We live in a world that wounds people. Some carry more than others, but almost no one comes through without being hurt.
Sometimes a single moment splits everything into before and after. Occasionally it is a hundred small ones, each easy to dismiss on its own, until they stack into something you can’t wake from.
The anxiety that shows up out of nowhere. The anger that feels bigger than the moment can be difficult to shake.
The fear you can’t explain is another part of the equation. Many people live with these for years, never connecting them to what happened. They assume their identity is who they are.
It isn’t. It is what your brain learned to do to keep you alive. The problem is that the war ends, but your nervous system never receives the message.
I know this process from my experience. I have lived through it and have worked with strong, capable people who survived and paid the price.
Originally published on Substack.