Jessica Hamblen PhD MA NIMH
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a strong and lasting emotional reaction to a very disturbing event, such as war, violent crime, or a natural disaster. It’s normal for such events to make you feel scared, confused, or angry for a while. But if these feelings don’t go away or if they get worse, you may have…
Tim’s Story: Dealing With Trauma And Grief
As a medic in Iraq, Tim was always in the midst of suffering. He treated soldiers with horrible wounds. He saw some die. Within one day of returning home, he faced another trauma. His father died of cancer. “He was my best friend for my whole life. That just threw my whole brain out of whack,” Tim said. Grief forced the…
Military Sexual Trauma
What is military sexual trauma? The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) defines military sexual trauma (MST) as experiences of sexual assault or repeated, threatening acts of sexual harassment. 1 These traumas occur when a person is in the military. 1 The location, the genders of the people involved, and their…
Marvin’s Story: Coping After the Hurricane
The hurricane still haunts Marvin. He and his wife, daughter, and four grandkids huddled on a neighbor’s roof as floodwaters from the storm surges swirled around them. Lashed by wind and debris, they survived by hooking themselves to a rooftop exhaust vent. “The water just kept rising,” he said, beginning to cry. “The…