When my older brother came back from Vietnam in 1970, we
thought our prayers had been answered.
We were mistaken. The living person we welcomed home was not the brother
who had left us twelve months before. In his place was a frightened, angry
stranger. For the next forty-three years he struggled to be who he had once
been, and for brief moments we saw glimpses of him, but for the most part, we
lost our brother back in the Vietnam jungles.
PTSD is more prevalent than the public realizes. It is not limited to combat vets but to
anyone who has experienced extreme trauma. My daughter and her husband
experienced the death of their youngest child one year ago. This tragedy affected them so severely that
she was diagnosed with PTSD. Like others
with this disorder, what caused it cannot be undone, but she has been taught
ways to manage her anxiety and her grief.
A person does not have to be in physical danger to “get”
PTSD. People who survive horrific
accidents or health episodes might develop it. The brain perceives an incident
as an extreme danger and sends out signals to help the body react and respond,
but the PTSD brain never goes back to its previous “at rest” position. This becomes the new normal for these folks.
The person’s bio-chemical response has changed and stays that
way, either in a permanent alert state, in an involuntary trigger state, or in
an immediate response state.
The good
news – PTSD can be treated. Unlike my
brother who never recovered, my son has a chance at managing it. It involves
more than just medication to calm his nightmares and anxiety or
psycho-emotional therapy to help with the mental anguish of PTSD.
Since studies
show that PTSD is bio-chemical, it should be treated as such. Studies have also shown that involvement in physical
and spiritual activity helps.
I find it interesting that the military government went to
great expense to create the battle mind, but has spent so little money and
effort in disarming it. They should provide resources to help those who have
sacrificed not only their lives and bodies for this country but also their
minds and souls.
Let us give them peace of mind.
Thank you mom. I get weird looks when i tell people i have PTSD they think its only for war vets
ReplyDeleteI love you, Anonymous. I am proud to be your mother.
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