Black Snake Moan PTSD

Black Snake Moan and PTSD
Gervante Campbell National Park College Department of Psychology

Black Snake Moan and PTSD
Life can be filled with unexpected trials and tribulations, some being minor and others traumatizing. It is these trials and tribulations that can make and break a person. Furthermore, it is the more traumatizing life events that creates a more damaging effect on a person’s psychological well-being. This damaging effect is called PTSD. This essay will explain in detail what PTSD is and how the movie Black Snake Moan is a prime example of how PTSD works.
What is PTSD?
The acronym PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This disorder is characterized by an emotional state of a person after experiencing
a traumatic event, particularly an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious bodily harm to oneself or others, creating intense feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror. Individuals shows symptoms of this disorder by re-experiencing the traumatic event or situation through upsetting thoughts or memories, or even flashback, which relives the event with full emotions and intensity. People affected by this disorder have a difficult time trying to break away from their pattern of negative memory recall, because parts of the brain like the prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and anterior cingulate gyrus, reinforces the brain to remember the traumatizing events. Although Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is not curable, it can be treated. Treatments range from different types of psychotherapy and medications to help manage depression and anxiety. With the help of these treatments, a person will never forget, but may learn to cope and function a little better on a daily basis.
Summary of PTSD in Black Snake Moan
The movie Black Snake Moan was written and directed by Craig Brewer in 2007.
It starred Samuel L. Jackson (Lazarus Redd), Christina Ricci (Rae Doole), and Justin Timberlake (Ronnie Morgan). All three of these characters had one thing in common-they suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Mr. Redd was a God-fearing farmer and blues musician, who still had resentment in his heart towards his wife and brother for having an affair with each other. This event led to Redd’s divorce from his wife, which left him bitter and angry. It is this bitterness and anger that continued to control Redd’s life, paralyzing him from starting a new beginning with the local pharmacist, due to his fear of experiencing the same pain again. Rae Doole suffered with the ability to control her bodily (sexual) urges. Every time she was close to a man or boy, she had thoughts of intimacy or actually committed the act. However, there was a precursor event that brought about this addiction. While in town, Rae sees her mother, and asks her why she let her boyfriend sexually abuse her when she was young. Rae had a traumatic experience with men at a young age, which is why she does not know how to control herself sexually, and is numb to the way she should actually carry herself as a young woman. Ronnie Morgan was also a victim of PTSD. Ronnie’s post-traumatic stress disorder consisted of severe anxiety. During his time in the National Guard, Ronnie most likely witness things that an average person
wouldn’t see and it affected him psychologically. Being unstable in his thinking, Ronnie was discharged from the National Guard due to his inability to perform. The traumatizing events of the characters in the movie, is a direct representation of the same events that can occur in the world today.
PTSD can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or race. According to Robert E. Emery, an estimated 10% of women and 5% of men will experience PTSD at some point of their life. It is this 15% of the population who has to be consciously aware of the tragic events that have taken place, but not let it act as barrier hindering them from continuing to live their
life.