Depicting a Character with PTSD
Striving for Realism in the Scifi Novel Fallen
Of the drivers that lead to the creation of Fallen, my desire to share the experiences of those who have mentally suffered years of war and disconnection from civilian life has always been first and foremost. Feedback from veterans has been positive about how the main character has come across; however, some other readers expressed their disbelief in the main character’s mental struggle. In response to such feedback, I want to share with you all a little about how real cases of PTSD influenced the story of Fallen.
First, we have to take on the misconception of PTSD that, to this day, makes recognition and treatment difficult. For many people, a person with PTSD is like a World War I soldier suffering from the debilitating shakes of shell shock or a Vietnam War veteran with frequent flashbacks that become his reality. While these cases do exist, they form a minority of cases.
PTSD manifests itself in many forms. It can arise in lighter cases by avoiding certain situations that remind the person of the stressful event. Many of these cases can heal over time, even without formal medical treatment. Conversely, untreated issues can fester to the point that one’s emotional health degrades over time. These cases sometimes go undiagnosed because the worst symptoms are observed well after the traumatic event.
Sometimes, the triggering event isn’t one moment but a traumatic period. For military, this can be a stressful deployment where one gets little sleep for months. The inability to rest and process war conditions can eat away at one’s ability to heal. These non-combat PTSD cases can be mocked, but they are real. Other cases can happen when one returns home (redeployment) and experiences a vast difference between perception and reality. An example would be a soldier who experiences comradery, purpose, and happiness while deployed, only to return to a broken home situation where they feel little respect.
How one addresses PTSD also differs. The most notable cases are ones that have the person so mentally destroyed that either he or she will suffer a complete breakdown or be institutionalized. Yet, there are many situations where a middling purgatory of an outcome is reached. A person can suffer from PTSD while appearing normal in most regards.
The main character of Fallen and the upcoming sequel Risen, Brendan Sean Murphy, combines many of these PTSD traits. The main drivers of Brendan’s PTSD are 1) multiple combat deployments climaxing in a suicide bombing of a meeting he arranged and 2) a cheating wife who died in a car accident while he was deployed.
Brendan’s compensation for his suffering is redoubling himself into work, seeking the excitement of deployments. All this is because he seeks to control his situation, as every time he drives events, memories of the past aren’t tormenting him. However, his seeking intense moments to control the situation only adds more pressure, aggravating his PTSD. Throughout the book, each moment of success is a temporary relief that is followed by two steps back. His sole hope is to find the strength and trust to open up to others before the stress consumes him.
While the character is fictional, many of the moments he goes through, including the crying episodes, erupting during a war game at a perceived personal insult, dumbstruck after a quick moment of combat, and mental blackout in front of friends are all based on true moments I witnessed. The two main influences for Brendan are real people who endured years of hurt before confronting their PTSD. Of all the things in the fictional Fallen universe, I take pride in Brendan being the most realistic.
Select Twitter Flash Fictions
The sonar image was clear. There on the bed of the Persian Gulf was an elevated area that would have been above sea level during the ice age. This lost island featured geometric patterns. "Ruins! We found Enoch! Get the divers ready," the captain said.
"And why, pray tell, did we spend our earnings on a dual hyperdrive?" Matthew asked? "Because with it we can experience all four seasons on seven planets in one day," Helen said. "I wonder if spring is better on Lemaitre II or IV?"
Twitter Threads on Religions’ Thoughts on Aliens & UFO
Oriental Orthodox, Protestants, and Other Jesus-Inspired Groups
Writing Update
Making good progress in the triple digits of Risen. The greatest struggle is having Brendan once and for all confronting his own pain as the Sabia’s agenda is fully revealed. What he does, and how his human and Sabia friends react, will change the destiny of both species.