After hauling out all the hidden bones from my closet while writing and eventually publishing, Reconciliation: A Son’s Story, and displaying them to the world in a cyber garage sale, I must admit that healing ain’t easy. My psychotherapist friend warned me that dredging up all the past pain is the first step toward healing, but has a price. “Writing is excellent therapy,” so said by many, and do not disagree. The bad news is that once this is done, there is the next step of dealing with all the baggage that had been neatly contained in a box for a very long time. Changing medications can be a good thing, but be prepared to go through the transition. Don’t give up. I’m on the fourth day of this journey to find a new medication that works best for PTSD. I’m not a mental health professional, so will not cross the line and recommend anything ever. This is not my job! But it is appropriate to share my experiences during this time of healing.
The huge reminder for me in taking this step to a healthier and happier life, is that anyone who is suffering from the symptoms of PTSD, especially our dear heroes returning from combat duty, must have lots of love at home and the best mental health care available to achieve success. You all got home safely, so take the next big step to a long and happy life with your loved ones.
http://www.wholelifemagazine.com/blog/?p=2246 As an added note for this post today, we are reminded that symptoms of PTSD can occur in non-combat cases of severe trauma, i.e., rape, accident, child abuse, etc. Check out the article in Whole Life Magazine.
Steve Sparks
