JB Van Cleave

PTSDragon: Post Threat Survival Dragon JB Van Cleave

This work of informational fiction is a fantastical analogy for the lingering effects of traumatic stress. Post Threat Survival Dragons, or PTSDragons, are introduced as magical protectors summoned by a brain in times of great peril. The positive attributes of these well-intended beasts are shown to have helped brains serving in the Military, Law Enforcement, Emergency Response, and Healthcare. But when a PTSDragon overstays their welcome, Survivors must often manage Anxiety, Depression, Hypervigilance, Nightmares, Survivors Guilt, Emotional Detachment, and Memory/Concentration difficulty. Within this explanation, brains are magic, therapists are Dragon Trainers, psychiatrists are Wizards, and there is no stigma for a hero still fighting.