Finding a Light in the Darkness… Sir Patrick Stewart “banished his demons by fighting for battered women and veterans…by Meg Grant…
“Far from the heroic, self-assured characters he’s played — and the joyful person he is today — Stewart was for decades a man plagued by fear and stifled by rage. The roots of his struggle go back to a difficult childhood, marked by poverty and abuse that took him years to understand. Having only recently opened up about the trauma of his early years, he now behaves as a person liberated, and eager, finally, to step out and join the party.”
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When self-talk of being too old or who cares enters my mind at the prime age of 68, mentors like Sir Patrick Stewart, 73, come to my rescue. I have written about Patrick Stewart in the past. Patrick’s childhood was toxic (click highlighted text) in a post WWII culture of silence, secrecy, and pain. He grew up in a home suffering from the symptoms of PTSD created by the trauma of his father’s WWII combat experience.
Patrick Stewart’s father (click on highlighted text for video clip) was angry following WWII and was violent toward his mother…but did not abuse his children… It was quite the opposite in my father’s case following WWII. We siblings took the brunt of Dad’s anger for many years, especially during the “too terrible to remember 1950’s.” My mother lived in fear of course, and the constant toxic conditions at home caused her to suffer terribly with secondary PTSD. Mother still has flashbacks at age 96.
Like many trauma survivors following WWII, years of silence, ignorance, and stigma attached to mental health issues caused the emotional pain to linger on for many years and even a lifetime. Those survivors like Patrick Stewart discovered a career passion that kept the pain at a safe distance. Eventually, once becoming aware of the roots of PTSD and alternative treatment strategies, thousands of trauma survivors like me, including Patrick Stewart, have been able to start our own path of healing by reaching out and making a difference for others.
Although a work in progress, it is possible for trauma survivors to achieve peace of mind and a joyful life even after many decades of emotional pain from the symptoms of PTSD. I now feel blessed to have been able to confront my own demons in very healthy ways… Please take a look at my archives and find a topic that gets your attention… To learn more about alternative treatment strategies click “Letting go of what you can’t change,” a recent post.
Steve Sparks, Author, My Journey of Healing in Life After Trauma, Part 1 and Reconciliation: A Son’s Story… Click on the highlighted text for my author page…
