http://www.ptsd-is-normal.com/2012/03/what-my-ptsd-is-like.html
“Sometimes, when well-meaning but ill-informed people presume to tell me that if I would JUST STOP THINKING ABOUT THE PAST, all of my PTSD symptoms will magically disappear, I want to SCREAM. Just stop thinking about that annoying song that keeps playing over and over again in your head, that’s all you have to do to make it go away! Right? At least those annoying “ear-worm” songs don’t usually last more than a few hours, or a day or two, before your head goes back to normal. Intrusive traumatic memory thoughts almost NEVER STOP. I’m talking NEVER, as in DECADES will go by, and those trauma memories are STILL cycling around and around and around on an endless loop.” by Elaina* ~ PTSD-is-Normal.com
I was compelled to share the above blog link posted by a family who suffers severely from the symptoms of PTSD. The quote by Elaina captured my attention immediately since “intrusive thoughts” can be the mainstay of daily living for a person with PTSD. The story is also important to me because my book, Reconciliation: A Son’s Story, was written from a family life perspective where childhood dreams and a normal safety net are non existent when a child lives in fear. The story has additional meaning to me because Elaina’s husband is a disabled Vietnam combat veteran who also suffers from the symptoms of PTSD. In the context of PTSD awareness, this story is real and offers another example of how lives are broken and challenged with PTSD.
Steve Sparks
Author
Reconciliation: A Son’s Story
