Greg Gifford - Helping Your Family through PTSD

W e all stand on the shoulders of others in our lives. I just happen to stand on the shoulders of many godly men who have greatly influenced my life and contributed to this book. This book would not be in existence without the feedback of Dr. Bob Somerville, who worked with me to ensure I was on the right track biblically. Dr. William Varner graciously gave to make this book possible and walked me through the nuances of publication. Dr. John Street gave me the opportunity to teach biblical counseling, and Dr. Stuart Scott provided helpful input to the publication process, too. Dr. John Babler graciously allowed me to study under him, and is a personal embodiment of one ministering to those in trauma. Dr. Ernie Baker helped me understand the broad-applicability and sufficiency of the Word of God. Dr. Kevin Carson showed me that Gods Word deals with the problems we face in life, something for which I will always be thankful.

As I write to families, I must acknowledge that I come from an excellent family. Doug and Mary Gifford emulate much of what I have written here. My wife, Amber, has patiently walked with me through the entirety of my Army service and through the writing of this book. She patiently endured long separations in the Army, and short ones for this book!

If this book is of any help to those facing PTSD, it is another form of Gods kindness to me. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Eph :).

Chapter 1

I t seems like you cannot control the memories. In the blink of an eye you are transported to the moment in your life that has in so many ways, shaped your life. Maybe it was a relationship, a car accident, a deployment; a moment in time that you would gladly pretend never existed. John felt that way. After leaving a work Christmas party last year he was involved in the worst night of his life. The memories he hasas fragmented as they aresupplement what witnesses later reported. Another car simply did not see him and pulled directly out in front of his car. John hit the other car before he hit his brakes and the driver of the other car died instantly. There was no foul play, no alcohol, not even a ticket issued. John was driving the speed limit with seat belts buckled. Yet no matter the facts, John relives that night on a daily basis. What if I had stayed at the party longer? he asks, or How come I didnt leave the party when I knew I should have? The regret and guilt perpetually hover over his life like a cloud. All it takes is a smell, a sound, or a thought to transport him back to that terrible night when he unwillingly took the life of another person.

This book aims at entering into the world of people like John, people who are sufferers. The aim of this work is to enter into the world of sufferers to enable them to see their lives as God sees their lives. It aims to equip sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder and to show them that PTSD is an interpretive disorder that has God-given solutions. In the middle of that process not only will they be greatly helped but also God will be greatly glorified. May he see fit to use this work to bless his people!

Contextualizing Suffering

It must be said, however, on the outset that this work is an attempt to contextualize suffering, both eternal and temporal suffering. Eternal suffering being that of suffering in a literal hell apart from the fellowship of God for eternity; temporal suffering in that whether for a moment or a life-time, the suffering is temporary compared to the suffering of eternity. Post-traumatic stress disorder is unequivocally suffering and one of the most terrible realities of the disorder is that it is an internal suffering. There are often no physical ailments, no diseases, and no illnesses that are swirling around PTSD but rather a plethora of emotions that people are facing. It would be unfair to shove PTSD into a category of other than suffering when, in fact, the very fabric of PTSD is suffering: suffering of the soul or inner man.

So to our battle stations we go. What is my mission, or rather, what is our mission? Our mission is this: to alleviate suffering, especially eternal suffering. I say that eternal suffering and its prevention is our ultimate goal because it would be terrible to deliver a person from a hellish experience on earth without warning them of an infinitely worse eternity. So at the very core of our efforts to alleviate temporal suffering is an effort to alleviate eternal suffering. We set our sights on suffering and as we unravel the complexities of now, we warn of the dangers of later. We must take the sufferer to the God who created them. In that process the wise family member must determine if their loved one knows God as their Father or if they need to introduce them for the first time. They must also seek to orient the sufferer to Gods purposes in their suffering and help them see how God is using their suffering for their good and his glory. O may we never think only of the suffering in this life! May our gaze be into eternity as we encourage and walk alongside the sufferer of PTSD.