PTSD Spirituality — Healing Souls Wounded by PTSD

PTSD Spirituality: Finding Redemption in Our Stories and Our Art

November 9, 2011

I read a powerful essay by a Marine Corps Captain who reflected on his service in Afghanistan. CPT Timothy Kudo notes the apparent disconnect most Americans have between what happens in the States and what our military must contend with in Afghanistan. While his observations are certainly true concerning how “normal Americans” (whoever they are) [...]

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PTSD Spirituality: Holidays and the 18% PTSD Danger Zone

November 6, 2011

Holidays and family get-togethers can often be PTSD triggers. We notice two broad categories of triggers. On the one hand, PTSD Triggers can be uniquely individual, based on the trauma that caused the PTSD to begin with. On the other hand, there is the PTSD danger zone that occupies 18% of each year. This zone [...]

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PTSD Spirituality: Veterans’ Day Interview

October 29, 2011

The current issue of “Our Sunday Visitor” has an article called “Blessings of Military Service,” written by Maryann Gogniat Eidemiller. She interviewed me a week or so ago about my PTSD work with veterans and other trauma survivors and what I felt were some of the greatest blessings from that work.

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PTSD Spirituality: PTSD, Trust, and Worst Case Scenarios

October 16, 2011

Our PTSD Triggers can not only initiate our PTSD symptoms, they can also create new stresses and anxieties that are not directly tied to the initial PTSD-producing traumas. We may begin to unduly focus on “worst-case scenarios” due to the harm we have received to our PTSD-damaged sense of trust and safety. While we must [...]

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PTSD Spirituality: Does Porn Relieve PTSD Symptoms?

October 2, 2011

A question came across my desk the other day: Does porn relieve PTSD symptoms? What’s nice about this question is its straight forwardness. Often one has to beat around the bush to finally get someone, usually male, to frame (and admit) the questions of PTSD symptoms and its relationship to pornography. Does porn relieve PTSD [...]

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PTSD Spirituality: Creating Artwork, Poetry, and Music… Despite PTSD

September 19, 2011

Artwork and craft possess important healing aspects when it comes to PTSD. From a theological perspective, anytime we create, we bring our souls into contact with the divine, the numinous, what I as a traditional Roman Catholic think of as the Holy Spirit, and what many of my non-Catholic friends think of as The Creative [...]

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PTSD Spirituality: Isolation and Grace (Preliminary Thoughts)

September 11, 2011

PTSD is insidious in its effort to make us think we are alone in our suffering. It is true that we are often neglected in this suffering by others, but we are never the only ones who are suffering. Even in a locked room, or some sort of solitary confinement, we are never alone as [...]

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PTSD Spirituality: Judas, Peter, and Choosing the Right Path

August 24, 2011

Guilt corrodes our soul like acid on pink bunny slippers. PTSD survivors often grapple with guilt. Guilt can lead us to despair and self-destruction. It often causes us to give up hope, lash out at others, and even kill ourselves. How do we live with guilt? How do we get rid of it? The New [...]

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PTSD Spirituality: PTSD, Elite and Joe Normal

August 9, 2011

The stalking horse of PTSD made several guest appearances over the last several days. In the grey land that encourages one to despair of ever seeing hope on the horizon, this last weekend has been a blessing and a curse. The curse was provided from several angles that ranged from the

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PTSD Spirituality: Tragedy in Norway and PTSD Triggers

July 24, 2011

Most readers are aware of the horrible events in Norway: the terror bombing against an elected government and the highly focused attack against children and teens. The attacks and the aftermath have PTSD repercussions for many of us. Why is that?

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