Some explosive people are strangers; you can calm them down and
walk away. Others you see every day as friends, coworkers, and family.
Dealing effectively with these fearful, sad, and angry people will require
more than occasional soothing. They’ll need your love and support, of
course, but more than that, they’ll need your wisdom. You’ll have to under-
stand their disorders well enough to know what helps them to get better
and what makes them worse, even when they don’t. Especially then.
Panic disorder, phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and
anxiety disorder are all manifestations of the same physiological process—
the fight or flight response, mediated by the sympathetic nervous system.
They are eminently treatable, but real recovery requires a stunning feat of
mind over matter: the courage to face fear when every nerve and sinew is
shouting Run away!
The recovering fearful must follow a difficult, and sometimes treach-
erous, road. They will need you to bolster their courage along the way,
and sometimes to gently turn them around and point them in the right
direction. If you have to do that, I hope this book will bolster yourcourage.
Chapter 4
Explosions into Fear
Panic Disorder, Phobia, and
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder65
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