Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be a devastating condition, most often associated with military veterans. My father’s experience exemplifies its profound effects.

Before serving in World War II, he was an outgoing, fun-loving man—the kind of person with whom my mother fell in love. They met at a USO dance and made it a tradition to dance together every Friday night. They both enjoyed a good jitterbug, along with a good slow dance which enhanced their bond. Before he left for the war, he proposed, and they eagerly planned their future together.

However, the horrors of combat changed him. He witnessed unimaginable sights, experiences that haunted him long after he returned home. The vibrant, social man my mother once knew became withdrawn and distant. She still loved him, of course, but the weight of his memories made it difficult for him to reconnect with the world, leaving behind the laughter and joy that had once defined him. His life was forever changed.

PTSD can stem from many different experiences, and its effects can be lifelong. My adopted son, Angel, and daughter, Marie, both suffer from severe PTSD, which continues to impact their daily lives. Before the age of three, they endured unimaginable abuse—trauma so profound that it left lasting emotional and psychological wounds.

As infants and toddlers, they had no way to escape the horrors they faced. For Angel, survival meant retreating inward. With no physical way to protect himself, he coped by dissociating in his mind, which eventually led to the development of dissociative identity disorder. This continues to plague his everyday life, with him often “waking up” alongside the highway with no recollection of where he had been or what he had done. He has learned to keep his home address locked in his phone so he can MapQuest his way home.

Marie’s PTSD manifests differently. A single trigger, such as seeing someone who resembles one of her abusers or catching a familiar scent of cologne, can send her into a state of sheer panic. In an instant, she may collapse into a corner, curling into a ball, screaming and crying as if reliving the trauma all over again. Once, when this happened and the ambulance was called, she ripped the radiator off the wall and used it to fend off the EMTs who were trying to get to her.

My father, Angel, and Marie displayed many outward signs of PTSD, but countless others suffer from this condition in ways that are less visible. While some carry their trauma in ways the world can see, others battle it silently, their struggles hidden beneath the surface.

Hubby and I were searching for a new television series to watch together and decided on Yellowstone: 1923, mainly because Harrison Ford is one of my favorite actors. In the first episode, a boarding school for Native American girls was depicted. The girls, dressed in plain, pillowcase-like dresses, sat stiffly in a strict classroom setting. In one particularly unsettling scene, a nun disciplined a student by repeatedly slapping her knuckles with a ruler for giving an incorrect answer. Blow after blow, the ruler came down until the girl’s knuckles were raw, red, and bleeding. It was a very disturbing scene, but much more so for Hubby, who suddenly became quiet and started to shake. He did not say anything at the time, but as soon as that episode was over, he chose for us not to continue watching this series. Then he burst into tears.

Hubby, who was diagnosed with dyslexia later in life, struggled in school, especially during his early years. In second grade, he was transferred from public school to parochial school, supposedly for a better education. He vividly remembers the nuns disciplining him in the same way depicted in the show, striking his knuckles with a ruler when he could not provide the correct answers. No matter how hard he tried, he kept getting them wrong, and the pain inflicted on him did nothing to help. Instead of support, he was met with humiliation, punished in front of his classmates and made to feel stupid. More than sixty years later, the memory still brings him to tears.

PTSD is a mental health condition that can occur after someone experiences a traumatic event. It can significantly impact daily life and is often triggered by reminders of the traumatic event, affecting individuals differently depending on their experiences.