A User's Guide to PTSD

[pegkerr]

If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend rachelmanija's three part essay on her own experiences with post-traumatic stress disorder. Fascinating and insightful:

Part I: What I Did In The War. (Introduction; background; what happens during trauma; what happened to me.)

Part II: What Does A Flashback Feel Like? (My history with PTSD, what it felt like to me, and dealing with other people who have it.)

Part III: I Don't Have To Do That Any More (On recovery; lingering effects; book, film, and TV recommendations.)

Thanks to rachelmanija.

Comments

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

A couple of days ago The Story ran a piece about a guy who'd been a sniper in Iraq, and the problems he had on returning home--PSTD was almost the least of things. It was getting help from the military*. Here's a link to the program:

http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_394_Destroyed_by_the_War.mp3/view
_____
*Sometimes I think we don't deserve good soldiers, considering how we treat them, but then I often think the same about peace activists. They're serving their country as well IMHO.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link; I'm listening to it now.

(I love The Story.)

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Yeah, The Story is definitely fabu. I'm also fond of This American Life and hardly ever miss Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

Hey, I ran across a song that made me think of you and The Wild Swans. It's off the CD Elegies For Angels, Punks & Raging Queens: A live concert recording to benefit the Momentum AIDS Project .

Here are the lyrics


All the fairy tales have happy endings
Even though the passage can be rough
We've been in the forest for a long time
So when will all our trials be enough
Now you have been wounded by the dragon
And proved yourself a hero all along
I wish that I could heal you
With all the love I feel
Or find the potion that would make you strong

I don't know how to help you
I don't know what to say
I wish that I could wave a wand
And chase the hurt away
That would take more magic
Than making gold from hay
And though I'm only human
I am here to stay

Wish there was a book with all the answers
or articles that spelled out what to do
I would track down experts or opinions
If they'd tell me how I could help you
But no one seems to know of a solution
Or even if there will be one some day
I wish that I could find you
Some small peace of mind
Or promise there's an answer on the way

But I don't know how to help you
I don't know what to say
I wish I could wave a wand
And chase the hurt away
But that would take more magic
Than making gold from hay
And though I'm only human
I am here to stay
I am here
Always here
I am here to stay

Bill Russel