Thomas Jefferson would say I’m in charge of my own wellbeing. I gladly accept help from family, friends, community and the United States government, but if I give them control over my mental health I also give up the key ingredient of recovering from PTSD. That key is, the mindful participation in directing my mental, emotional and spiritual life.
After a decade of learning how to manage PTSD symptoms I have begun a systematic search for and application of techniques that dissolve those symptoms or transform them into a sources of personal power. This shift, in my way of being, transformed my life from PTSD recovery to Post Traumatic Growth.
Extreme trauma can cause physical changes in the brain. There is mounting evidence that these trauma-induced changes in thought patterns and in the anatomy of the brain are a major factor in the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I believe there are ways to redirect our subconscious thought patterns and re-mold our brains.
For a deeper dive into this concept I recommend The Body Keeps the Score (©2014 Bessel Vander Kolk M.D.) This book is a must read for individuals living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a please read for the families and caregivers of those individuals.
© Tom Puetz 2022