The Everyday Struggle with PTSD

Sometimes, I will appear to be lost in thought. You will see me sit for long periods of time, alone, with no apparent purpose. That sudden blast of a car horn that may momentarily catch anyone else’s attention will cause me to be so startled that I will begin crying uncontrollably. I usually am not able to accept consolation, even from those closest to me. This is the reality of my life suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Hi, my name is Susan Rachele, and I want you to know that Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, or PTSD, is very, very different from the ordinary stressors of everyday life. It is not just having the blues or having a bad day. Everyone has bad days and sometimes bad weeks, months, or even years. What makes Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome so much worse is the living hell it transplants you to, where you must stay. It is this living hell that I have lived in for many, many years.

If you suffer from PTSD, as I, Susan Rachele, do it is extremely important to remember the one thing I have often forgotten during my struggles. You can forget everything anyone else has told you about PTSD and the horror that it brings. You just need to remember one thing that I tell you: you are not alone. Organizations large and global, and others small and local, are there to help you in your fight against Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. I have fought against PTSD for many years. My resolve has only become stronger than before. My will to fight on, to live, has never been greater.

I realized that there were people who understood what I go through every day. They wanted to help me. The only thing I needed to do was to take the hand that was outstretched and accept the help that I so desperately needed. And this is the advice I am going to give you if you struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as I do: if there is a hand being offered, take it. Embrace the future, because you are not alone.