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Showing posts with label PTSD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PTSD. Show all posts

Friday, February 5, 2016

Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf
Narrated by Juliet Stevenson

Spoilers below.

This experimental book takes place in one day in June 1923, as Clarissa Dalloway prepares for and then gives a very successful high society party. In parallel, we follow the story of Septimus Smith, who has shell shock after witnessing the death of his friend during the war.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Evil Hours, by David J. Morris

The Evil Hours, by David J. Morris
Narrated by Michael Chamberlain

In this important work, Morris traces the history of what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even back into the ancient days. He begins the book with his own experiences with PTSD. He experienced many traumatic events when he was a war journalist in Iraq, most notably "the time he was blown up." He remembers shortly before, one of the men asked him tentatively "Have you ever been blown up, sir?" Although the rest of the group chastised the man, it was too late. Morris had been "cursed." When he was "blown up," one of the men turned to him and yelled "What are you doing here?! We all want to go home and you're here voluntarily?! What are you doing here?" Morris couldn't answer that question. He understood that this moment had torn a rift between himself and this angry soldier - because Morris had chosen to put himself in danger. To be honest, I've often felt that way about war correspondents. Not that they deserve PTSD, no one deserves that. But if they repeatedly and purposely put themselves in danger, something will eventually happen.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome - the Basics


I think we all have some idea of what we think PTSD is, but it turns out PTSD isn't as clear-cut as I thought.

Apparently, when PTSD was first introduced into the DSM, the diagnostic criteria required a traumatic event "outside the range of usual human experience" that would cause "significant symptoms of distress in almost anyone." That fits pretty well with my own perception of PTSD. Rape, war, torture, violent experiences...these all fit into that description. PTSD is a normal response to an abnormal stressor.