Blogpost 6 : Harry Potter's Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Everyone has been heard about Harry Potter. Immersing them in a fantastical world in which broomsticks fly, portraits talk, wizards cast spells–and dreams reveal honest emotional truths. In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry also experienced recurring dreams

According to the article The Dreamsand Nightmares of Harry Potter written by Kelly Bulkeley from Dream Research & Education, as the story unfolds Harry learns more about his past, the death of his parents, and his strange connection to Voldemort.  Now he begins having recurrent nightmares: “Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter.” (1.215)  by this point Harry recognizes that this horrible scene is not “only” a dream but an actual event that happened in his past.  The recurrent nightmares, like his other dreams, turn out to be legitimate memories of horrors in his past.

The term “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” is never used in the books, but observing Harry's situation it may find it impossible to ignore it.  The long-buried memories surfacing in his dreams reveal a primal experience of severe, shocking pain

According to the article, “Rowling’s fantasy tale carries a message of real-world significance: We Muggles (non-wizards) may not be able to fly on brooms or cast spells, but we do possess the magical power of dreaming.”

I observed that J.K. Rowling really believes in the magic power of dreaming. It reflects to Harry, he always had these dreams that have meaning and these dreams also serve as the communication on Harry to himself and to the other characters.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one cause of recurring dreams. I have read an article entitled Post-traumatic Stress Disorder by Harold Cohen from PsychCentral

According to the Article, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental disorder that follows experiencing or witnessing an extremely traumatic, tragic, or terrifying event. People with PTSD usually have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to.

Most people with post-traumatic stress disorder repeatedly re-live the trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the day. The nightmares or recollections may come and go, and a person may be free of them for weeks at a time, and then experience them daily for no particular reason. They may also experience sleep problems, depression, feeling detached or numb, or being easily startled. 

PTSD can occur at any age, including childhood. The disorder can be accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or anxiety. Symptoms may be mild or severe -- people may become easily irritated or have violent outbursts. In severe cases, they may have trouble working or socializing. In general, the symptoms seem to be worse if the event that triggered them was initiated by a person -- such as a murder, as opposed to a flood.

Post-traumatic stress disorder can be treated, usually with a combination of psychotherapy and medications. People with PTSD should seek out a therapist or psychologists with specific experience and background in treatment post-traumatic stress disorder.

             According to the article, “A flashback may make the person lose touch with reality and reenact the event for a period of seconds or hours, or very rarely, days.”

A simple flashback is very horrifying to the person who has Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSF is a very serious matter that when a person who has it doesn’t control him or her feelings can lead to a worst situation.