Page 66 - A Soldiers Exposition

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

More comprehensive information about PTSD can be found in Appendix M.

I believe PTSD is as much, if not more, a soul malady as it is a psychological injury (disorder). As stated
earlier, I believe PTSD should be classified as an injury, not a disorder.

Simply stated:

“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur after someone goes through a traumatic event like
combat, assault, or disaster. Most people have some stress reactions after trauma. If the reactions don't
go away over time or disrupt your life, you may have PTSD”.

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/index.asp

That definition, taken from the Veterans Administration is a simplistic description of PTSD. And it is also
very accurate.

However, let’s look at this definition also:

“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is among only a few mental disorders that are
triggered by a disturbing outside event or… experiences including those associated with natural disasters,
such as hurricanes ... dramatic and tragic events, like the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and
Pentagon, and wars occur, and with media exposure such as we have today, even people not directly
involved might be affected.

Simply put, PTSD is a state in which you "can't stop remembering." The traumatic event causes a
cascade of psychological and biological changes known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Wars throughout the ages often triggered what some people used to call "shell shock," in which returning
soldiers were unable to adapt to life after war. Although each successive war brings
about renewed attention on this syndrome, it wasn't until the Vietnam War that PTSD was first identified
and given this name.

To be diagnosed with PTSD, you must have been in a situation in which you were afraid for your safety or
your life, or you must have experienced something that made you feel fear, helplessness, or horror.

The most severely affected are unable to work, have trouble with relationships, and have great difficulty
parenting their children.

Research has shown that PTSD changes the biology of the brain. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and
PET (positron emission tomography) scans show changes in the way memories are stored in the brain.

PTSD is an environmental shock that changes your brain, and scientists do not know if it is reversible.”

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

The point to this section is as follows:

We learned that autobiographical memory refers to a memory system consisting of episodes from an
individual’s own life; personal experiences and specific objects, people and events experienced at
particular times and places.

With that in mind: I believe reflection without liberation is not therapy.