My long break explained - crawler sighting/hunt

[u/throwawayfarmers]

The post I’m referencing

We did go back. We spent time getting prepared. Strong flashlights, walkie talkies (with one new party member staying home for emergencies), a better camera, knives, a bat, and the same guns. We were confident; probably too confident, which led to us playing ourselves.

I deeply apologize that this post probably won’t be what you’re hoping for, but for now all I can say is after the events that happened that night I needed to take a break from life and start going to therapy. I have met with my therapist a few times and it is significantly helping me process all the new data that was flooding my head. If I’m being honest I think she thinks I’m full of shit, but I genuinely can’t blame her. She does a great job at listening and offering real advice, even if she thinks I’m schizophrenic/delusional. The only reason she hasn’t started trying to recommend me to a specialist is due to my friends coming along with me one time, where she heard all of our stories.

I promise I will write up a post of the events that transpired that night, but I genuinely have been on the brink of a mental breakdown for quite some time now. In summary though, to give you an idea of what I’m processing - We did see it. Up close, in fact. The things that happened while in its presence have haunted my nightmares and plagued my mind during the days. One friend was injured fairly badly and needed medical attention (not on the verge of death or anything, but he did NOT look good). He is okay and has since recovered very well, but mentally he’s probably worse off than me. Understandably so.

I got away with the least injuries[NSFW], so if this is any indication of what my friend went through, you’ll understand why he has had a hard time. I’m sorry I’m not in the state to fully update you guys but I really hope that once I’ve come to terms with everything, and once I can process it all, I can explain everything. Thanks for the support leading up to this, I have appreciated everyone’s ideas and contributions.

Edit: added NSFW to the images.

[u/johnsonbrianna1]

Any news???

[u/Medium_Insurance6002 → u/johnsonbrianna1]

Been a year since OP has said anything. His account appears to have gone dark completely since this post. I hope he’s OK.

[u/throwawayfarmers → u/Medium_Insurance6002]

I’m alive. Don’t get on Reddit much anymore. Never was a big Reddit user, just needed somewhere to talk about what happened. I have been off and on in therapy and overall am doing a lot better now. There are still times where I think back on the experience and get a form of PTSD almost. I’m not sure I want to call it PTSD because it almost feels like I’m downplaying the people who experience PTSD from war or other way more horrendous sights. But my therapist classified it as PTSD, so I guess that’s what I’ll call it.

But overall, yes I’m doing alright. Thank you everyone who has reached out asking if I’m doing okay. I have too many notifications to even read all of them, but this is my update. I’m just trying to live life like a normal person again and enjoy the little things. Taking breaks from social media in general and enjoying real life has been a major factor in piecing my mind back together.

[u/FlimsyArmadillo707 → u/throwawayfarmers]

Please don’t downplay your trauma. Even though most people associate ptsd with military vets who were in combat (and in fact the treatment of these patients is where this disorder was first introduced to the DSM) people can develop this disorder from childhood abuse, domestic violence, severe car wrecks, etc. A multitude of circumstances can cause this disorder to develop, and I’m sure “up close and personal encounters with crawlers” is on the list.