Post Traumatic Stress is Real

“You don’t have real PTSD.” 

This was said to me by a longtime acquaintance last month. 

It offended me and made me angry; I forgave this person. 

I realized that they commented in a place of ignorance. 

In her mind, she’s always seen me as a strong person, always laughing and smiling. That’s my public face. 

This is a common misunderstanding of mental illness and what it should “look” like. It is easy to see physical injury. It is easy to understand other medical diagnoses with a consensus on the physical manifestations (i.e., weight loss from cancer treatment). 

Stress and mental illness affect the body in ways that may not be visible such as fatigue, elevated blood pressure, and weight gain/loss. 

It may be difficult for us to think beyond the attributes of an often talked about condition. Injury of the mind is not clear-cut. It is very individual in experience and presentation, but it is authentic for the person with the disease. 

Post Traumatic Stress is very real to those growing out of it. 

Yes, I laugh and smile a lot. Sometimes, they are the product of pure joy and happiness; and other times, I laugh, so I don’t scream or punch someone or something and smile instead of crying. 

How I look, or present daily does not reflect how I may feel that day or that moment.