Be Safe I Love You
By Cara Hoffman,
Simon & Schuster, 304 pages, $26
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD — we hear of it often enough, especially in the United States, as soldiers return from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The psychological impact on a person when they have been through a traumatic event, such as loss of lives, PTSD is an extremely serious issue in the military. Around the world, militaries are now becoming more cognizant of the need to address the issues personnel face post combat duty. In “Be Safe I Love You”, Cara Hoffman puts herself in the shoes of a returning soldier — a female officer, who is struggling with the symptoms of PTSD.
According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, PTSD is characterised by fear for the safety of others’ and one’s own life. The patient may feel that they have no control over what is happening around them. This can result in them taking some extreme actions.
The story of Lauren Clay takes us to the dark heart of this illness — how it takes over someone’s mind and talent, leaving behind a desperation to break free, to soar and just for a short while taste freedom from the burden of past actions.
As you turn the pages, one can almost sense the panic building, along with the helplessness of the family around as they witness the change.
Reliving the event, avoidance, negative changes in attitude and a sense of excessive alertness — these are all the symptoms of PTSD, and one cannot help but wonder, yet again, why do we go to war? Nobody wins. The innocent, including those in uniform, keep paying a price, in all forms.
“Be Safe I Love You” is a potent reminder of the far-reaching damage that people do in the name of power, oil and God. It is exasperating when you hear the ramblings of ideologues because you know it is just going to drive another round of warmongering and loss of lives in more ways than one.
In the case of Clay, mercifully, there is a redemptive end aided by the resilience of love. And the writing technique used by Hoffman, akin to a tiger chasing its tail, creates a dramatic sense of urgency.
However, there are many soldiers who will have to manage with PTSD for the rest of their lives. Such futility and for what? Aren’t there enough terminal illnesses for mankind to battle and find a cure for that we expend so much energy to bring this upon our own?
