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Old Mar 02, 2014, 11:40 AM
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Open Eyes Open Eyes is offline
Legendary Wise Elder
 
Member Since: Mar 2011
Location: Northeast USA
Posts: 23,289
I am sorry you are angry and frustrated, I can relate.

Unfortunately, the effort to have more awareness has made the stigmatizing even worse in many cases.

I have noticed that different series on TV have more and more characters that struggle with PTSD. These characters are often portrayed in and extreme to where they present some kind of threat, or struggle so much that they end their lives. There is very little discussed about PTSD, but enough to lead people to think the wrong things and even fear people who struggle with PTSD. Often they have a character doing bad things and they talk about that person's history of child abuse as being the reason behind their seriously demented behavior where they are a threat to society.

Instead they could show how people who struggle with PTSD can be interacting, get triggered and realize something about themselves they had not realized before. Why can't they show that when this happens often this is like an epiphany where there is a tremendous urge to verbalize it and sometimes with that the person can become emotional? Wouldn't it be nice if they showed the right way to respond to that, instead of getting angry with the person or even saying "they need Drama" when that's not what is taking place at all. Why don't they show that when that does happen, instead people tend to respond in "invalidating" ways which leads to the person struggling to become ashamed and embarrassed or angry even and convinced they need to isolate so that doesn't happen unexpectedly again? No, instead what typically happens is that person is deemed something "bad" or somehow disruptive.

I watched a program not too long ago and the person took his own life, and at the end they talked about the need for awareness and financial support. It was awful IMHO and totally missed the mark. It's bad enough that people don't understand PTSD never mind depicting it in the "worst case scenarios" as I have seen thus far. And in all honesty, it has become just another "character" grab in different story lines to where it's becoming
a gradual catch word that just makes it harder on those who genuinely struggle.

If, however, you watch a documentary of "real people" struggling, you can see the "emotional pain" in their eyes, and how very much they are trying to figure out how not to have that happen, because "when" it does happen,
people tend to respond so poorly that it only makes it so much harder.
People do not even realize how "mean" they can be about this "big challenge
with trying to control emotional reactions" either.

OE

Last edited by Open Eyes; Mar 02, 2014 at 11:56 AM.
Thanks for this!
henrydavidtherobot, misskrome