Writing about PTSD was easier for me to do in a fictional setting, for Julia and Dylan, than it is to talk about in a post where others will see that it’s more than just a “topic” in a story. It’s something I’ve personally been watching for nearly 13 years. You see, my husband has PTSD, and while he calls it a “baby version” of what most soldiers return with, the effects are still the same and no less real.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder can happen to anyone. It’s not reserved for soldiers returning from battle. People across the nation suffered from it after the attacks on 9/11, even those who were not directly involved in the event. People who suffered physical abuse, public service workers and hospital worker get it – you can even get it if it was a friend or family member who suffered and not you. PTSD
doesn’t care about race, religion, or sexual orientation. It is, in a nutshell, your brain convincing you that danger is present when, in reality, the danger you fear is not.

While it sounds simple, it is a complex disorder that can disrupt your entire life – from nightmares to hypersensitivity to flashbacks – and there is no definitive “cure,” only coping mechanisms. As with most
partners of people suffering with PTSD, I have gone through several dangerous and precarious situations while my husband tried to learn how to cope in his new reality. Our life was changed by the events he went through and now included moments of rage, uncontrollable anxiety in normal stressful situations like traffic and kids bickering as well as depression and, at times, suicidal thoughts.

While our family learned to recognize and avoid triggers, there were new struggles that arose to the surface we hadn’t expected like facing doubts, questions of self-worth and the best methods to settle various reactions when triggered.

When it came time to write Dylan and Julia’s story, I knew I wanted to have a service dog involved because of the good they do. For someone suffering with PTSD, a service animal can be the difference between life and death. People who suffer from PTSD often disconnect from friends and family, retreating deep within themselves.

A service animal will draw them back into the present, forcing an emotional connection which, in turn, expands to family members. The animal is also trained to recognize and “ground” the sufferer during panic attacks and flashbacks, not to mention that because of the dog’s ability to recognize triggers, even before the person with PTSD can, it offers a bond of trust that allows the sufferer to engage in daily activities knowing the dog will help to avoid troublesome situations.

With over three million cases of PTSD each year, it may be commonly diagnosed but is far from an ordinary state. Like an overreaching umbrella, it shadows every aspect of life. Unless a person learns coping skills, which can be aided by a service animal, life becomes a constant struggle between the past and the present with little hope of a bright future.

In writing Dylan and Julia’s story (Taking Heart), I wanted to bring to light the reality of PTSD but to also offer hope for healing.

 

Taking Heart Healing Harts #2 by T.J. Kline
Release date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Avon Impulse

Synopsis

T.J. Kline’s Healing Harts series continues as a soldier suffering from PTSD and a therapy dog trainer find that some scars can only be healed by love…

Julia Hart knows how much good she does training therapy dogs—it’s what helped her overcome her own trials after a relationship turned unexpectedly violent. But moving beyond her mistakes meant trusting only her family with her heart.

Dylan, a former soldier, has run out of hope for recovery. Plagued by nightmares and flashbacks, he doubts anything will help him overcome his PTSD. When his brother convinces him to try one last time, he agrees to get a therapy dog.

Dylan didn’t expect to find Julia or a chance for a “normal” future again. But when Julia’s attacker is released from prison, Dylan and Julia will have to face the past together.

Add Taking Heart to your Goodreads shelf.

Purchase Taking Heart on Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo

About T.J.

T. J. Kline was raised competing in rodeos and rodeo queen competitions since the age of 14, She has thorough knowledge of the sport as well as the culture involved. She has had several articles about rodeo published in the past in small periodicals as well as a more recent how-to article for RevWriter. She is also an avid reader and book reviewer for both Tyndale and Multnomah.

Connect with T.J: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Enter to win: 5 Digital Downloads of HEART’S DESIRE, book 1 in the Series

 

 

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