Some wisdom for -- and from -- the ages:
"You could tell the secret of life ten times over, and it would still be safe. After all, the secret is only known when people make it real in their own lives, not when they simply hear it." -- The Tao.
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." -- James 1:22, New International Version.
"We dance round in a ring and suppose. But the Secret sits in the middle, and knows." -- Robert Frost.
Apropos of nothing in particular, these sayings have been on my mind today. Partly because much of what has been known about combat-based PTSD has been known since at least the 1970s, and partly because some of the behavioral modification techniques that frankly make life easier for the sufferers and their caregivers are also just that -- common sense. I think of how much collective wisdom the sufferers of PTSD and their spouses or significant others, family members, caregivers, etc., have -- and how little is probably put into practice.
What we know about how to improve lives with PTSD, whether through bodywork, mind-body medicine, CBT, PET, behavioral modification techniques, spirituality, consistent use of appropriate medication -- and successful combinations thereof -- still need to be APPLIED on a daily basis to bring any true relief at all. Not just thought about, contemplated, agreed with. In that regard, both the Tao and the Bible (above) are in agreement: merely hearing, or thinking about something, doesn't bring improvement. Doing it does. Go forth and conquer :-)
© 2010 by Lily Casura / Healing Combat Trauma. All rights reserved. Use with attribution.
