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Posted: Thursday, July 17, 2008

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This was a rather eventful day for me. I led a Retreat here that was based on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The main speaker was Bernadette Cioch who was in charge of the recovery of 200 or more bodies from TWA 800, which went down off the eastern end of Long Island. In fact it was exactly 12 years ago today when the crash occurred.

She worked non-stop for almost 48 hours and at the end of this horrendous ordeal, she went into PTSD. At the Retreat, Bernadette started with a television showing an interview of her at the scene of the tragedy. She was interviewed and was still functioning automatically with the rescue. After finishing her task she was told to go home. She then described her own emotional collapse. She went through a variety of psychiatric programs along with receiving medication. Her family tried to comfort her but she felt isolated, numb and almost lost. However she did not give up her faith in Jesus Christ. She came to a community of loving Christians at Spirit Life who enabled her to recover and gradually return wounded but healed from the ordeal. She attributes her recovery to the necessary psychological methods and medications but most of all to the healing love of Jesus Christ within the love of a community.

All of us suffer at one time or another Trauma whether it is an accident, sickness or a loss of someone close. I contend that we are "what we remember" but we also are "how we remember".  I have found that with competent, loving guidance and faith, the person can deal with forgiveness of self and others.  Jesus said "Do this in remembrance of Me." This intimacy is real and, as with Bernadette, not only enabled herself to recover while wounded but also to have a gift of healing through therapy and spiritual healing.

Bernadette is continuing to give retreats for those suffering Trauma. She is now thinking of making herself available for those returning from the wars like Iraq.  I, being a member of The Association of Christian Therapists, can see her experience as very valuable.

Jesus, as in Bernadette's life, is here for all of us as our own personal healer and Savior. 

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