Training Knights Lesson 10 Healing PTSD Part 1

By Stephen Cheney

Intro

Here, we continue with investigations into the workings of the mind. These discussions and trainings are meant to encourage budding enthusiasts who are inspired by the likes of the best of Samurai, Knights of the Round Table, Special Forces, fictional Jedi Knight Masters, and other heroes representing the fight of Good against Evil (though not all had honour). Whether child or adult, there is something of value here for everyone. 

The near-magical physical and mental abilities of fictional heroes may seem unobtainable. However, the skills taught here will be found to be learnable and applicable to real dangerous situations, but only if practiced frequently. They come from my scholarly studies of the Dark Arts, more properly termed "The Deep Arts," as they are intended for good against evil. 

Regarding the Force, as divulged in the Star Wars films, it is sometimes considered as Ki (Japanese) or Chi (Chinese) in the Martial Arts. However, "The Force" is more than just internal; its manipulation is a teachable skill and not a paranormal ability.

Some teachings discussed will be about Paranormal abilities, gifts that only a very few students (if not delusional) can be expected to have. Such rare individuals who have such burdens need to be and will be accommodated. I may know a lot, but I make no claim to possess such abilities.

What is PTSD?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.

 Suicidal thoughts, in order to escape mental pain, is often a factor in PTSD.

Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function (from the Mayo Clinic). 

How serious is the Problem?

 Statistics USA:

Up until about 2021, in the US Military, an estimated 30,177 American active military personnel and veterans involved in post-9/11 wars have died by suicide — a figure at least four times greater than the 7,057 service members who were killed in combat during that time, according to the 'Cost of War Project' conducted by Brown/Boston Universities and authored by Thomas Suitt. (Thomas Suitt's unit in Iraq had 9 members killed, but later 15 died by suicide.) 

US Army report on Army suicides (2023):

Of 47 studies, only 10 had Actionable recommendations.
However, the responsible Army Offices took NO action on the recommendations. 

Australian Army:

An Australian Army commando who served in Afghanistan lost comrades and his Captain there. He returned with PTSD and sought official help, but he was advised that he had to wait for 2 years before treatment. After 2 years, he was advised that he could be treated, but he was so angry at the display of inhumanity that he lashed out at them. He still suffers from PTSD.

This illustrates that the resources allocated to treatment are deliberately too low, and there are too many PTSD sufferers.

Military Commanders appear to have a tunnel-vision view of what makes a soldier. They prioritize heroes over what they perceive as weakness. They find it difficult to accept that a patriotic soldier with strong willpower could succumb to battlefield horrors and end up with PTSD, as it goes against their noble military cultural beliefs. Additionally, being too focused on and open about PTSD is considered detrimental to military business and recruitment.

 

Better an end with horror than a horror without end. Schiller (this is a suicidal viewpoint)

 

The Screams of the Innocent Echo —
In Your Soul
In your Mind
In your Body
In the silence of graves. — Stephen Cheney

 

Old soldier...
trenches of war
in his face.          — Stephen Cheney

 

A Song of Liang-Chou
They sing, they drain their cups of jade,
On horseback they strum on their guitars.
… When they fall asleep drunk on the sand
  — Why laugh? —
How many soldiers ever come home?          — Wang Han

 

 

An Ideal Perspective

Emotional damage needs to be healed by altering the emotional memory structures in the subconscious and the perspective of logic in the forebrain. One's view of the world, the environment that impacts, and the person that meets those impacts, good and bad, defines one.

Knowing what you stand for is your sword and shield, but sometimes a reminder is necessary.

 It is your mind that interprets the world, and it needs to expand its views, not narrow them to a confining cell.

 Daily problems and pains are real. That reality needs to be acknowledged. However, one's internal powers also need to be acknowledged, for we are not nothing, we are also real. The Earth's eyes, mind and hands are us.

 Mirroring the external universe, your mind is also a universe of its own. In it, you can encompass galaxies and dreams.

 Whatever your problems, if you compare them to the vast universe: they are small, even temporary.

 When overly stressed, one's mental force narrows its focus onto personal problems only, discarding the greater Realm of existence.

 With severe PTSD One may become as beast within a cage, surrounded by the oppressive gloom of a problem, seeing no way out. This confining, however, is self-imposed. As a universe of its own, the mind is vast and greater than any problem within it.

 When your mind is free, or you make it free, to move and roam the Stars, it reforms to its true nature. All living things explore their environment with senses, hands, feet, eyes and mind.  When alive, know that you are so, make the most of it. For when you no longer live, you cannot change this universe into something better — you will be in another universe to explore.

 A Warrior carries the burden of pressure with the meaning and usefulness of being Protective and keeping others safe. A warrior is one who is aware of death and thus the value of life, a life so temporary and easily lost. A warrior also carries the Burden of the Pain that comes with injury to both body and mind from entering into conflicts and battling evil to save the good. Experiencing the mutilations of body, mind, and soul of others, and even of his own. Just knowing the Horrors that criminal man does to his fellow humans is enough to depress one into a deep and dark despair. For evil is common everywhere and the Good only win if the populace breed and train champions. Severe disappointment from wanting what should be, yet having to face and fight what is, can cripple a mind. The mind is a recorder and bad memories fixed in place by emotional shock need to somehow be exorcized if the mind is to function properly once more.

 

Blue the smoke of war,
White the bones of men. — Tu Fu (AD 712-770)

 

(Image: wallpaperaccess.com Warrior)

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