Trauma is hell on earth. Trauma resolved is a gift from the gods.

Trauma is any stressor that occurs in a sudden and forceful way and is experienced as overwhelming.

PTSD is a whole-body tragedy, an integral human event of enormous proportions with massive repercussions.

July 15, 1991

Nita: My mother was a paragon of our neighborhood, People always come up to us with hugs, saying "You have the most wonderful mother." l'd think. “Don't you see what's going on in this house?” To this day, if somehow even in jest raises their hand to me, I will do this (raises hands to protect face and cowers) I cringe. Then they look at me like, what's your probem? You don't get that from a great childhood.

One of Coin's men lays a hand on my arm. Its not an aggressive move, really, but after the arena's I react defensively to any unfamiliar touch. I jerk my arm free and take off running down the halls. My mind does a quick inventory of my odd little hiding places and i wind up in the supply closet, curled up against a crate of chalk.

Often it isn’t the initiating trauma that creates seemingly insurmountable pain, but the lack of support after.