PTSD - Harry and/or Sirius

[Susan McGee]

No: HPFGUIDX 10044

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Carole Estes" <lrcjestes at e...> 
wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <mlleelizabeth at a...>
> 
> >
> > And I'll speak from experience on the issue as well: when the 
people you
> most
> > depend on abuse you, forming trusting, loving relationships is 
extremely
> > difficult. It also makes you very brave.
> >
> > You're very probably hooking Hermione up with someone who's 
suffering from
> > PTSD.  It could be dicey for them both.
> 
> You think Harry has PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)? Harry 
hasn't
> shown any symptoms of this as of yet...I guess it could be extremely
> delayed, and this is one thing that seems unreal about Harry is 
that he
> hasn't shown any repercussions of his 10 years in a closet.  I'm 
not saying
> it wouldn't be a realistic response, or that Harry will not have 
intimacy
> issues to deal with, but I hadn't thought of PTSD in association 
with Harry.
> 
> Now, I have been engaged in a long detailed discussion on whether 
Sirius has
> PTSD with another Sirius fanatic off list, anyone want to comment 
on this
> possibility?
> 
> carole

Harry has nightmares (not the ones in GoF), but persistent nightmares.
He doesn't really believe that adults are a source for help  (no 
wonder! there was Uncle Dudley, Aunt Petunia, Aunt Marge, Mrs. Figgs 
and no one at school to notice that he was always wearing baggy 
clothes and his glasses were always broken and his cousin had 
everything --- grrrrr) -- he finally starts to trust Sirius and 
Dumbledore...but you can see the progress as the books progress..but 
it's a big breakthrough when he realizes in GoF that he wants to talk 
to Sirius, and remember -- he thinks in the GoF, that he's never been 
held by a motherly person so that he can cry (Molly at the end. He 
doesn't have many close friends. 

In the real world, there would definitely be effects of the abuse and 
neglect he suffered. I see some effects in the books, and it's one of 
the reasons that I think it will be long time before Harry enters 
into a serious intimate relationship (someone with a lot of warmth, 
empathy, patience and gayety --- I like Hermione, but I don't think 
she's really the type).

Susan