 |
| It’s blurred, but it better captures trail running. |
 |
| View of Acadia during a trail run.
|
Thriving… Quote from this site, “PTSD: A Soldier’s Perspective…
“Thriving” that will highlight everything positive in our lives. My part in the series will showcase the hobbies, activities and professional success I enjoy in order to challenge the preconceived notions about people with war’s invisible injuries. My hope is that the combination of this series with our more typical posts about confronting PTSD will illustrate that we here at PSTD: A Soldier’s Perspective are not solely pessimistic. We take the good with the bad. So in the same month I might post about suicidal idealization, survivor guilt and triggers as well as the hiking, trail running, beer brewing, publishing articles, presenting papers and other crazy things I do to make myself feel worthwhile.”
#####
The word “thriving” really got my attention! I know PTSD is hard, really hard on soldiers, families, loved ones, and caregivers. Millions of folks who volunteered to serve America suffer from the symptoms of PTSD and the affects of moral injury. Millions more from all the past wars who are no longer here suffered for a lifetime. The baggage of war carries forward for generations until we start to break the pattern of heartbreak and denial to begin the journey of healing.
Mindfulness… and learning how to thrive, even with all the emotional baggage for most of my life, has been critical to my own journey of healing. Practice living in the moment as best you can. I know it is tough. It is a work in progress for me each day. But with the awareness that comes from reading and learning more about what happened to us along life’s journey, especially traumatic events that haunt the human soul, we can begin to move forward.
“PTSD: A Soldiers Perspective” is another example of the good news of healing from the pain of experiencing traumatic events in war. Adjusting to life after war is often very difficult. But without awareness and human connectedness, the days are much harder and longer, especially with sleepless nights. There is hope and a bright future ahead. It takes lots of personal ownership and hard work to win the battle… You can do it!
Steve Sparks
Author
Reconciliation: A Son’s Story click to order…
