Hidden Disabilities
Not all disabilities are readily visible. Not all disabilities are easily explained. Not all disabilities are recognized as disabilities. PTSD or, in my case, C-PTSD is labeled a disorder. It’s right there in the name - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Usually associated with the military it does also happen to non-military. I’m one of the non-military. The C in my diagnosis stands for Complex because there are aspects that began in childhood. That was a surprise as I really thought that living through bombings, dead bodies in the streets, lack of water, living in houses wired for 24/7 audio and visual surveillance, and other assorted oddities would have been enough to cause the disorder. What happens with a disorder is that you are expected to recover. There are drugs to bring your chemicals back into balance, therapy to work through the issues, and coping mechanisms learned for, well, coping. What happens when you don’t fully recover? What happens when the years of therapy, the drug...
