Mental illnesses are often seen as chronic and intractable forces that take over our lives, but I wonder how much the stories we tell about them, especially in the beginning, can shape their course. People can feel freed by these stories, but they can also get stuck in them.

We all know of people who have had an emotional crisis many years ago and, to this day, have not recovered. It has totally colored their life, and they have paid a big price for their lack of know-how in handling the underlying emotions.

Trauma stories lessen the isolation of trauma, and they provide an explanation for why people suffer the way they do.

Nobody can “treat” a war, or abuse, rape, molestation, or any other horrendous event, for that matter; what has happened cannot be undone. But what can be dealt with are the imprints of the trauma on body, mind, and soul: the crushing sensations in your chest that you may label as anxiety or depression; the fear of losing control; always being on a