Letās face it, PTSD is a label. Having a diagnosis can be very helpful as it allows clients to access appropriate resources and supports. However, it doesnāt accurately reflect the experience of recovering from trauma.
When healthy people are repeatedly exposed to traumatic and dangerous situations, itās normal that thereās a residual effect. Like an athlete that runs too many marathons without enough recovery time, injuries are sustained that can be lingering or career-threatening.
The word ādisorderā does a disservice to the injuries suffered by those who put themselves in harmās way in the course of their work. People with PTSD are not disordered, they are injured. Their wounds originate from repeated or severe exposure to trauma. Thereās nothing disordered about that, itās a natural and predictable reaction to unnatural events or situations.
Just because itās invisible, doesnāt mean itās not real. Weāre going to increasingly be using the term PTSI in our communications. These injuries are significant, severe, and potentially life threatening if not tended to in a thoughtful, compassionate manner. As with any injury, thereās a continuum of severity, ranging from mildly disruptive to debilitating. Not everyone who has these injuries is the same. The mechanism of injury, presentation of symptoms, and severity of harm may vary from person to person. Nonetheless, everyone has an equal right to access treatment and care in a timely manner.
Disorders are something we stick in the corner and donāt quite know what to do with. Injuries are something we heal. So we get it, without the label, itās impossible to access appropriate care. But between you and me, weāll be calling it an injury.
Warm wishes,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Executive Director, Landing Strong
Heās Dougās dog. Max may greet you cheerfully when you walk in the door at Landing Strong. Wagging his fluffy white tail while showing off his fabulous winter sweater.
Max comes in to work because he hasnāt had an easy time lately. His lifelong companion Murphy passed away and the adjustment has been hard on him. Always together, Max suddenly found himself without his best friend. When I first met Max he was sad and somewhat withdrawn. Overtime, heās growing in confidence and is coming out of his bed more often. The more he interacts, the better he does.
Grief is like that. Isolating and all encompassing. It makes it hard to get up and go outā¦particularly if all we want to do is lie in bed. The thing is, grief is not meant to be experienced alone. Thereās power and strength in expressing the roar of pain associated with loss. Pain is meant to be seen and heardā¦thatās why we cry out. Itās an invitation for connectionā¦for recovery never happens in isolation.
Extending our thoughts and hearts to each and every one of you who are experiencing the pain of loss. Know that you are not alone.
Warm wishes,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Executive Director, Landing Strong
High performance athletes canāt always do whatās expected. Occasionally, they might have a minor sprain or injury that needs nurturing. In the case of a major setback, they might be on the sidelines for a longer period of time. This doesnāt mean they arenāt a top performer. It simply means that no matter what weāre good at, or what weāre trying to work on, none of us can be good at it all of the time.
Sometimes when we have a setback, it might be easy to doubt whether weāve made any progress at all.
āMaybe the good mood I had last month wasnāt real…ā
āI feel like Iām back at square oneā
āI thought I was doing so much better, what does it mean now that Iām really struggling?ā
As in any journey, the path has peaks and valleys. The emotions you feel at any one point in time will never be a constant. True, the good times will passā¦ but so will the bad.
The most important thing to remember in those moments of self-doubt is thatās the time to reach out. Itās totally counter-intuitive, but a certain way to turn things around quickly. When we most want to retreat, thatās actually when we need to advance.
Donāt wait until youāre feeling good to join one of our groupsā¦ it would be a very empty room if we all took that approach. Take a look at the programs weāre offering in the new year and see if thereās one that seems right for you. Thereās a seat waiting for you.
Warm regards,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Executive Director, Landing Strong
Itās a phrase I hear quite often, usually by people whoāve had harmful experiences that left them feeling disillusioned or hurt.
Itās natural to build walls to protect ourselves when we feel threatened. The problem is, trust is often described in black and white terms: itās there or it isnāt.
In reality, I see trust as having many dimensions. Letās think about it for a moment. If we were facing a zombie apocalypse, who would you most want by your side? Is it the same person who youād hire to care for your children or grandchildren? Probably not. Mary Poppins and Van Diesel definitely fall into different categories of trust. Trusting someone with your physical safety needs is different that trusting them to care for your children.
I trust my husband Joe implicitly, but he might not be my first choice when it comes to decorating cupcakes (flashback to our wedding where we decorated our own bride and groom cakes. Joeās cake consisted of a war scene with Tonka tanks, explosions and GI Joe parachuting down into the middle). Yeahā¦I definitely donāt trust my husband when it comes to decorating cakesā¦ but, I do trust him to be there for me when it comes to the really important stuff.
I like to think of trust as a three dimensional star with many prongs. I can trust some people along many dimensions, others along only a few. Thatās okay, as long as I donāt trust people in areas that arenāt their strength.
So if you catch yourself thinking āpeople canāt be trusted,ā try looking for exceptions in this āall or nothingā thinking pattern. It may be there are some things they do well. See what happens if you modify your expectations accordingly.
Warmly,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Founder, Landing Strong
Every military member and first responder signs up knowing their job involves risk. You may not know exactly what the risks are, but have a general sense that things could get very ugly. Why do we do it? Why expose ourselves to harmful things when we know that thereās a significant chance of personal injury?
Why support a family member who may be taking these risks?
Why would someone willingly enter a burning building, respond to a fatal motor vehicle accident, take on the responsibility of making life-or-death decisions, or be in the role of caring for those who have injured others?
We do it because deep down, we believe we can make a difference.
Whether itās through direct exposure in the field, or more indirectly through the viewing of images and videos, thereās no doubt that repeated trauma exposure takes a toll.
Through witnessing one anotherās experiences, weāre able to appreciate the difference each person made. Weāre a community that walks with you to understand your injury and help you reclaim parts of your life that may have been lost.
Come walk with us this Fall, weāre running group programs that are well-suited for both new and returning members of our team. We’ll be sharing details on our social media pages this week so be sure to check us out on Facebook or our website.
With gratitude,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Founder, Landing Strong
It was on the night of June 5, 1944 that Winston expressed to his wife that they were going to bed with the knowledge that by morning, 20,000 soldiers may have lost their lives.
He was referring toĀ Operation Overlord, the biggest seaborne operation in history.Ā Ā An event that served to turn the tide of the Second World War as 156,000 Allied forces united to stormĀ the beaches of Normandy in an effort toĀ liberate the country from Nazi occupation.
More than 10,000 peopleĀ lost their lives in an all or nothing gamble that paid off, but at tremendous cost.
Yesterday marks the seventy-five anniversary of theĀ D-Day landings.
I woke up this morning with gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifice of those who paved the way for the rights and freedoms that we enjoy today.Ā Ā
To the soldiers, the veterans, their families, and the leaders who bore the weight of such heavy decisions.Ā Ā I give thanks.Ā Ā Ā Ā
Warm regards,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Founder, Landing Strong
