Prisoners With Disabilities

By Gwendolyn Burton Green (Fluvanna)

I am an inmate with severe PTSD amongst other emotional and mental challenges. Though I know that change in life is inevitable, the sad thing for me is that it is difficult to handle. I am constantly criticized and ostracized and feel alienated more often than not because of issues out of my control. I feel so alone at times when I am verbally bashed for being who I am. Being me can be beyond exasperating with all the time I spend trying to explain how my moods and shutdowns are beyond my control. I wish sometimes that I just had a label attached to me with instructions on how to handle a person with certain issues like mine. So to others who suffer with the trauma of life while incarcerated on top of pre-existing or prison-related issues. My hope is to start a support group of some sort so that we will no longer feel so unliked and unwelcome in our environment and in our own skin. Feel free to ask for my contact info as I attempt to bridge the gap for us to be able to function with less hurt from being ridiculed and expected to be anything but ourselves. Know that you are not alone in this journey. My heart reaches out to yours.