11 - Atz Kilcher (3/5) - PTSD

We've made it to the half way point in my interview with Atz Kilcher, and after two and a half hours you might expect we'd be getting close to wrapping up, possibly running out of things to talk about.  Not the case here, everything up until this point was really just a warm up.  As we enter hour three of our conversation we address PTSD, a debilitating mental and emotional disorder that has gone by many names in history, but is perhaps just now getting the attention it deserves in society.  This is a topic very near and dear to Atz as he has dealt with several types of trauma throughout his life having been the victim of and witness to abuse growing up, and of course he is a veteran of the Vietnam war.   

For my part, I wanted to get a better understanding of this disorder, what is it, how does it develop, can people suffer from PTSD but be totally unaware of it, and perhaps most importantly, how do you deal with it?  Something I interpreted during this conversation is that according to Atz, managing his PTSD is very similar to, if not the same as, a mindfulness practice.  It's trying to separate yourself from a triggering event long enough to notice how it makes you feel and how your knee jerk reaction is unreasonable if not unacceptable.  But it's hard because you are so tied up and locked in from the toll that previous trauma has taken on the wiring in your brain.   If you're fortunate enough to make the observation yourself, that's a big step.  But also be aware of what others see in you and how their reactions can clue you in to your irregular behavior.  Only then, when you distance yourself, and observe, do you have a chance to make a change. 

Atz has a beautiful exercise for someone suffering from PTSD, something he again expresses through storytelling and a song.  It's really an exercise in time travel, going back to an age of innocence, to the unconditioned mind of the child we used to be.  Atz tells us the story of a man nicknamed Froggie, a Vietnam Veteren who was attending a PTSD meeting where Atz was speaking.  When Atz sang his song entitled PTSD, Froggie had a breakthrough moment after years of being locked up by the trauma he suffered in Vietnam.   He touched that youthful spirit that was buried long ago, and became free to reclaim what Atz calls his inner champion. 

So let's get to it.  A very special segment today that I think goes right to the heart of how Atz can help so many people.  Please welcome Atz Kilcher. 

PF

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