Question(s) for Shalimar

PeppermintPatty said:
Greetings @Shalimar

My question to you is :
As a therapist or therapeutic counsellor, what got you into serving veterans for PTSD and can you give us an elaborated reply? ( if possibly )

Do you find this work rewarding and why?

Thank you.
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Hi Peppermint Patty. Initially, I began serving vets who had PTSD in order to pay it forward. When I was living on the streets of Vancouver at the tender age of 17, a veteran rescued me. He found me in an alley. I had been beaten, sx

assaulted also. He took me home to his place, and nursed me back to health. He had lost his only daughter to heroin. I would not be alive today without his intervention. Once I recovered, I enrolled in UBC. I stayed with him until I

transferred to McGill University in Montreal. What a culture shock! Lol. I was tutored in French, within a year, I was fluent. Due to my personal experiences with CPTSD, it seemed appropriate to become a trauma therapist. The

majority of my clients are vets, but I also serve individuals who have experienced abuse, or other forms of trauma. This includes refugees from war

torn countries. What began as a career, morphed into a vocation. I found purpose, and comfort in serving others, it has been the only thing which made any sense of my own pain, and allowed me to live with the guilt and

shame which I have carried since childhood. I believe my brokenness was/is a gift to my clients. If I can survive, build something worthwhile out of rubble,

then, perhaps, so can they. Like them, I live my life on the high wire, without a net. Falling is inevitable, but giving up is not. I am blessed to have the opportunity to walk with such brave individuals. They know I get it. I hold their

hope for them, until they are ready to nurture it themselves. In the end, I learn far more from them than they do from me, and I am ever so grateful. We have sat in The Pit together, I have wept with them, held them in their time of

utmost despair, offered my hand and a candle as they scrambled out of their personal darkness. Such journeys are raw, primal, utterly brutal, honest, and often very beautiful. I am enriched beyond measure, and so very grateful for the opportunity to serve. I hope this answers your question.💕
 
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What a remarkable life you’ve had Shalimar.

I didn’t know about McGill University. That’s a very nice university. Learning French in a year is impressive. You’re bilingual! That’s cool. I’d love to know another language. I know a bit but not enough to converse.

Using what you’ve learned through your own experience with cPTSD is not only kind and compassionate but so very brave. Some content is bound to trigger you but together you help each other. It’s not something I understood before, but now I do.

I wasn’t aware that you counselled refugees. There must be a lot of drama there as well as with the abused. You described that so poetically when you say “It has been the only thing that made any sense of my own pain and allowed me to live with the guilt which I have carried since childhood. I believe my brokenness was a gift to my clients . If I can survive , built something worthwhile out of rubble , then perhaps so can they.”

You wrapped that up so nicely Shalimar. Turning tragedy into teachable, loving moments sure is a worthwhile purpose. We need more people like you in our world.

I’m honoured that you accepted my inquisitive questions about your life and thank you.

Namaste
 
Among other things, my clients have taught me much about the power of endurance, the immense power and flexibility of the human spirit/character. Often, the most vulnerable and broken individuals are

ultimately the ones who heal. Why? Because they have the capacity and willingness to accept an enormous amount of emotional pain in order to heal. Sliding

down an emotional razor blade again and again and again. Dying so they can be reborn. Crucible stuff. This is what strength is. This is courage on

an epic scale. I have learned that the price of humanity is heartbreak, the absence of it anathema. That, in the end, all that matters are kindness, compassion, purpose, and connection. If one is in The Pit,

it is connection which reaches us, not psychology. At that point, one is completely isolated. Isolation is the great Enemy, a breaker of minds and hearts. For those of us who keep dragons in boxes, such things are all that protect us from the mind slayers.

One final thing, the bravest person I ever met was a Muslim refugee from a war torn country in the Middle East. She was twelve years old. She had been in a refugee camp, along with her family. One day, as she was

preparing food for her family, she heard a child screaming. She discovered that a man was assaulting a little boy. No one was making any attempt to intervene, as he held a position of power amongst a

certain cadre there at the camp. She jumped into action. Carrying a pot of boiling water, she rushed toward the man, and poured it over him. In doing so, she also burned her own hands and arms. The boy was saved,

and, ultimately, she, her family, the little boy and his mother found a new home here in Canada. She indicated that she wished to be a

paediatrician, donations to that end have insured she will have no financial constraints. She is now sixteen, I think, and doing very well in school. What a doctor she will make!
 
seadoug said:
@Shalimar you are an amazing person for taking your personal trauma and using it to positively affect other people. The world needs many more people with your kindness and caring!

I will add one question. I've heard a lot about psychedelic drugs being used to treat PTSD. Is this something you subscribe to?
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Thankyou so much for your kind words. Yes, I believe there is possibly a great future for certain psychedelic drugs in providing efficacious treatment for severe CPTSD/PTSD. Research is ongoing. Initial results are promising. I think, in

time, such treatment may become mainstream. I hope, at some point, to have an opportunity to participate in clinical trials. I would be very grateful to do so as either a patient or a professional.
 
