PTSD - Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
A collection of personal stories and poetry about life and living with PTSD.
OUT NOW!!
"PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) can be caused by experiencing or witnessing terrifying, violent, or life-threatening events, including accidents, assaults, abuse (childhood, domestic, sexual), combat, natural disasters, severe illness, or traumatic childbirth, with recurring or prolonged trauma (like ongoing abuse or war) often leading to Complex PTSD. It stems from a deeply distressing experience that makes a person feel helpless, or that their life is in danger, with triggers varying by individual."
PTSD - Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
A collection of personal stories and poetry about life and living with PTSD.
Compiled by Robin Barratt
ISBN: 9798255872770
277 pages
109 Contributors
It is undeniable that putting thoughts, feelings and emotions into words, on paper, can be both therapeutic and an incredibly effective method of self-help and healing. In PTSD - Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: A collection of personal stories and poetry about life and living with PTSD, 109 writers and poets around the world explore the themes of life and living with PTSD, either from their own personal perspectives and experiences, or from the experiences of friends, family and people close by. Thought-provoking and emotional, but also positive and uplifting too as, for many, putting their thoughts and feelings into words has set many on the road to creativity, healing and ultimately recovery.
Countries represented include: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Catalan (Spain), England, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Kurdistan, Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, USA and Wales. Note: some author's have not listed their country.
Available from Amazon platforms worldwide as a larger format 6 x 9 inch (15.24 x 22.86 cm) paperback and Kindle, and directly from us as a paperback (on special offer) and pdf e-book.
ALL profits go towards supporting people around the world through words and poetry.
Extracts and poetry from the book ...
26th May, 2026
Today's featured extract ...
Jim Tritten's story
A FEW SECONDS
On November 21, 1979, I crashed a U.S. Navy twin-engine jet airplane. This precipitating event took only a few seconds. It never dawned on me to seek any counseling about this near-death traumatic experience. As time passed, it was clear that my flying skills no longer had a razor-sharp edge. After a series of follow-on embarrassing minor mishaps, I was gently eased into non-flying duties and an earlier-than-planned retirement from the Navy. A series of overlapping and ever-increasing symptoms went on for years.
In the early 1990s, I sought some relief from my symptoms and was referred for biofeedback that included oversight by a psychologist. After a few months of interaction, he diagnosed me with PTSD, tied directly to the aircraft accident in 1979. I buried the report since I was still employed by the federal government and wanted to remain employed. After a while, I forgot about the diagnosis and his written report.
The symptoms only got worse as the root causes remained unaddressed. By early 2008, the problem became unbearable, and I was no longer able to control the symptoms. At my primary care physician's advice, I fully retired on disability.
Instead of going to work each day, I became a professional patient and sought out the cause for the debilitating symptoms. It took a while to get the diagnosis of PTSD, and when I did, it was met with both relief and fright. At least there was now a name for what was causing my symptoms. It was a mental illness ...
ABOUT JIM:
Jim is a retired U.S. Navy carrier pilot living in a semi-rural village in New Mexico, USA, with his Danish author/artist wife, and an ever-changing number of cats.
Today's featured poetry ...
LINGER
By Yazdan Khoshsirat
How memories attack us is truly amazing
Just imagine
The last time that you
Did you?
Now a ghost is roaming around you
Or a few
Spirits of past existence
Ready to haunt
Or maybe to taunt.
being
At a place
You kissed
In a certain situation
You missed
The smell of a specific scent
You tasted
That music piece
Your eyes listened to
The taste of gin
in ginger
The touch of warmth
Torching your sleep
A certain weather
Sheltering you.
The nostalgia towards absence
Is almost always
Lingering in you
on
at You next to
with
Ready to be in the light
And leave you in the dark.
Let me call someone.
I want to watch “The Ghost Busters”.
Yazdan is an Iranian poet whose writing draws inspiration from the intersection of past, present, and future. "My PTSD stems from my mandatory time in the military, specifically during the 12-Day War, and the circumstances I endured during that period. While I am not comfortable sharing further details about those events, they have left a lasting impact on my life, and wish the very best for anyone tackling any form of PTSD. It is a silent battle, but you are not alone."
Extracts ...
Click on the below button to read more extracts from personal stories and poetry featured in PTSD.
What's inside ...
See what's inside PTSD - lists all 109 contributors and their contributions, with over 29 countries represented, and click through to read extracts from the book.
Buy a copy
Buy a copy of PTSD in paperback and Kindle from Amazon websites worldwide, or a paperback or pdf e-book directly from us. Normal price £12.99, Special Offer price £9.99 (+ postage).
Support directory
A directory of charities, groups and organisations offering support for sufferes of PTSD.
Please buy a copy, ALL profits from the sales of this, and our other mental health titles, go towards supporting people around the world through words and poetry!
→ PTSD is the EIGHTH in the acclaimed Poetry for Mental Health book series! ←
Click on the link below to see all eight books in the collection.
