This morning my inbox was filled with news that Prince Harry, Hailey Bieber, and veterans are suffering from PTSD. (I had to look up who Hailey Bieber was. How is it that there were at least 50 alerts on her?)
What I didn't see were alerts on what happens to survivors as humans living through something that could cause PTSD. Sometimes I feel as if I am the only one trying to get reporters to pay attention to all of us, since there are more average people of all ages struggling to heal and trying to get some hope they can do it.
Sorry but, that's all I can write on this right now. It's too frustrating to deal with today.
If you have PTSD, then you know how to spot the demon someone else is struggling to get rid of. We can all see that all-too-familiar sadness in the eyes of someone else. Once our own eyes were opened by those that came before us, we begin to notice how it has been inflicting people since the beginning of time. You may wonder, as I do, why others never understand what is right in front of them.
If you look up famous movies about PTSD, you won't find the one playing in your dreams every night or in the flashbacks that come without warning. Sadly, if you look online for a list of movies with characters struggling with it, you won't find as many as there have been because the list makers do not seem to understand that is part of the script even if not overtly so.
Most of the lists I found were the same and I picked this one from Ranker to give you an idea.
"This list answers the questions, "What are the best post-traumatic stress disorder movies?" and "What is the greatest post-traumatic stress disorder movie of all time?"
1, The Deer Hunter
2, American Sniper
3, Fearless
4, Jacobs Ladder
5, Brothers
6, Perks Of Being A Wallflower
7, Ordinary People
8, Taxi Driver
9, The War At Home
10, First Blood
11, The Edge Of Love
12, Grand Toreno
13, Jackknife
14, Red Dragon
15, The Fisher King
My eyebrows are hurting because I kept waiting to see the ones we know. They aren't there. They do not call it PTSD when they show flashbacks, nightmares, mood swings, or emotional turmoil by characters unable to leave the past in the past. Yet, once you read this list, if you come across a movie you have seen, you'll never think of the movie the same way again when you go back and watch it.
The Best Years Of Our Lives
The Robe
The Messenger
Season Of The Witch
It's A Wonderful Life
Jimmy Stewart brought his demon with him into the role after WWII.
EXCLUSIVE: How Jimmy Stewart's agony in It's a Wonderful Life came from extreme PTSD he suffered after he lost 130 of his men as a fighter pilot in WWII
Actor Jimmy Stewart was haunted by his memories from his time in the Air Force and suffered from PTSD when he returned from World War II
Stewart wrestled with the guilt of killing civilians in bomb raids over France and Germany and felt responsible for the death of his comrades
Stewart never talked about his struggles and bottled up his emotions
But they came out when acting parts he chose when he returned to Hollywood
He tapped into his emotional distress during the filming of It's a Wonderful Life, where his character George Bailey unravels in front of his family
Stewart's anguish is laid bare for the first time in Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the fight for Europe by author Robert Matzen (read more here)
I bet there are even more you may be thinking about right now. Any movie with nightmares of things that have been or flashbacks will have a reason for that being in the script. Use your inner PTSD couch critic and let other people you know see what you see, so they will be able to recognize the demons in the eyes of others. Then maybe we can all decide that there is no reason to hide the battles we fight since they are all watching these movies as entertainment.
If you are involved with church people, then read the Psalms with fresh eyes and you'll find it there too!
To see what is happening in the US Capitol today, on this the second anniversary of when our democracy was being attacked, is sickening. That is true. At the same time, what else happened this day in Washington DC is hopeful because people who risked their lives to defend what so many simply take for granted were rightfully honored.
In the process of President Biden listing all the things they went through, he mentioned how #PTSD does not just happen to veterans. Members of the police force, members of the House and Senate, and workers serving the elected are battling PTSD because of what happened that horrible day. Along with them, election workers, simply doing the duty of counting and processing the votes were honored for the price they ended up having to pay because they were lied about and targeted by those who lost.
When you have PTSD, you know that terrors do not end because they come in many different events by many different people, but they do not have to defeat us because other events and other people do things to help us heal!
Among those honored was "Capitol Police Officer Howie Liebengood, who died by suicide after serving on the front lines during the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol" and his widow fought to have the unseen price paid as a price paid in the line of duty.
