By David Peel
When you listen to songs from your childhood , you’ll find that the melodies take you back to your youth.
When you smell hot apple pie, you might remember grandmother’s house. When “Magic Carpet Ride” plays, I’m back in the fraternity house in college. When Van Halen is on, I’m back cruising in my jacked-up Ford Bronco in high school.
The fact of the matter is that we all relive our memories. Memories are living and vibrant things, just waiting to be awakened.
For many of my clients, squealing tires, a sudden swerve or a fast-approaching car takes them back to terror.
Someone struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can suddenly find themselves back in the most stressful time in their life. But it doesn’t necessarily feel like a distant memory, because the brain reacts as if it’s real and therefore the body reacts with panic, anxiety or even catatonic stares.
Recently, I was hearing the story of what it is like when someone has a frozen shoulder, also known as an adhesive capsulitis, repaired in surgery. And the doctor explained it to me that it sounded like tearing Velcro when he broke loose the adhesions. Another doctor said it sounded like breaking chicken wings off a carcass. Those were so visible and visual and powerful that I actually cringed hearing it. So just hearing about a noise I didn’t actually hear caused my body to react.
So again, PTSD is not such a remote concept for us to understand. But for victims of accidents, attacks, or other traumatic events, they can go right back there. Many of my clients do just fine until they are in some particular situation that takes them back to a traumatic event.
However, great strides have been made in treatment and PTSD is now a much more treatable condition.
Peel seeks justice for those injured in tractor trailer and car accidents, medical malpractice, and disability. He often addresses churches, clubs and groups without charge. Peel may be reached through PeelLawFirm.com wherein other articles may be accessed.
