On Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The following passage comes courtesy of a Facebook friend from New England, Chaunty Spillane.

"#‎coffeestatus‬ I was thinking and you cannot help those who don't want help and just want to do things in their own self-destructive ways. That's fine. I'm letting it go. You cannot help someone who constantly puts you down and who constantly breaks every boundary you set. You cannot help someone who uses you for things that cost money and never "pays their way". You cannot help someone who does not respect you. You cannot help someone who does not love you. They need to learn to love themselves first BEFORE they can truly love anyone else otherwise it is just infatuation. That could be dangerous. That could come from both sexes in many ways. You cannot help someone who turns totally cold hearted for no apparent reason--that usually indicates PTSD and YOU CAN HELP WITH THAT!!! BECAUSE NOW YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS! And it is NOT SCARY!!!  And everything I've described above are also PTSD symptoms that you can help with once you diagnose it or someone you trust or a medical professional does. Then you can start to know what triggers them and just show them love. Love them from afar if they are too much of a danger to your own person and life. JUST LOVE THEM. They need it. And show them that it feels nice to be loved. Don't turn others against them, INSTEAD maybe help them make a Facebook or go onto some social network that they find amusing and that will help unbelievably because then THEY CAN RECLAIM THEIR LIFE AND FREEDOM FROM TRIGGERS. Suggest psychotherapy with an actual psychologist, maybe group therapy too, and definitely help them get some relief with a psychiatrist. And when they reclaim their life, it's like they are screaming: "I want to live this life the best I can and I want to have love for myself and others." They at least want to try because you've helped add purpose to their life and so have their old reunited connections and new connections. This disorder is far too common these days leaving families and friends shattered and dysfunctional---a quality of life that no one deserves. It undermines you after a while. This is why it is so urgent that we care for those we love and who mean something to us or should mean something to us. And it never hurts to look at ourselves too. Do the right thing, it doesn't take a lot of effort. I know you can do this and straighten out things as I believe in you always in everything. I love you and let's cure PTSD with LOVE and CARE. XOXOOXO"

I agree wholeheartedly with Ms. Spillane's statement.

Post traumatic stress disorder can be triggered by many things, such as being the victim of a violent attack, or being at war and seeing horrible events during one's service.  PTSD, like some mental illnesses, doesn't have a cure, but if properly treated, the symptoms can be minimized.  It also helps that those suffering from PTSD have a strong support system including family and friends as well as a treatment team.

As someone who suffers from another mental illness, major depressive disorder, I believe that we have to do more to help those who suffer from depression, PTSD, and the like.  Sadly, we only seem to talk about this when something violent occurs (and even then, mental illness is not the root cause of the violence).  We need to talk about this every single day.  We need to improve treatment, as well as access to treatment.  We can't just hope for the best.  We need to take serious action.  And the time to take action is NOW.

Again, thanks to Chaunty Spillane for her thoughts on this issue.

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