Page 291 - Total War on PTSD

“Massage therapy has been shown to relieve depression, especially in people who have chronic fatigue syndrome; other studies also suggest benefit for other populations.” - Andrew Weil
Courtenay: This morning when I walked outside with my hubby to go to the gym to
work out we were met with a blast of cold air mixed with the sounds of
heavy
machinery and the smell of exhaust and all three wrapped themselves around me like
a scarf in the wind, binding my senses tightly and depositing my mind and body back
in Kandahar at the airfield where these 'elements' were a normal occurrence.
The chill in the air was what hit me first, numbing my face to what would
come
next. Because of my reaction I remained silent during the entire walk to
the
gym...mainly, I think, because I was trying to process what I was thinking and feeling;
more importantly I was trying to reconnect with the present and ensure myself that
I
was in a safe place and not navigating the dusty, loud, smelly and chilly streets of
Kandahar.
The cold air initially took my breath away, somewhat like how you feel when
someone knocks the air out of you or when you feel like you can't catch your breath.
Quick breathing immediately followed, which I worked to control by trying
to
consciously slow down my breathing...which took a while.
The further away we got from the noise and smell triggers the easier it got
to recover.
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