After the Storm

I am thinking about how helpful it is to have a label for what is troubling you. I have been experiencing fatigue, inability to focus, inability to commit, anxiety, depression - all of these symptoms. I criticize myself for not getting more done on most days. My inner voice is great at criticizing and less skilled at complimenting. The latter is a blog for another day.

I have been coping with the unexpected death of my husband for the past five and a half years and have labeled my symptoms as depression. Not a 'drug taker' I have participated in bereavement/support groups and have read lots of self-help books about coping after the death of a loved-one. I know the 'stuff' to do. I try to put this 'stuff' in some sort of time schedule. A time schedule all too often never completed or completed inefficiently because I am so easily distracted. The notion of 'monkey mind' is a wonderful description of my inability to focus.

One day last week I was in a conversation with a friend who was dealing with Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). She lives in New Orleans and was anxious about the condition of her home after Isaac. She related how Isaac brought back the emotions of Katrina. She, too, had been experiencing all of my symptoms. Reflecting on that conversation I googled PTS. Now I understand. I have PTS. Trauma is unique to each of us. Trauma is defined by our 'stories'. Surviving a new trauma in one's ongoing living story, triggers PTS symptoms often rewinding memories embedded in our DNA from long ago. The memories, the emotions, the effects linger long after the storm.

I remember learning about brain-based teaching and how trauma triggers a 'flight or fight' response in the brain (survival brain). It shuts down higher level thinking. I remember learning at that time  that it takes at least 24 hours for the brain to regroup after one trauma. At the time I wondered - how can students living in environments under continual trauma/stress ever access their  higher level thinking skills?

Having just recognized my own challenges based on PTS I'm curious about the challenges it brings to our schools encompassing both students and teachers. How do we reckon with the symptoms of PTS in our classrooms? Teachers are stressed, students are stressed, families are stressed, our world is stressed. The ability to utilize this label, to identify this familiar human condition, provides an opportunity to connect with and understand each other. Establishing and acknowledging that we are all living with PTS will most likely ignite compassion, respect, understanding, and trust. In sharing our stories we will discover "we are more similar than different."