PTSD Recovery

PTSD and Moral Injury are soul damaging. Trauma warps our fundamental belief systems-beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world-leaving us in a constant state of uncertainty and self-doubt. Many people who are suffering from Moral Injury or PTSD often feel they don't deserve to get better. This is toxic shame. Let me tell you a little secret. You Deserve to heal! It's 100% okay not to feel all-in right now.Let me ask you this instead. Is it possible that you are stronger than you think?Would you be willing to find out? Keep reading. I'm going to teach you everything I wish I knew when I started my recovery from PTSD and Moral Injury. We're going to touch on all the symptoms invading your day-to-day life.Trauma and TriggersFlashbacks and HallucinationsSubstance Abuse and AlcoholismIrritable Behavior and Angry OutburstsShame, Self-Loathing, and Self-Destructive BehaviorAvoidanceLack of Empathy and Relationship BreakdownsOnce we've shined a light on how PTSD and Moral Injury have disrupted your life, we're going to cover the top three evidence-based treatment options you'll want to ask for by name. This book does not waste time cutting through the bull and getting down to brass tacks. Told in the voice of a Soldier-turned-therapist, it is a call to arms, offering facts, empathy, and direction, while urging Service Members to seek the right therapy, helping family members to understand the battlefield, and connecting civilians with the Warrior culture. As a therapist, Virginia Cruse was becoming frustrated with the rumors her clients heard about PTSD that kept them from getting better. Why did so many of them believe PTSD couldn't be treated? Why did so many feel shame for non-combat related PTSD? Others believed they deserved to have PTSD but didn't deserve to get better. All the rumors, worthless information, and toxic shaming hit home hard with Cruse, who herself struggled with her own debilitating PTSD.No one had taken the time to explain PTSD and Moral Injury to Service Members in a way that made sense. Virginia Cruse has made it her mission to get the right information out there so people can gain access to the help they need.

Ladies, what you're experiencing is a normal reaction to trauma.What happened was not your fault, and you deserve to heal. There is a lot of information out there about PTSD, but most of what's out there is not user friendly, because it is written by clinicians for clinicians using psychobabble that reads like Swedish furniture building instructions. While well-intentioned, it isn't easily digestible for the rest of us.If you aren't able to access the information you need, in a format that makes sense, the only thing you are left with is hearsay. Rumors and untruths will mess with your head and keep you from getting the treatment you deserve. Statistically, women are twice as likely to develop PTSD, experience a longer duration of posttraumatic symptoms, and display more sensitivity to anything that reminds them of the trauma. Often, women's experiences are dismissed, belittled, and invalidated – and even more so for women of color or women who identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. That is not okay. In this book, we're going to dispel rumors, talk about various types of trauma, and speak to you like the caring friend you need. We want you to be able to recognize and acknowledge how the trauma has impacted you, without judgement or shame, so that you can confidently advocate for the right treatment and begin the healing process. Along the way, we'll also share real stories from survivors who have lived through the traumas we're covering. It is important that you know you are not alone, you have options, and you can reclaim your life. The bottom line: We want you to heal from your trauma.