Walking The Medicine Wheel: Healing Trauma & PTSD: By David R. Kopcaz MD & Joseph Real

 

 

WAR.

 

A three-letter word that has the ability to change nations, geographical borders and even people. 

We overhear talks here and there about wars starting and ending, on daily bases, that its part of our lives and daily-routine. We gather information about the zones, the winner and loser sides and everything to satisfy our hungry minds. But no one ever mentions the military men and women. The ones who participated in the war you were interested in and read threads about, the war that have changed their mindsets and them as individuals with real emotions and feelings. We recklessly act upon ourselves and throw some lavish parties without knowing if they're totally ok with the noise, the people and being out in public despite what they have witnessed. Are they ready to face it all? or do they need more time to get back to their true-selves?. Those kind of concerns are hard to comprehend for sure, but we need to take their emotions in serious considerations. we need to give them time and space, so they can heal and face the world as it is. its a long process and a journey filled with progressing and failing all over. and that's where our book for today comes in !

A book that is a true guideline for such a journey and battle that one fights alone deep within their minds.

  

Walking the Medicine Wheel: Healing Trauma and PTSD, By David R. Kopacz MD & Joseph Rael, is an interesting read that made me personally think about multiple aspect that rest under the category of military, war and soldiers. The authors in this book pinpointed all the important steps, guiding one into the process of what is it like to be in a war, what soldiers go through, and how to deal with it afterwards, when all is done out there.

As much as it is their duty to protect the nation, it is our duty to lead them into the process of being themselves again .

During the acts of war, a brave heart or a soldier's heart, as its referred to at time,  is required to end a specific mission in success. and that comes with costs too. As rational independent individuals, their emotions and feelings can and always comes in the way, triggering to go on with an act or put it on hold. They're humans in the end, and on one can speak against it. Which is they're obliged to kill part of themselves to be able to face it all. And with that, they easily turn their once conscious mind and move towards an act that would have not be if the situation was different. As adults and individuals, they will suddenly turn into a soulless moving body. A body that acts without knowing what, how and why. All because they had to kill that part of themselves. and once it's killed, there's no coming back. Not anymore.  As mentioned in the book, quoting one of the soldiers who have have gone  through the process.

‘what we have to do in order to kill another is first kill that part of ourselves that naturally feels empathy, compassion, and connection.’

 

The authors spent a good amount of time talking and explaining about war zones and what those soldiers go through. But what I loved the most, was the part where no one gives much attention to, and it’s the back to normal life phase of the process and making it sound normal when it really is nothing close to it. its painful and heavy, but we shall help them, because its our moral duty to aid them as much as its their duty to protect the motherland and us.

The aforesaid  is the hardest and most complicated level upon the healing process, that some fail their battles right where they are. But according to the author, healing is facing the pain and reliving it, just to know your inner strength and double it. As stated 

‘getting in touch with pain to heal’.

And healing in this publication comes in different colors, stages and motions. Not all include long therapy sessions and talk.  Most of the methods concerning healing and progressing in it, involves meditating and reconnecting with inner self, being in touch with that soul who found a sanctuary deep within, and is not able to get out. Because if they do, something out of their control might take place. That type of connection is what makes healing truly a process of healing. 

Through chanting and sound therapy, which the authors have emphasized on, one could guarantee the best results of change and rebirth. As the reader goes through the process of the aforesaid therapy and repeating it more than once. One can definitely guarantee the outcome needed. I personally was not into that kind of therapy, but as I got deeper through the sections and details within the pages, I came to realize that meditating and healing is within us, and it only requires that push from a force repeating the indicated process to be fully healed. 

 

 I don’t want to keep talking, in fear of spiling the whole book !

But I just want to leave you with more one question that causes more trauma than word TRAUMA. And it is, and I quote from the book

‘what would it look like if we, as a culture and society, moved from a model of making war to keeping peace?’.

A creepy philosophical closing line. a line that makes you wonder and think about all the possibilities that would and could have happened if the tables have turned, and the world was as beautiful as Matilda’s chocolate cake  ..

 

Its yours now . . .

get the book and understand the process of healing, through others and with them. Know what Trauma is, how it can be healed and the ways needed to cope with it. whether you know someone going through such a thing or not, in both cases, you will learn more about mental health and healing, through yourself and with it.

Favourite quotes from the Book!

 

-             ‘All wars are civil wars, fought against ourselves.’

-             ‘War is based upon the view that other people are less human’.

-             We invest a great deal of time, energy, and money training our citizens for war and almost nothing training our citizens for peace.’