[HPforGrownups] Re: Post-Hogwarts PTSD

[Carole Estes]

No: HPFGUIDX 10889


----- Original Message -----
From: "Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer" <pennylin at swbell.net>
>
> naama_gat at hotmail.com wrote:
>
> > After all, most people who have fought in wars do not get PTSD.
>
According to :  http://www.psych.org/public_info/ptsd.cfm  (thanks elizabeth
for posting these links)

Ten percent of the population has been affected at some point by clinically
diagnosable PTSD. Still more show some symptoms of the disorder. Although it
was once thought to be mostly a disorder of war veterans who had been
involved in heavy combat,


> > We should remember, however, that generally speaking people are tough
> > and can survive very difficult times without breaking up emotionally
> > (which is what I think PTSD is basically).
>
> I'm sure Carole or Monika or someone else more knowledgeable about PTSD
> can speak to this more than I can .... but my personal take is that
> you're viewing PTSD as some sort of personal weakness that could be
> overcome with enough strength of character.  I don't think this is
> necessarily true, but I admittedly am not too knowledgeable about this
> topic.

PTSD is a physiological response.  It has to do with a heightened response
in Autonomic nervous system.  I'm no expert...just doing some research, but
the body gets accustomed to this heightened response and has trouble turning
it off when the trauma is over.  There's also an element of memory there in
that the memory of the trauma does not get filed in the right place.  It
gets maintained in the current file rather than the memory file.

Its not a matter of emotional strength as much as a mechanism the body uses
to survive.

Whether Harry succumbs to post-Hogwarts PTSD depends a lot on the type of
trauma and the type of support he gets in the aftermath (a comforting
Hermione to come home and love him when its all over....sorry couldn't
resist  <grin>)

carole