Widow of fallen Capitol Police officer wants his death classified as ‘in the line of duty’
“That’s not what this is about,” Wexton said of the loss of access to the benefits. “This is more about the principle of their understanding that PTSD and the tragedy that went along with the events of January 6 is real. And that the stigma that follows police officers around after this, and then the reluctance to seek help, is also real.” read more of this here
President Biden awards 12 Citizens Medals on Jan. 6 anniversary
While the American people are accustomed to the simple fact that all politicians have an ego, we should never be willing to accept them putting their own self-interests ahead of the people and the country they take an oath to serve. We have seen a war of powers being waged beyond comprehension for the last two years that has resulted in the chaos in Washington DC.
Some of them use their claims of "faith" to justify lying and hating, seeking revenge against anyone seeking to hold them accountable for their actions. Others, also people of faith, hold to the truth and are willing to fight for what is right against those only claiming what they want people to believe they are.
To believe an entire body of those elected to serve as Republicans is all contemptible will surrender all hope for this nation. There has to be some among them still willing to do what is right for the sake of the country and put the country first. It is ever more apparent the majority of members of the GOP side of the house would rather have a divided party, as well as a divided House. As President Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
Two years ago, we were warned about people claiming to be "loyal" to the country, while they were only loyal to those only loyal to themselves. Selfish people always existed, and sadly, always will. The thing is, the American people used to be able to discern which selfish people were able to at least serve the country with equal measure toward themselves. That became frighteningly apparent two years ago this day.
We were warned about giving those selfish people power with no limits would cause great harm to this nation they claimed to love. We saw that on display over and over again leading up to the inability of GOP members of the House to elect a Speaker of the House, third in line to the President. They put their self-serving interests ahead of the good of the country. The fringe wants to have everything their way and McCarthy is willing to give them whatever they want so he can have the power he craves. Nothing else matters to Kevin McCarthy more than Kevin McCarthy. It doesn't matter what the country will pay in the end as long as he gets what he wants, and the rest of them are following the same goals based on their own self-interest.
McCarthy fights to lock down a deal in longest speaker contest in 164 years
CNN
Kevin McCarthy is locked in a fight for his political future as the California Republican attempts to win the votes he needs to become speaker of the US House of Representatives in what has now become the longest contest in 164 years.
McCarthy suffered a string of defeats on Thursday as the House took round after round of failed votes. The longer the fight drags on, the more dire it becomes for McCarthy as it risks further defections and a loss of confidence in the GOP leader. House Republicans are scheduled to hold a conference call Friday morning, a source familiar told CNN, and the House is set to reconvene at noon ET. read more here
And this is why those who sided with evil, should not be in charge of the House they were willing to allow to fall for the sake of what they wanted for themselves. The question is, who among them is willing to put the country first and serve her, instead of themselves in that party? Who among them is willing to renounce the R after their name and declare independence from them to caucus with the Democrats when they can agree on Bills and Laws instead of serving vindictiveness and hatred?
This is Kevin McCarthy on video addressing what happened two years ago today.
If you are wondering what this has to do with #PTSD then you haven't been paying attention since many of those serving in the House on that day, have been fighting it ever since. The only way we know to begin to heal when someone harmed us is for them to be held accountable.
Letters delivered by veterans urge House Republicans to condemn political violence
Los Angeles Times
BY GARY FIELDS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
JAN. 4, 2023
WASHINGTON — Dozens of military veterans on Wednesday hand-delivered letters to top Republicans in the U.S. House, calling on them to publicly condemn political violence as the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol approaches.
Former Washington Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone leaves Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s office at the Capitol on Wednesday after delivering a letter urging the Georgia Republican to publicly condemn political violence.(Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)
Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone wrote the letter, which was signed by more than 1,000 military veterans, active duty members, law enforcement officers and military families. Fanone, who was beaten and shocked with stun guns during the attack on the Capitol, delivered a copy to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s office. While the GOP leadership remains unsettled, the groups behind the effort consider the Georgia representative one of the de facto leaders of the new Republican majority in the House.
Veterans also delivered letters to GOP Reps. James Comer of Kentucky, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Elise Stefanik of New York and Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, who is trying to become House speaker.
