Portrayal Of Ptsd In Fiction

[ClairBear226]

I've recently read several books where the main character has been traumatized in some way. The first was a book club read, "Low Pressure" by Sandra Brown, in which the theme of repressed memory is discussed. Another of Brown's books, "Breath of Scandal" deals with rape trauma. My most recent read, "Suspect" by Robert Crais, was "supposed" to be about a cop with PTSD who changes to a K9 unit, and is partnered with a german shepard partner who was shot and witnessed her Marine partner killed.

Is it me, or do writers just suck at portraying PTSD? It seems to be a common theme in fiction these days, probably because PTSD is in the news now more than ever (and it very likely sells). But it seems to be so rarely done WELL. I find this irritating. It seems that either the term, "PTSD" is never brought up, we just hear about our poor damaged hero/ heroine who has been through hell, and lives with the repercussions of trauma, but doesn't actually have the diagnosis of PTSD (because god forbid we have sympathy for a hero with a diagnosed mental illness). Or they have the diagnosis, but the whole subject is glossed over. I found that particularly true of "Suspect". Sure, he sees a therapist, but I don't think the author did any research into the subject at all, including the criteria for diagnosis of PTSD.

I've read one series, "The Hunger Games", in which I thought PTSD was portrayed accurately. Though the author leaves the reader to figure out for himself what they are seeing, the reactions to trauma during, immediately after, and well after were well done IMHO. But this seems to be rare in contemporary fiction from what I'm finding. That's a crime, since there is more information available on the subject than ever before. An author has a wealth of information available, so long as they have a good internet connection. How hard can it really be to write a 3 dimensional, complex character who is both hero of the story, and a PTSD sufferer? We're out here in real life, complicated and flawed, and tough as nails. We write our own stories every day. So why does the writing community have such a tough time with it?

I'd like to open this thread as an opportunity to discuss the portrayal of PTSD in works of fiction. Have you read a work of fiction where the subject is written about well? Are there works that made you angry by the way PTSD was portrayed? Or that made you say, "Yes, that's it exactly"? Or that seemed completely uninformed on the subject? The floor is open. :)

 

[KatB]

Movie: "Brothers" with Tobey Maguire

 

[anthony]

Maybe you're confusing PTSD with trauma, from the sound of things. PTSD and trauma are not the same thing. Repressed memories and being raped, has nothing to do with PTSD, the illness. Enduring trauma, being raped, so forth, doesn't mean PTSD is present. I didn't read anything close to PTSD being present in Low Pressure.

Do they get it right? Well... you have to have a pretty broad understanding IMHO of what PTSD is to identify it versus confusing PTSD with trauma and other symptoms that may be presented within fiction.

The very purpose of your opening, highlighting specifics out of fiction books and immediately relating them with PTSD, is actually the crux of the issue with PTSD today. People hear certain things and just jump to PTSD, when PTSD has nothing to do with traumatic events and specific symptoms / disorders a person may suffer uniquely, even if related to trauma itself.

 

[Hashi]

There is a thread here that you might be interested in:

[DLMURL]https://www.ptsdforum.org/c/threads/ptsd-theatre-movies-tv-books-etc.27551/page-2[/DLMURL]

 

[ClairBear226]

Maybe you're confusing PTSD with trauma, from the sound of things

Not so much confusing them from a practical standpoint, Anthony. Certainly, they are not one and the same, and certainly people can be very severely traumatized and never develop symptoms of PTSD. My point is, it seemed to me more a reluctance to actually look at the issue in fiction head on. As if ia traumatized character paints a nice enough heroin that is all pretty and vulnerable, and in need of rescue, but if she actually crosses the boundary into needing help, or being diagnosed with a mental illness, then the character loses the appeal. Or PTSD is mentioned as a diagnosis, but barely acknowledged at all. Are there works of fiction where PTSD is fairly accurately portrayed? It's seems it would be as old as trauma itself, so surely there should be. I'd be interested in reading them.

Hashi, looks like an interesting thread. I'll go look. Thanks.

 

[anthony]

But then you take the opposite side, of basically saying that a female who has endured trauma shouldn't want to be rescued, or should have PTSD because of a trauma... the list is long. Male or female, plenty of people want to be rescued from their own personal hell... I don't think any ideology should be skipped over, nor do I think any should be specifically outlined more than another.

It is fiction... fiction is not real. Fiction wants the reader to keep reading. There are books that include PTSD, but I would hate to see books specifically start citing PTSD when trauma is presented in the storyline, as that paints the equally opposite negative image of a serious illness.