How My Journey as a Psychiatric Nurse Inspired Me to Write a Book

As a psychiatric nurse, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside individuals on some of the most challenging journeys of their lives. I’ve witnessed resilience in its rawest form—people fighting battles that aren’t always visible to the outside world. One of the most profound struggles I’ve encountered in my work is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The complexities of this condition, the way it weaves itself into every aspect of a person’s life, and the strength it takes to heal all inspired me to write a book about a woman living with PTSD.

While my training taught me about PTSD in clinical terms—hypervigilance, flashbacks, emotional numbness—it was my patients who showed me what it truly means to live with it. Each person’s story was unique, but a common thread ran through them all: trauma doesn’t just disappear. It lingers, shaping thoughts, relationships, and self-worth.

I saw individuals struggling to trust again, to sleep without nightmares, to find joy in the present instead of being pulled back into the past. And yet, I also saw hope. I saw people learning to cope, to reclaim their sense of self, and to build lives filled with purpose. Their journeys weren’t linear, but they were powerful.

Storytelling has the power to heal. When we read about characters who reflect our own struggles, we feel seen and less alone.

One of the protagonists of my book, Memory Weavers, is a woman who has survived trauma but is still learning how to live beyond it. She navigates relationships, battles her inner demons, and slowly finds her own path to healing. Her story is fictional, but it’s deeply rooted in the truths I’ve witnessed in my work.

One of my hopes in writing this book is to shed light on PTSD and break the stigma surrounding mental health. Too often, people feel ashamed of their struggles, afraid to seek help or speak openly about their experiences. Through my novel, I want to show that PTSD is not a sign of weakness—it’s a response to overwhelming experiences, and healing is possible with time, support, and self-compassion.