who attend AA meetings are told that they have to drink on the job. Sometimes customers tip the strippers with illegal drug..." "The job that they do is fraught with dangers and unpleasantry. In one study 100% of the strippers reported some kind of physical or verbal abuse on their jobs. Verbal abuse by customers is extremely common with 91% reporting incidents. They were routinely called degrading names like c--t (52%), w---e (61%), and b---h (85%). Besides the verbal abuse...some type of physical abuse on the job. Despite the fact that it is illegal to touch a stripper, strippers reported that customers grabbed them by the arm (88%), grabbed their breast (73%), or their buttock (91%). Customers at strip clubs often assault the women. Customers pulled their hair (27%), pinched them (58%), slapped them (24%), or bite them (36%). They are often attacked in the strip club in front of bodyguards and other audience members. If they would do this to women in public, what would they do to women in private? Strippers are often raped. Strippers have reported that they have been followed home (70%) and have been stalked (42%)..." "Damage to the society in general which comes from the sex industry The level of sexual violence in the society is at epidemic proportions. We are experiencing a sexual holocaust. One in 8 women are raped, 50% of females will be sexually harassed on their jobs. By the time a female in this country is 18 years old, 38% have been sexually molested. We are the most sexually violent nation on earth. Studies have shown a connection with rape both stranger rape and acquaintance rape. When normal college mates are shown pornography, 50-65% of them then say they would be willing to rape a women if they thought they wouldn't get caught. Those who have committed acquaintance rape are more likely to be frequent readers of sex magazines like Playboy and Hustler. The more sex magazines sold within a state the higher the rape rate. Studies have found significant changes in beliefs when subjects have been shown pornography. They come to believe that unusual sex behavior even psychiatrically disordered behavior is more common than they thought it was before. This includes behaviors such as having sex with animals and mixing sex with violence. They come to find damaging behavior as more acceptable such as showing pornography to children. They become less negative in their attitudes toward rape and believe that rapists should receive lighter sentences. They have a 50% reduction in their belief that women should be liberated. In one study done in Pennsylvania, Chiefs of Police were polled about the impact of strip clubs on their communities. A majority of police chiefs believed that strip clubs cause crime, that the community does not want them and that the quality of life would be better if they were illegal. In fact, when Oklahoma City closed down 150 porn shops, they had a 26% reduction in rapes. In the last 12 years I have specialized in the treatment of sexual violence victims and perpetrators. I have not treated one case of sexual violence that did not include pornography. In every case of sibling incest that I have treated, the pornography involved has been sex magazines most often Playboy, Penthouse and Hustler. Erotica USA wants to continue the cycle of violence and damage. They depend on our silence to continue to make money by hurting people. All of us need to stand up and tell them that they will never have the comfort of our silence again." http://www.victoriasfriends.com/statistics "89% of women in the sex industry said they wanted to escape, but had no other means for survival. Strippers are often substance abusers: one study found the number to be around 40%. Women who work in the sex industry have only a 25% chance of making a marriage last for at least three years."

Contemptuous, too, now. Grateful for my faith in a God who is Love and comforts the oppressed, while the last end of the malicious and uncaring is hell.

I'm so sorry for what you're going through. I wish I had wise words to offer, but the truth is, I've never found any way out of inertial slumps like that except by just forcing myself to get up out of them. To do exactly what I feel like not doing, and don't have the energy to do. Unfortunately, the lethargy that comes from inactivity just can't be done away with any other way. It's sad, but in my experience, "taking time out" to try to get your psychological state in order is just the worst mistake. It's only ever led to a downward spiral for me. I'm glad you have a supportive spouse. Trust me, that's huge, and probably will be tremendously powerful in your recovery. Other than exercise, I'd recommend therapy. Try to get to the root of all this.

Disgusted and alarmed.

Kudos for having the courage to post this! These days, it seems like you're more likely to get attacked for standing up for what's right -- and for common sense -- than for voicing/advocating offensive, degrading, insupportable crap. Also, studies have shown that violence against women (in general) has gone up in places where prostitution has been legalized. They also seem less likely to prosecute for violence against women in such places. It's not that hard to connect these dots. Of course stuff like that is going to increase the more objectification of women becomes accepted -- just like crimes against children inevitably increase in places where child porn is legal or where it's legally easier to get away with that ****. Just common sense. Even a small step in the wrong direction is still a step closer to the final destination -- and it won't end with one step for everyone who's allowed to go in that direction. For some, yes. But not for all -- the farther they're allowed to go, the farther they'll push. If I seem to get worked up over this stuff, it's because I've seen too much research not to.

@samdiva, I'm so sorry! This sounds so cold and uncaring! I don't know if it's abuse, but it's certainly not love. I would not stay -- especially not as "something negative in this person's life." If that's how he/she sees you, I say move on. They don't seem to care about you at all. Take care of yourself, since they won't. Wishing you the best.

Pretty productive today. I did laundry, cut my hair again (was kind of a botch job the last time, not that anyone else seemed to notice), and emailed another dept about another job. But they have nothing for just summer - they're only hiring students who've been there all year. :( Need to apply to more, of course... Kind of have the day "off," as I've nothing planned but Mass this evening, after which I might have to stop at the store again. If so, I'll only get two absolute necessities this time. Hate spending money right now! Argh, can't wait til this summer ends! Feel OK, but kind of blah. Broken sleep, too much sugar again. 3 appts tomorrow.

Oh, wow, I didn't pick up that this never even happened... Planning all that out...yeah, over the top. Sounds like you two can't agree on boundaries in the first place, and he can't see that his are unreasonable. There's always some compromise in relationships, of course, but unreasonable is unreasonable. Hope things improve with the joint therapist appt!

Walked to a couple more appts and back. Got great news. Felt good to get out and get some exercise, too. Did my hair again. I always feel much better when I look nice. I forgot that for a while there, but I need to remember it in future. Resolved some of the tension with the landlords, and hopefully things should be all right until I can leave in 3 weeks. Keep it amicable. Much better than getting so worked up, living in tense, fearful misery, and fleeing. I should get my deposit back, too. We haven't discussed that, but I don't see any reason they could refuse it now. I even contacted a few people who are looking for a room, and hopefully something will come of that. Plus, I got them to re-post their ad so more people see it. Feel pretty well now. On track. :)

So relieved. The landlord has decidedly to try to handle things maturely, and is offering constructive suggestions. I feel things have been defused, so I now feel comfortable going out there and handling things that I've been putting off - like the laundry! (tomorrow) and dishes (today). Plus, I told him the ad isn't "visible" on Craigslist (I just said it was probably getting buried because so many people have been posting recently), so he said he'll re-post it today. YAY!!! *big sigh of relief* I also told him I found a place and am just trying to get the dates squared away, so hopefully he'll move on it now, since I'm definitely moving out.

Loaves and fishes. :) With some margarine, and unsweetened applesauce. Surprisingly good.

Agreed, but it seems like the "cure" for one obstacle just creates another, making things ultimately worse rather than better. Are there other things you could do to manage your anxiety that would allow you to work? Because at this point, it just seems like you'll get worse overall in 4 weeks of this. Or however long it ends up taking if you wait to test out the effects of adding another drug into the mix. Have you tried CBT or anything like that? Praying for you.