Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) happens to soldiers including Major Generals like John Cantwell. It also happens to people who aren’t soldiers and suggests a damaging psychological dynamic that’s relevant to us all.

Now retired, Cantwell served in the 1991 Gulf war, then again in Iraq following the 2003 invasion, then finally as commander of Aussie troops in Afghanistan.

His story includes a litany of horrors. He helped kill of thousands of Iraqi soldiers by burying them alive. He speaks of being haunted by the image of an Iraqi soldier’s dead arm reaching out of the sand. He’s faced the tragic enormity of farewelling ten young Australians who died on his watch in Afghanistan.

Symptoms Cantwell described include “a constant sense of agitation, short temper, outbursts of anger, emotional outbursts, jumping at loud noises. Being afraid to go to public places and looking for the exits in case something bad happened”. I would add to that list a debilitating and exponentiating emotional exhaustion that diminishes the sufferers’ resilience.

PTSD is an extreme input of stress, but follows the same dynamic as more ordinary stress and as such is important for us all to understand.

Stress is as real as a punch in the face. You get it by being frightened but you can also get it by seeing someone else doing badly.

Hiding the pain from yourself and from others empowers stress to accumulate within you, growing like lantana. Without active effort this weed can take over your entire garden until you’re lost in a field of thorns where nothing else can grow.

Stress and its accumulation can be nipped in the bud. Don’t stick your head in the sand, it’s deadly. Instead face each fear as it confronts you. As you feel the fear, it’s finishing.

John Cantwell is a very impressive man with the love, courage and heart to finally face this enemy within. He’s a leader worth following.

E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of Ashtar Command - Spiritual Community to add comments!

Join Ashtar Command - Spiritual Community

Comments

  • Thanks Hunter, PTSD is underdiagnosed! Also seeing it a lot from rampant workplace bullying and in activists. People are too upset to talk about it.

    Peace On Earth, Soon, Forever :)

     

  • yes

    and without wanting to diminish the potent horror of the extreme version, i reckon we all have a touch of it to discharge

    loved

  • It's a very said story.  PTSD can also be caused by abuse growing up.

This reply was deleted.

Blog Topics by Tags

  • - (955)

Monthly Archives

Latest Activity

Justin89636 replied to Justin89636's discussion Anything UFO Or ET Related
"Does not say where and when this sighting took place. Good footage though. https://youtube.com/shorts/-_8alreBZ5M?si=xyep4OoIXPj3NYS2"
7 minutes ago
Justin89636 left a comment on Comment Wall
"Does not say where and when this sighting took place. Good footage though. https://youtube.com/shorts/-_8alreBZ5M?si=xyep4OoIXPj3NYS2"
8 minutes ago
Justin89636 replied to Justin89636's discussion Anything UFO Or ET Related
"Sighting in the UK June 25, 2025. https://youtu.be/dOlIxOImNFw?si=O2JFSKNxapV5WB5m"
19 minutes ago
Justin89636 left a comment on Comment Wall
"Sighting in the UK June 25, 2025. https://youtu.be/dOlIxOImNFw?si=O2JFSKNxapV5WB5m"
21 minutes ago
AlternateEarth commented on AlternateEarth's blog post Next to impossible that the Apollo 11 traveled past the Van Allen Radiation Belt way back in 1969, especially with humans aboard
"Drexk- I received your email-for some tech reason I can't email you back-
Thanks Drexk-I am waiting for my book publisher's royalties statement that should arrive this or next week. They are located in Londodn and I don't have the funds to sue-and…"
2 hours ago
Justin89636 replied to Justin89636's discussion Anything Health Related
"Ivermectin, Fenbendazole, and other anti parasitic drugs continue to show promise in curing cancer. Many are coming forward saying these drugs do indeed work. One of the reasons why these drugs were demonized during the scamdemic and people got…"
7 hours ago
Justin89636 left a comment on Comment Wall
"Ivermectin, Fenbendazole, and other anti parasitic drugs continue to show promise in curing cancer. Many are coming forward saying these drugs do indeed work. One of the reasons why these drugs were demonized during the scamdemic and people got…"
7 hours ago
Drekx Omega replied to Drekx Omega's discussion The Soul of Mother Russia Resonates With The Incoming Aquarian Ray - Like Attracts Like
"I would like to confirm, for the AC record, that as a GFL Ground Crew sector commander and floating sector commander, I've enjoyed working with several excellent Lieutenants (Pronounced "leftenants,) over the years of service, which was initially…"
10 hours ago
More…