The Fear of PTS(D)

I was reading a few days ago the words of a veteran as he recalled what he experienced in the past from being downrange in Iraq following an encounter with the enemy: “I have never been shot at in my civilian life.  I have never been blown up in my civilian life.  I have never lost an ‘adopted’ child to a suicide bomber in my civilian life.  And, I have never had to listen to a man’s death over the Med-Evac frequency in my civilian life.  All those things happened during my year in Iraq.”

Typically, we hear from many veterans the false myths of PTS(D), better known as Post-Traumatic Stress (Disorder): “I am broken and unrepairable.” Or “Only combat veterans suffer from PTS(D).” Or “No one understands.” Or “I don’t deserve help because of those who have it worse than me.”

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTS(D) is a psychiatric condition that may occur in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic or series of traumatic events.  These experiences can affect us in emotional or physically harmful and life-threatening ways.  Examples include, but are not limited to, abuse (physical, sexual, emotional), natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist activities, war/combat exposure, intimate partner violence, and medical illness. However, most individuals who experience such traumas do not necessarily develop PTS(D).

                Many of those who are exposed to a traumatic event experience symptoms like PTS(D) in the days following the event.  However, for a person to be diagnosed with PTS(D), symptoms must last for a month or more, some showing up months and years after the event. PTS(D) often occurs with other related conditions, such as depression, substance abuse, memory problems, and other physical and psychological health problems.

                In relation to who might experience PST(D), the National Institute of Mental Health reports: “Anyone can develop PTSD at any age.  This includes war veterans, children, and people who have been through a physical or sexual assault, abuse, accident, disaster, or other serious events…. Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men, and genes may make some people more likely to develop PTSD than others.  Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event.  Some people develop PTSD after a friend or family member experiences danger or harm.  The sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can also lead to PTSD.” (Source)

                According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), roughly 8% of Americans are affected by PTS(D) at some point in their lives, and many of these have zero military exposure.  So, PTS(D) is a national challenge. And if we are honest, we’ve all endured a quarter-century of trauma – whether we wore a uniform or not. Although veterans are more likely to develop PTS(D) than civilians, about 6 out of every 100 people have experienced some symptoms of PTS(D) at some point in their lives.

     We lived through the devastation of 9/11 and the forever wars that followed.  We faced the financial collapse of 2008, which drained life savings and shattered economic confidence.  We lost loved ones during a global pandemic. We watched cities burn during riots.  And today we navigate a culture more anxious and divided than we’ve seen in our lifetimes.

                Most of us, therefore, experience traumatic experiences that could lead to PTS(D), many of which are not under our control.  And these events can be different.  For example, as we stated above, it is more common for women to be sexually assaulted than men. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to experience injury on the job, or auto accidents, physical assaults, or death in combat.

These aren’t just headlines.  They are real and leave scars. Some visible, some not. And maybe, as Leonard Cohen once wrote, the very places we break are where healing begins: “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” We have all been downrange in one fashion or another, the question is whether we’ll help one another find our way home.

                Ernest Hemingway wrote, “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places.” This is a line we often use to celebrate resilience – but Hemingway did not stop there.  The full quote warns: “But those that will not break it kills.”

                We honor strength.  But, sometimes, survival means allowing ourselves to break – and learning how to rebuild.  Fear, like a relentless shadow, can transform the landscape of our mind, creating a web of emotional and psychological challenges.  It is often a natural response to trauma of various kinds.  It can act as a protective mechanism, shaping our normal day-to-day living.  However, courage is resistance to fear, not the absence of fear. And remember, it’s not the person refusing to let go of the past, but the past refusing to let go of the person.

                The good news is that PTS(D) does not have to define who we are. With patience, perseverance, and the right support, it is very possible to find the light within the darkness of trauma. As Tracy Malone said, “Understand fear – everything you want is on the other side of fear. Remember, fear steals tomorrow, it does not fix yesterday.”

     Maybe we will take the first step on our journey toward healing, reclaiming our place of security, and restoring the joy and whole life that fear had tried to obscure, that abundant life promised by Jesus Christ: cf. John 10:10.

If so, why not reach out to God’s Word for Warriors.  Veterans are not charged for any of our services, as we strive to offer hope and recovery to the valued men and women of our society that have served our nation so effectively. Call me: Tom Seals @ 615-430-3544.