Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for August 21, 2022

That takes care of today. What are your plans for tomorrow?

When I was there, a big stressor for everyone was, “Am I going to live or die?”. Some figured that they were going to die, no matter what, but they wanted to die in a way that they would think “honorable”. That lifted a lot of the stress. It still left a lot, but it was more manageable. Some decided that they were going to live, no matter, so that lifted a lot of the stress. I never felt that I was going to die, but I never felt that I was going to live, either. It was like reading a book. You can see the words on the current page, but you might turn the page and just see “The End” I lost all concept of personal future. I never got it back.

They’re obviously not in Florida.

Great to have a positive, uplifting cartoon — just for variety, if for no other reason.

Good news comic is unusual for Trudeau. Best book I’ve read on the topic is probably “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel Van der Kolk. I remember it mentioned some treatments that sound like that one, though I don’t remember that specific label.

Maybe Leo Toggle should try that therapy to cure his PTSD stuttering.

BTW, it’s great to see BD without some kind of helmet—even if it’s only on Sundays.

Gentle and caring, a Sunday sharing.

You do, I trust, notice Boopsie’s “experience of time” reaction.

Perhaps if some 70 million of our fellow “citizens” would also get their heads out of their past, this country would be better off?!!

Good luck, Ray!

Get a job. Get a life. Get a wife. Crash. Repeat. Welcome aboard.

There’s a possibility this comic strip may have just saved my life.

Just make sure Ray stays away from the internet, tv or any news source. If we all did that there’d be a lot less stress. Ignorance is bliss

Here’s to hoping the warmongers never return to office and we never put our soldiers in harms way again

He’s not just whistling but whistling up!

You could check in with Mabel

It’s not only veterans who get PTSD. I had a girlfriend who had PTSD related to the way her husband had killed himself. I met her after three years of therapy and drug treatment and she thought she was over it. However, after six months, she had a relapse and went back on what I call “apathy” drugs. It is a serious problem and various “cures” are announced periodically.

Often the cures are new form of psychotherapy that appears to work well when performed by a skilled, empathetic, and charismatic therapist but not so well for others who try to adopt the techniques.

Ray sounds like Jason Kander. Jason has had PTSD after serving in Afghanistan, went through counseling, has a wife and family, and has written an autobiography about his experiences. It’s now a bestseller. He was once an office holder in Mo. I hope he runs again though in this climate I wouldn’t blame him if he chose not to run.

Boopsie looks like she’s channeling someone again.. I was expecting a visit from Hunk-Ra

Wouldn’t that be wonderful. If that could happen to all the vets like Ray

This entire century has given me PTSD, far worse than my survival of the 60s and 70s ever did!

If survivors of wars, civilian and military, had spoken freely and honestly and loudly about their experiences and the long-term effects on themselves, perhaps we would have ended wars long ago. I don’t blame them, as speaking up can be terribly painful. But we, the non-participants, should ask and Listen. No soldiers’ story should go unheard.

Why do we fight? For God. For country. For our glorious leader. Because they started it. Because we were wronged. Because they’re terrible people. Because if we give them this, where will it all stop? And a dozen other lesser reasons.

So far, all of these have proven adequate to get people sufficiently fired up to be willing to kill and die in war.

But what if none of them worked any more? What if everyone who was asked — or even told — that they needed to fight for any of the above reasons would say, “Nah, I don’t think so.”? That would pretty well wrap it up for war, wouldn’t it?

I’m not holding my breath, tho.

If I remember right,Ray is ALREADY married,and she had a smartmouth teenage son who hated him.