Triggers

It has been a long time since I have written anything. Years actually. Life happens, sometimes it’s not gentle. Someone that I know ask how to handle it when someone does or says something the triggers his PTSD. (We are both working through PTSD issues.) That’s a difficult thing. It’s easier to avoid situations or things that trigger PTSD that you know will set you off. Not so much for things that just happen. For example, a few years ago I got off at a bus stop that was near some road construction and just as I walked away from the bus BOOM! There was an explosion. They were blasting some rock or some such at the construction site. Only in my mind I was taking rocket fire. Only all around me it was a city street on the outskirts of town not a road in Iraq. Cannot really plan for that. Life happens. So what to do? I went to someone that I trust and talked about what happened. How I felt, what I saw both in my mind and outside of it. That person listened, gave some words of encouragement. Not platitudes. Just a “You can get through this." kind of thing. What helped the most was an ear to unburden myself on. I don’t even remember the words of encouragement, but I do remember the willingness to listen. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 6:2) If one does not share their burden then no one can help them bear it. It is a blessing to have someone share a burden with you and it is a blessing to help someone bear that burden. If someone shares their burden with you, be careful not to add to that persons burden.