Stories related to PTSD

Laura has suffered for 26 years with mental and physical illness that left her feeling worthless and alone. After many treatments and medications, the length and severity of her suffering led her to a better understanding of herself and the world around her.

Living alone during the pandemic forced Danielle to face her greatest fear: herself. She struggled to accept that her 30 years of trauma were not her fault. But she has also realized that, even though our brains may try to trick us, we are never actually alone.

Brittany battled with her mental health for years before finding a certain peace in sharing her story through writing. Nurturing her passions has helped her through her recovery journey and on her mission to end the stigmas that surround mental health.

Hannah didn’t know how to express herself after decades of abuse. In an attempt to escape her mother’s violence, she moved in with her father yet was confronted by her stepmother’s emotional abuse. Despite this, education helped Hannah gain control.

Following the shooting at Virginia Tech, Ann suffered from PTSD that affected her ability to teach. Ann sought help, and after spending months working through the complex entanglement of her trauma history and mood disorder, she emerged a more resilient person.

As a child, Sarah suffered abuse at the hands of her physician father. As an adult, Sarah became a physician assistant and worked for abusive supervising physicians. Leaving this environment gave her the courage to finally seek help for her PTSD.

After serving 14 years in the military, Cynthia’s worsening PTSD led her into an opioid addiction. Through years of recovery involving rehab, faith, and storytelling, Cynthia found her saving grace.

Anita had always been empathetic and spent her life taking care of the needs of others—her father, her ex-husband, her boyfriend. Finally, Anita realized she needed to take care of herself too.