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Always open with a joke …
Ever hear about the toilet that suffered from PTSD?
They told their therapist they've seen some #$%^.
Humour is a major part of learning to cope. It is difficult to smile or enjoy a joke while you are in the middle of a trigger but it is important to find humour in the rest of your life. Don’t rush it, take your time. Just know that when you are able to enjoy a joke even a little, you are beginning to really heal.
Here is some perspective on dark humour from Psychology Today: “We’ve all heard phrases like: we laugh lest we cry; laughter is the best medicine; nothing can withstand the assault of laughter. Laughter has long been considered therapeutic and studies demonstrate that in the face of stress, comedy is a more effective coping strategy than seriousness. And if you’ve ever spent any time around the military, you’ve likely heard a joke or two. Okay, more than two.
Culturally, military members turn often to "gallows humor" or "black humor" to handle the stress of the job. Irreverent reverence is standard operating procedure and the most colorful black humor arises in the direst situations.
Black humor is best described as the kind of humor that treats threatening or disturbing subjects (i.e. death, combat, disease, deformity) with levity or amusement. This humor is typically employed to somehow convey the absurdity, illogicality, or helplessness of a situation. In essence, it juxtaposes a morbid element with a farcical one”. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-debrief/201805/awful-joke-can-feel-pretty-good
The article then described how using ‘Black Humour’, a therapist opened the door for one soldier who could then open up about his experiences because of the joke. Cracking a joke just may be what keeps you from cracking up yourself!
We at OSI-CAN do not see PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a Disorder, we see it as an Injury you can recover from. If you are suffering from the symptoms of an Occupational or Operational Stress Injury, then a PTSD or PTSI diagnosis is not required to get our help.