What if PTSD also shows what’s right about you— not just what’s “wrong”? (Warrior Hope Podcast)

You likely hear the title “PTSD” a lot, but have you stepped back to see what it actually means…?

In episode 4 of the Warrior Hope podcast, we break it down and define it, using the info from lesson 2 of the Warrior Hope curriculum.

Here are a few things you’ll learn— 

⭐️ PTSD isn’t new. In fact, it’s been around as long as people have been around. Though we’re just now using the term “PTSD,” it’s existed under different names for a long, long time.

⭐️ PTSD is a natural response to external threats. It often elicits a “fight or flight” response based on where we are, who we’re with, and what the threat is (some people say “freeze” is another response, but we interpret that as a subset of “flight”).

⭐️ PTSD alerts us to something we actually need to deal with— in our soul. And, in the same way we shouldn’t ignore physical symptoms, we don’t want to overlook “soul symptoms,” either. Those emotional responses are highlighting something we need to learn, an area we need to explore so we can find healing…

And that leads me to this final observation…

⭐️ When you sense something “wrong” with you— and it elicits an emotional reaction, most often that highlights what’s RIGHT about you rather than what’s WRONG…

Think about it…

War is a traumatizing event.

So is abuse.

So is an accident, a natural disaster, and so many of the other triggering events which cause PTSD.

To endure ANY of those an not be affected wouldn’t show that we’re healthy— it would highlight the opposite, that we’re not.

So, when we feel an emotional reaction (like PTSD), we shouldn’t feel any more shamed than we would for feeling winded after running 5 miles, feeling hot after walking through a desert in the middle of the day, or feeling physically exhausted after staying up all night…

Those responses show that we’re normal.

Crosswinds info = 

Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…

Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org 

Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/ 

Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/