PTSD's a Bear: A Book for Everyone

Children of parents with PTSD suffer silently in confusion, fear, and self-blame. They question the stability of their home when awakened in the dark of night by a father screaming in a nightmare. As a psychiatrist on a military post for the past decade, I worked closely with the families of Soldiers and Marines suffering from PTSD. What I saw deeply touched me as a father and a husband. I relied upon actual case histories of some of those I've treated and cobbled them into creative fiction about two families dealing with PTSD. Tommy and Little Bear, sixth-graders, are best friends. We join them fishing on the fourth of July. Why is Tommy's twin sister Chloe obsessed with the famous fairy tale, Goldilocks, and the Three Bears? Why does she find a striking similarity between the characters the story and her family? Does her Three Bears obsession reach further than normal, or does her insight show wisdom beyond her years? Her brother Tommy questions her sanity.Dorothy Ann, a year older, is as lovely as Goldilocks, but unlike the character, she does not need everything just right. She wants help with her summer school paper, the Meaning of July the Fourth. Tommy and Little Bear help her review the facts behind Independence Day.Children in the sixth grade and above will find answers in PTSD's a Bear that are not available elsewhere. It is also written to inform everyone about PTSD. Here you will find the answer to questions children often ask parents who suffer from PTSD: "Did you kill anybody?" "Why is mother crying?" "Why did daddy leave?" "When is daddy coming home?" "Why does dad cry when he is watching cartoons with me?" "What is PTSD?" "What is Power of Attorney?" "Why does dad drive that way?" "What did I do to cause dad to leave?" "What did I do to cause dad to be so angry?" "Why does daddy have to have everything just right?" Little Bear's father, SGT Bear, is ordered back to the war. He comes upon hard times and, unexpectedly, he avoids all contact with his family. His wife gets very depressed. Chloe's faith plays a crucial role in mending more than one broken relationship. The end of the story is happy and most surprising.