Abstract

Both woody and Wharne provided insightful commentary on my view that survivors of trauma have a duty to repair any impaired natural powers caused by symptoms of trauma by seeking empirically informed treatment. While Woody agrees with the main aspects of my view, they disagree with the motivation for seeking treatment. Woody argues that the “helplessness” caused by symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder should motivate survivors to pursue treatment. I disagree with this characterization and will discuss my concerns in the first part of this reply.Wharne contends that the symptoms of PTSD should be characterized as understandable responses to trauma rather than deviations from normal experience. We should...