Perception Narrative - Free Paper Sample

Introduction

In most cases, we tend to judge people by their appearances. I once had a neighbor who used to have limited interactions with the rest of us within the area. She would come from work and go right inside the house. During the weekends, she would not leave her home, and one would barely notice the presence of an individual in the area. Last year, my birthday was on the weekend, and I did not have a reason to go outside and join my friends. At night, I heard some screams from the house right across. Upon checking, I realized that the lights to her home were still off, and it is when I decided to have a look at what could have been happening. The issue persisted, and each time I would try to talk to her about it while in the parking lot, she would become anxious and evasive. It was days later when I realized that she had a navy seal tattoo on her upper arm and started suspecting that she was dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Disorder

One of the reasons why I concluded that my neighbor was dealing with PTSD is because of her screams at night and unusually quiet life for a person who was new within the area. In most instances, people with this disorder tend to be silent as they reflect on their experiences in the past. It is also a way of trying to adapt to the new area and way of living. Nonetheless, I decided to invite her over for dinner, and despite being reluctant, she managed to join me. We had a conversation where she informed me that she had witnessed the murder of her entire family in the region she had migrated from. Thus, my suspicions about her being in military service were wrong, and her tattoo or behavior had nothing to do with the same.

However, she confirmed that she was dealing with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder due to her ordeal. She narrated how she had struggled to get help and how being misunderstood made her feel bad about her situation. In most instances, she would offer full disclosure to her psychiatrists, but they would distance themselves from her due to security concerns. The lady did not understand why her family had been murdered, and it is part of why she had been on the run and cautious with people she was engaging in. Despite being shocked by her story, I did not show it through my expressions. I decided to be compassionate to ensure that I did not appear as judging her as had been with her previous encounters.

Anxiety

From her explanations, I understood that many institutions have not learned how to handle patients with PTSD that is not military-related. She recounted how she had been dismissed as a maniac and how her anxiety issues would be downplayed in some institutions. Similarly, it changed my perception of people with mental health issues and the need to avoid assumptions. Often, our beliefs are usually wrong, especially after we have deep interactions with the individuals in question. Hence, inviting the lady for dinner allowed me to know her more and understand her story to stop misjudging her character.

Conclusion

Conclusively, it suffices to conclude that my perception of my neighbor was wrong, and her character had nothing to do with her profession. From her explanations, I got challenged to learn about PTSD and how to handle people with the issue. We are now close friends with her, and I have seen her recovery for the last two years. Her anxiety and suspicion of new people are now lower, and she engages in community activities.