Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome

In 2006 Black Snake Moan hit the screen starring Samuel L. Jackson as Lazarus, Christina Ricci as Rae and Justin Timberlake as Ronnie. Rae suffers sexual abuse at the hands of her mother's partner when she was a young girl and as a result turns into a nymphomaniac that has an addiction to drugs and alcohol as well. She has a boyfriend that is in the service who gets deployed for duty but later is discharged due to his anxiety disorder. Prior to his return to home his girlfriend, Rae gets severely beaten and left for dead on the side of the road by Ronnie's friend but is found the next morning by a religious farmer who was a former blues guitarist named Lazarus. Lazarus believes that it was the Lord's doing that put Rae in his life and he decides to chain her up to his house and cure her of her sinful ways.

Our text in chapter 11 talks about Stress and Stressors which prolonged or acute stress can cause stress related disorders that have symptoms including anxiety, reoccuring nightmares, sleep problems, problems concentrating and "reliving" the experience through flashbacks or dreams. Watching this film you would see how Rae would experienc nightmares and would relive the abuse that she endured when younger. Rae's condition was something that appeared to be ongoing and lasting for more than a month therefore, per the text she is experiencing PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).