Fear and Overcoming PTSD

Fear, in the right way, is a good thing. It tells us to stop what we are doing, take a moment to think about our actions and then decide if what we are doing is dangerous or not. If we are risk takers we proceed and if we are trauma victims we pass.

If you have suffered trauma you know that fear is something you deal with on a daily basis. Having experienced a bad thing you know that bad things are now possible and you act accordingly. Of course for some people this means never leaving their home, never meeting friends for drinks, never enjoying life anymore because you might get hurt.

Whether you’ve been in a car accident, watched a parent die, suffered from a disease, or watched in horror at the terror on the nightly news the fear you experience can trigger a nearly constant flight or fight reaction. Living with PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder can be absolutely debilitating.

If you suffer from PTSD there is hope. There is a wonderful book out by Michele Rosenthal called Your Life After Trauma: Powerful Practices to Reclaim Your Identity. Michele also has a wonderful website about overcoming PTSD.

In Your Life After Trauma the author describes how trauma has changed us. She goes on to talk about the emotional impact that trauma has had on your brain — how it has changed your brain — and how you can change it back. She prescribes self reflective exercises so we can acknowledge who we were before the trauma and mourn our loss, reflect on who we have become since the trauma and who we want to be. By connecting the reader to the different identities she helps to integrate the person back to a whole and prevents a life being broken into a before and after the event. The trauma happened, and it is part of the life you have lead but it isn’t your whole life. Your Life After Trauma is a wonderful guide to help you reclaim your life without fear.

The author doesn’t just talk the talk, she has actually experience severe PTSD and overcome it. You can read her story here on her website. If you’ve had trauma in your life and think you might have PTSD this book is well worth a read.