The Armour That Doesn’t Come Off
“We have learned that trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body. This imprint has ongoing consequences for how the human organism manages to survive in the present. Trauma results in a fundamental reorganization of the way mind and brain manage perceptions. It changes not only how we think and what we thing about, but also our very capacity to think.”
-Bessel van der Kolk
Boulder Crest Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps veterans, first responders, and their families overcome the effects of trauma. Their website mentions that they aim to teach participants to “make peace with their past, live in the present, and begin planning for their future.”
I recently watched their video “On Duty”. The video shows what it is like to experience everyday life when you have been through trauma. The protagonist is a war veteran living in a perpetual state of detachment. While his children chat and play, he sits quietly, moving as little as possible, and reacting even less, clad in full battle gear at all times. We can see that he is trying to lead a normal life. He is washing the dishes, he is spending time with his family. But somehow, he is interminably engulfed by the past. The armour is forever present. At one point in the video, he nearly sinks into the deep waters of his despair; unable to communicate with those around him, unable to call for help, and unable to feel the joy that surrounds him.
At the end of the video, he is able to finally shed his armour, with the help of the interventions he receives. He was never shown to be violent or angry, so the true extent of his distress was not fully apparent. His previous distress becomes clearer when he starts laughing and smiling and participating in the celebration of family life. It is this contrast that reveals the extent of his silent suffering.
There are countless silent sufferers around us. This video is a must-watch to help us understand that pain can be invisible and that trauma has long-lasting effects. And most importantly, that help is available.
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