Eli Hastings

PTSD is better understood as PTSR--Posttraumatic Stress Reorganization. As a diagnosis, PTSD is a failure when it comes to capturing the various ways in which traumatic stress, especially complex and prolonged traumatic stress, from long-term abuse or from institutional white supremacy, impacts people. It's also sad to have a heavy diagnosis for a condition that essentially describes a successful reaction to terror--in trauma there are many gifts.

My entire life people that I love have been harmed by people who "love" them. From early high school to the present I come up against bullies that use the blunt and cowardly weapon of violence to preserve their personal world order or to expel their own hurt onto others. I have worked as a domestic violence advocate in confidential shelter, and with trafficked girls in jail. The meaning of helping someone find the call to freedom and joy from incarcerations of this kind is unspeakable.

"Abuse" is an overused word. It does not begin to address the complexity of attachment wounds and lifelong suffering that comes in its wake.

We are all embedded in various systems--from our family of origin, to our current relationships, to schools, society and more. Understanding the weblike nature of our existence is crucial to addressing individual suffering and aspirations. Cybernetics, systems theory, offers an invaluable way of helping to change/heal.

Like or not, we are deeply imprinted by the quality of our earliest experiences with our parents or caregivers. Clearly identifying how those relationships have shaped us is crucial in beginning any therapy. Deciding on ways to mend the wounds that exist for the majority of us is most of the journey. They say "I married my father/mother" for a reason--and no amount of "insight" can change it--only deep healing work can.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is pretty much a misnomer nowadays; few people do anything with the eyes. The tool is Bilateral Stimulation. The process is complex and simple both. It is scientific as hell and deeply spiritual. It is the most rapid way of resolving the most complex of traumatic wounds. It is a powerful tool and knowing when it's time to use it is very, very important.