Shalimar said:
Among other things, my clients have taught me much about the power of endurance, the immense power and flexibility of the human spirit/character. Often, the most vulnerable and broken individuals are

ultimately the ones who heal. Why? Because they have the capacity and willingness to accept an enormous amount of emotional pain in order to heal. Sliding

down an emotional razor blade again and again and again. Dying so they can be reborn. Crucible stuff. This is what strength is. This is courage on

an epic scale. I have learned that the price of humanity is heartbreak, the absence of it anathema. That, in the end, all that matters are kindness, compassion, purpose, and connection. If one is in The Pit,

it is connection which reaches us, not psychology. At that point, one is completely isolated. Isolation is the great Enemy, a breaker of minds and hearts. For those of us who keep dragons in boxes, such things are all that protect us from the mind slayers.

One final thing, the bravest person I ever met was a Muslim refugee from a war torn country in the Middle East. She was twelve years old. She had been in a refugee camp, along with her family. One day, as she was

preparing food for her family, she heard a child screaming. She discovered that a man was assaulting a little boy. No one was making any attempt to intervene, as he held a position of power amongst a

certain cadre there at the camp. She jumped into action. Carrying a pot of boiling water, she rushed toward the man, and poured it over him. In doing so, she also burned her own hands and arms. The boy was saved,

and, ultimately, she, her family, the little boy and his mother found a new home here in Canada. She indicated that she wished to be a

paediatrician, donations to that end have insured she will have no financial constraints. She is now sixteen, I think, and doing very well in school. What a doctor she will make!
Click to expand...

It seems you have a huge amount of skills. Some through academia perhaps, some through your own experiences and those of others. Perhaps at times through being deep in your own mind and the mind of other? Where those ’others‘ have allowed, that is. And many skills that have been hard won. I don’t think there are enough psychotherapist and so on in this world to go around.

Do you then see the power of endurance and of human spirit often. Something perhaps that your clients might not see in themselves, initially? And even then they might not see it when you first point it out to them. And even then they might not see it until you show them, based on them telling you of their own experiences and their emotions they have shown. Might this endurance and spirit be in us all, without us realising it?
 
Magna-Carta said:
It seems you have a huge amount of skills. Some through academia perhaps, some through your own experiences and those of others. Perhaps at times through being deep in your own mind and the mind of other? Where those ’others‘ have allowed, that is. And many skills that have been hard won. I don’t think there are enough psychotherapist and so on in this world to go around.

Do you then see the power of endurance and of human spirit often. Something perhaps that your clients might not see in themselves, initially? And even then they might not see it when you first point it out to them. And even then they might not see it until you show them, based on them telling you of their own experiences and their emotions they have shown. Might this endurance and spirit be in us all, without us realising it?
Click to expand...
I have pondered this myself. I believe most of us contain such a spark, with the likely exception of psychopaths and malignant narcissists.
 
Pecos said:
Shalimar,

It is an honor to know you and to have you on this forum. You bring an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience, and we benefit a great deal. @Shalimar

Thank you so much!
Click to expand...

I feel the same way, Pecos.

@Shalimar - I greatly admire you for your strength, courage, determination, awareness, and your compassion and love for others. I'm proud to know you and call you my friend. ❤️

Bella ✌️
 
Shalimar said:
Hi Peppermint Patty. Initially, I began serving vets who had PTSD in order to pay it forward. When I was living on the streets of Vancouver at the tender age of 17, a veteran rescued me. He found me in an alley. I had been beaten, sx

assaulted also. He took me home to his place, and nursed me back to health. He had lost his only daughter to heroin. I would not be alive today without his intervention. Once I recovered, I enrolled in UBC. I stayed with him until I

transferred to McGill University in Montreal. What a culture shock! Lol. I was tutored in French, within a year, I was fluent. Due to my personal experiences with CPTSD, it seemed appropriate to become a trauma therapist. The

majority of my clients are vets, but I also serve individuals who have experienced abuse, or other forms of trauma. This includes refugees from war

torn countries. What began as a career, morphed into a vocation. I found purpose, and comfort in serving others, it has been the only thing which made any sense of my own pain, and allowed me to live with the guilt and

shame which I have carried since childhood. I believe my brokenness was/is a gift to my clients. If I can survive, build something worthwhile out of rubble,

then, perhaps, so can they. Like them, I live my life on the high wire, without a net. Falling is inevitable, but giving up is not. I am blessed to have the opportunity to walk with such brave individuals. They know I get it. I hold their

hope for them, until they are ready to nurture it themselves. In the end, I learn far more from them than they do from me, and I am ever so grateful. We have sat in The Pit together, I have wept with them, held them in their time of

utmost despair, offered my hand and a candle as they scrambled out of their personal darkness. Such journeys are raw, primal, utterly brutal, honest, and often very beautiful. I am enriched beyond measure, and so very grateful for the opportunity to serve. I hope this answers your question.💕
Click to expand...
I am a loss for words.

You are an ANGEL leading ANGELS.

You are a hero leading HEROS.

My heart melts because of who you are.

I am blessed to know you. 🌹🌹🌹.
 
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