E67 - Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions - PTSD - The Trauma of it All
Hope’s Harbor
Gritty Bible Devotions
Episode #67
Title: PTSD – The Trauma of it All
Date: August 15, 2022
Contact: info@hopesharbor.net
Key verse(s): John 8:32 – “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Intro: This verse, John 8:32, is a declaration of power unequaled in all of human history. I am going to examine just one portion of its power in this episode on PTSD.
Here is one truth about PTSD: GOD did not create us for trauma and when the traumatic experience involves violence against us we can become quickly overwhelmed with emotional wounds.
Here’s another truth: the emotional and mental upheaval caused by violence is a normal reaction to abnormal trauma. I’ll repeat this later.
In 2010 as part of an extensive counseling program, I was diagnosed with PTSD. Listen carefully, please. There are different levels of this condition and mine is minor compared to the level of complex PTSD.
I say this because I do not intend to take away from the courage and strength of those who manage day after day to face the aftermath of trauma. Even with having some understanding of what PTSD does to the mind and emotions, I cannot fully understand the depth of suffering those who have undergone excruciating trauma experience every day.
The mental and emotional wounds carried by sexual assault victims and combat veterans defy comprehension unless you’ve been there.
Attempting to understand PTSD begins with the acronym – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – trauma is the villain here.
In my book, A Bridge for Troubled Souls, I addressed PTSD briefly. But it proved too complex to go into any kind of depth and others more qualified have written excellent books about the wounding involved.
I’ll speak here from my experiences of violence used against me during childhood and then compounded by 21 years of law enforcement.
(What I intend to accomplish here is by giving an overview of PTSD it may help someone recognize the symptoms and seek counseling for it.)
I can tell you from experience the pain involved in carrying traumatic wounds can be reduced greatly. It begins with understanding several truths about this affliction. This is where the key verse of John 8:32 comes in.
Devotion focus: Discovering a key truth about PTSD
Jesus said in John 8:32 that ‘we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free.’ During my career as a police officer, I went through training in the early 1990s for Critical Incident Stress Debriefing or CISD.
I wanted to help my fellow officers and so volunteered, but at the time didn’t know what I was in for. By this I mean I ended up attending several debriefings for officer-involved shootings, an officer suicide, and fatal pediatric calls. I also had to attend debriefings for calls I was involved in.
[Here is an online definition of that process: Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) is a facilitator-led group process conducted soon after a traumatic event with individuals considered to be under stress from trauma exposure.]
The intent of this process, CISD, was to help first responders with normalizing the emotions impacted by a traumatic event. Sometimes a person can be affected by something common enough, like a serious vehicle accident.
I read this on a First Responder’s site: Most people experience a critical event once or twice in their lifetime. First responders experience 700-800 critical events during the course of their careers. Don’t let that number go by you.
700-800 critical events.
Regardless of the calls or exposure to human suffering in the course of say a 20-year career, hundreds of these events inflict trauma and that trauma leaves a deep wound.
That wound, in my experience, was to the mind first. Here is another truth about PTSD to set us free as Jesus promised.
The mental disturbances after being traumatized that are affecting your emotions are normal reactions to an abnormal experience.
I want you to think about that statement as I explain what I mean.
I was on a SWAT call during which several officers were wounded by gunfire, one critically. Without going into any triggering details, for a couple of months after I was furious at my sub-gun. (An MP5 suppressed, for those who know.)
Did you get that? I was mad at an inanimate object. Do you think I told anyone at the time? No… they may have taken my badge and gun and assigned me to a desk.
Besides the anger at my sub-gun, I was guilt-ridden. Perfect hindsight was literally killing me with guilt.
Here are a couple of truths I discovered several months after that callout which helped me to recover some emotional, and mental balance.
First, the anger at the gun came out of my belief that with that weapon there was nothing I couldn’t handle in the way of a SWAT scenario. So I wasn’t losing my mind by being angry at an inanimate object.
Second, the guilt crucifying me came from perfect hindsight – coulda/shoulda. Only by going back through the events of that brief firefight did I come to realize my actions and reactions were determined by training and circumstances at the time. It was a relief to finally understand that given the events unfolding at the time I would have reacted the same way.
