… of Unthought Thoughts

Certain things that happen to us are either unthinkable or difficult to think about. We cannot tolerate the memory of these things and so we do our best to lose touch with them. However, forgetting can be very hard if the thing you are trying to forget has disturbed you. In some way it will go on disturbing you until you have dealt with it by rediscovering it and letting yourself come to terms with it.

PTSD affects you like this. You can have flashbacks, vivid dreams and disruptive symptoms such as compulsive behaviours. PTSD symptoms are perhaps easier to understand than the symptoms of less obviously traumatic experiences, such as suffering loss or experiencing repeated stress, which our minds can still find hard to deal with. You may become withdrawn, or over-excitable, or apparently unemotional, or always tearful, or believing you are incapable, or seemingly fearless.

In certain circumstances these things can be helpful, but like a car stuck in one gear, your path through life will no doubt remain difficult, whatever steps you take to try and adjust.