“Just Breathe”, But You Can’t

Just:

Breathe

Calm down

Don’t worry about it

Don’t let it bother you

Smile

Think positive

Have a better attitude

Think about something else

Don’t be so negative

Try harder

Be grateful that —.

Those words are so dismissive of the experience of people with PTSD. And we know. We know those things. We’d like to do them. But sometimes we can’t breathe. We can’t even start with that. We can’t calm down, our bodies don’t let us. We can’t have a better attitude, it isn’t an attitude problem. We can’t think about something else until our bodies and brains stop telling us that we aren’t in imminent danger. We are trying harder. Just being alive is trying hard enough, thanks.

We live with what we live with,  with live with trauma that didn’t leave us, and dismissive words don’t serve us.

So don’t tell them to yourself. You are enough, wherever you are in this journey.