Dusting Off the Ashes: One Man's Personal Journey Through Post Traumatic Stress

As we proceeded down the stairway, we could hear screaming from the levels below. We were walking over shoes that people had kicked off and purses that had been discarded. Mike held my arm and together, we maintained our position of three across the stairs. The smoke and heat were getting worse on each succeeding floor. We thought about getting off, but the doors to each floor were automatically locked from the inside. This was done as a security measure so no one could enter onto the floors at night. We had no choice but to continue to walk down. • What comes after that attempt and the events on 9/11 is Bill's inability to maintain a job due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the eventual demise of his family and life as he knew it. This is the story of one man's journey, after his spirit has been broken, to find new meaning in this world. Maria Heaton is a nationally certified, licensed professional counselor who owns a private practice in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where she specializes in individual and family therapy. She is also a part-time Adult Basic Education Coordinator at the Warren County Technical School in Washington, New Jersey where she provides career counseling to individuals who want to improve their education and quality of life. Author's Web site: www.eloquentbooks.com/DustingOffTheAshes.html