This grinds my gears.

There are very few topics that truly get under my skin, but one in particular hits home, and grinds away at me.

The notion that people with PTSD are violent. Several studies have concluded that (we) are not. 

VA: http://goo.gl/vDFjP1

Police: http://goo.gl/wnQjx8

And so on...

PTSD does not make you violent, that's ridiculous. That's like saying being robbed makes you a thief. PTSD is caused by violence, it does not create it. In fact in some case studies it has been found that people with PTSD are LESS prone to violence because of the traumatic experiences they lived through. 

I am not, nor have I been a violent person. Before and after PTSD I am an advocate for non-violent conflict resolution. There is no one in this world I wish harm on, no one. I know that sounds crazy. 

But what about Kony? And that other fad that is burning through the interwebs any given day? 

Nope. And I'll tell you why, violence sows more violence. I can not condone that, or any other violent act when I myself have experienced such atrocities. Now I know some of you may be the "if they killed someone they should die" or "if they raped someone they should know how it feels" kind of people. 

An eye for an eye. I get it. I truly do. 

But that kind of thinking does not fix the problem, it doubles it. Cause now instead of one weirdo doing God knows what, we now have one weirdo doing it, and a system that is perpetuating it. 

That being said, that does not mean I am against the death penalty. That just means that I want no part in it. 

PTSD has made me see that violence is not only a destructive force, but a creative force as well. PTSD has created a whole slew of issues that I deal with on a daily, if not hourly basis. I do not, nor will I ever wish violence upon anyone. I truly believe that if we are to address issues with PTSD and violence, we have to stop the spread of it in our own lives first. That is why I say "I do not wish harm upon anyone", to cultivate thoughts of violence upon others is to internally say it is ok for violence to exist. 

I do not mean to change anyone's opinion, or start an argument. I am stating all of this because, as someone who is fighting the effects of violence every day, I find it highly offensive that you would think for a single second that I would wish harm upon another human being. 

Monsters hurt people. People do not. And I am no monster.