One of the truths about trauma is that anyone who has been through a dangerous situation is in an infinitely better position if they were in some way anticipating the situation or expecting to go into harm’s way. But anyone who comes across such a thing completely unexpectedly is far more likely to suffer long-term trauma from the event. To come across the worst sights imaginable—of friends being murdered in front of you—at the exact moment when your mind and body are least expecting it, is something very few people could live through. I asked one professional about what had happened to some
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