Unshackled Moments ~ June 6 ~ After Your D-Day

I thought today would be an appropriate time to take a look at PTSD. June is PTSD, Post Traumatic  Stress Disorder, Awareness Month, and for those who don't know, June 6 is the anniversary of D-Day, the beach invasion that cost the lives of many and turned the tide of the war in favor of the Allies during WWII. Back then they didn't call anything PTSD. It was Shell Shock. There's nothing new about PTSD, except hopefully some understanding and treatment.

Unfortunately PTSD is like maximum security bondage. First the very God-given physical and mental make up that helps people survive horrors and tragedy turns on them, making it impossible to completely release the past and move on. A sound, a smell, a situation, can suddenly bring back emotions or memories or both that are difficult to control, if they can be controlled at all, and put the person in a state of panic, adrenaline flooded misery. Severe symptoms interfere with rest and regular life. And many trying to deal with PTSD turn to drugs and alcohol to escape the feelings and symptoms of the beast within they can not tame, only to be taken captive by what they hoped would help.

There are a lot of vets in recovery, far too many have PTSD, and I have never met one who didn't have to deal with that as they walked the recovery road. Alcohol and drugs are not the symptom, they are the cure, and when that is removed, the illness will have to be dealt with. There is help available.

Keep in mind that while military combat veterans get the most press and make up the majority of cases, PTSD in men, it is not limited to the military. Victims of serious violent crime and those exposed to prolonged trauma or abuse are also frequent sufferers. It is important not to make the rape victim or other sufferer feel as though her experience is somehow less and she should just get over it already by making it seem only those who have seen combat deserve and have earned the right to care and concern regarding PTSD.

From multiple other sources

PTSD can develop following a traumatic event that threatens your safety or makes you feel helpless. Most people associate PTSD with rape and battle-scarred soldiers, but any event (or series of events) that overwhelms you with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness can trigger PTSD, especially if the event feels unpredictable and uncontrollable. PTSD can affect:

• People who personally experience the traumatic event
• Those who witness the event
• Those who pick up the pieces afterwards, such as emergency workers
• Friends or family members of those who experienced the trauma

Traumatic events that can cause PTSD include:

• War
• Natural disasters
• Car or plane crashes
• Terrorist attacks
• Sudden death of a loved one
• Rape
• Kidnapping
• Assault
• Sexual or physical abuse
• Childhood neglect
• Incarceration 
• Other trauma

PTSD develops differently from person to person. While the symptoms of PTSD most commonly develop in the hours or days following the traumatic event, it can sometimes take weeks, months, or even years before they appear. Symptoms may include upsetting memories, flashbacks, and nightmares, as well as feelings of distress or intense physical reactions when reminded of the event (sweating, pounding heart, nausea, for example). You may try to avoid activities, places or thoughts that remind you of the trauma or be unable to remember important aspects of the event. You may feel detached from others and emotionally numb, or lose interest in activities and life in general, sensing only a limited future for yourself. Symptoms also include trouble sleeping, irritability or outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating, feeling jumpy and easily startled, and hypervigilance (on constant “red alert”).

Other common symptoms of PTSD

• Guilt, shame, or self-blame
• Substance abuse
• Feelings of mistrust and betrayal
• Depression and hopelessness
• Suicidal thoughts and feelings
• Physical aches and pains

I stole the above information from several sources that I found with Google's help so that those reading might recognize if they or a love one may be dealing with this issue. If this fits your life and experience, seek help. If it fits the life of a loved one, encourage them to get help. Left untreated, PTSD is a life destroyer and makes it much harder to find recovery from addiction. The same spiritual steps and principles that help with recovery can help with PTSD. The same God who is able to set us free from the bondage of addiction can loosen the chains of PTSD as well.

He is able to heal and restore. That said, we may need help getting to the place where can find healing and restoration from God. That help may include doctors, counselors and the help and support of others who have been there and done that. Don't be afraid or ashamed to ask for help.

I hope to one day be able to proudly proclaim that my experience is that the powerlessness over the past and PTSD can be completely broken and overcome by God's grace. My current experience is that there is grace to endure and it can get better. My own PTSD is not as bad or life altering as it once was, and I do not have to drink or drug to escape and cope. My strength and hope for complete healing and restoration are found in God and are based on what I have seen and experienced in my life and the life of others. God can set us all free from the shackles of the past....all of them.

Let us commit to pray for those who suffer from PTSD this month. If we are included in that group, let us not hold back from seeking help and rely not on our own strength and understanding. Let us show compassion to all those who suffer from this vicious and painful disorder, regardless of the cause.  Let us be aware and be in prayer, and let us thank God for counselors, therapists and doctors who have been given tools to help.

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