I hope I haven’t digressed too much. I’m trying to show how even if traumatic events come as a result of our choices, they are normally outside of our control when they go down.
The effects of PTSD can make us feel like we have gone crazy or we are on the crazy-train as it leaves the station.
Let me speak to you personally if you’ve been through hellish action or hellish assaults and now you want to die: Your life is worth saving. You are worth saving. There is help available and you can find hope to go on if you refuse to give up.
No matter how bad it feels right now.
Call someone – call me: David - 770.331.8132
I’m in EMDR therapy now, July 2022, and it is helping.
Summary: PTSD is the effect traumatic experiences have on most if not every one of us who have been exposed to violence or severe injury, etc. It makes us feel crazy, but we’re not. At least not the majority of us. Although sometimes a person’s mind does snap and they act out on the mental impulses driving them to violence.
Listen, I’m not a doctor or psychologist. I’m only trying to give an overview of my experiences with PTSD, which by the way, began in my childhood due to family violence. And as a lay person who has benefited from counseling programs including Cognitive Behavior Therapy, as well as EMDR.
If you remember anything from this episode let it be that PTSD causes normal reactions, both mental and emotional, from abnormal traumatic experiences.
Action to consider: There are online sources to help you get started toward helping to understand if you have PTSD and resources for getting help.
If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
I’ve included in the show notes appendix some characteristics of PTSD -
Next week’s devotion: TBA
Appendix:
How do you check if you have PTSD?
Changes in physical and emotional reactions
1. Being easily startled or frightened.
2. Always being on guard for danger.
3. Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast.
4. Trouble sleeping.
5. Trouble concentrating.
6. Irritability, angry outbursts, or aggressive behavior.
7. Overwhelming guilt or shame.
From the Mayo Clinic - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967
Overview
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.
Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reducing symptoms and improving function.
Symptoms
Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may start within one month of a traumatic event, but sometimes symptoms may not appear until years after the event. These symptoms cause significant problems in social or work situations and in relationships. They can also interfere with your ability to go about your normal daily tasks.
PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. Symptoms can vary over time or vary from person to person.
Intrusive memories
Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:
Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event
Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks)
Upsetting dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event
Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds you of the traumatic event
Avoidance
Symptoms of avoidance may include:
Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event
Avoiding places, activities, or people that remind you of the traumatic event
Negative changes in thinking and mood
Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood may include:
Negative thoughts about yourself, other people, or the world
Hopelessness about the future
Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event
Difficulty maintaining close relationships
Feeling detached from family and friends
Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
Difficulty experiencing positive emotions
Feeling emotionally numb
Changes in physical and emotional reactions
Symptoms of changes in physical and emotional reactions (also called arousal symptoms) may include:
Being easily startled or frightened
Always being on guard for danger
Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast
Trouble sleeping
Trouble concentrating
Irritability, angry outbursts, or aggressive behavior
Overwhelming guilt or shame
For children 6 years old and younger, signs and symptoms may also include:
Re-enacting the traumatic event or aspects of the traumatic event through play
Frightening dreams that may or may not include aspects of the traumatic event
Intensity of symptoms
PTSD symptoms can vary in intensity over time. You may have more PTSD symptoms when you're stressed in general, or when you come across reminders of what you went through. For example, you may hear a car backfire and relive combat experiences. Or you may see a report on the news about a sexual assault and feel overcome by memories of your own assault.
When to see a doctor
If you have disturbing thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event for more than a month, if they're severe, or if you feel you're having trouble getting your life back under control, talk to your doctor or mental health professional. Getting treatment as soon as possible can help prevent PTSD symptoms from getting worse.
If you have suicidal thoughts
If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, get help right away through one or more of these resources:
Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
Contact a minister, a spiritual leader, or someone in your faith community.
Call a suicide hotline number — in the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to reach a trained counselor. Use that same number and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
Make an appointment with your doctor or mental health professional.
When to get emergency help
If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
If you know someone who's in danger of attempting suicide or has made a suicide attempt, make sure someone stays with that person to keep him or her safe. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Or, if you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room.