One of my OCs has a bit of trauma written into his backstory because the second one is supposed to be there to balance it out. One of the specific topics in question is in regards to CSA, or childhood sexual abuse, which I know sounds edgy and unnecessary, but it had a profound impact on his interactions with the other character as an adult. The current story takes places in a futuristic timeline where the universe has more or less reset itself from the beginning, meaning OC two will essentially be able to undo his trauma. This could be extremely problematic, as it's an unrealistic portrayal of how trauma works. Even though I'm portraying the topic itself as a crime inflicting psychological harm, OC two's ability to make it go away might be seen as dismissive or uncaring. That's not my intention, but other than what delicacy I've already assumed for the situation, I don't know what else I can do. How would you guys go about writing a situation like this? Because I'm honestly stumped. This could go very poorly if I'm not careful. The last thing I need is to be looked at as some asshole who doesn't take this stuff seriously. It is serious, and of course I would love to go back and stop it from happening, but that's not how reality works. I always try to make it clear this kind of stuff is fictional so people have full context going in, but it might not be enough. I need some guidance so I don't screw this up beyond saving. Any advice?

My instinct would be to move on to another idea because 'that's not how reality works'. If I don't think it works, I leave it. But that's me.

7955972
Eh, I think people get too obsessive about being 'realistic' when writing about trauma. Although I'd argue that the word 'pessimistic' is more strictly accurate than 'realistic'. The fact of the matter is that a lot of things commonly believed about trauma aren't really true.

That said, we're talking about fiction, which isn't real, it's far more important that things be internally consistent than 'realistic'. Pick some way for your character's minds to work and stick to it, 'realistic' or not (hell, in my own story, Id, Ego and Super Ego are explicit parts of the mind).

A character retconning his/her own backstory could be an interesting plotpoint, although I will point out that such a thing would likely cause massive personality divergences in the character in question.

7955972
My feelings are best expressed by the following quote…

“You know that pain and guilt can’t be taken away with the wave of a magic wand! They’re the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don’t want my pain taken away, I need my pain!” - Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

7955972
As I told some commenter who had the same issue with the topic in one of my stories, "...at the end of the day, I'm a writer, not a doctor!" You can do some research on the subject, and be as accurate as you need to be, but there will always be some would-be know-it-all who thinks it's not accurate enough.

You're a writer. Your first duty is to entertain, second is to inform. You're not setting precedent or deciding health issues, you're simply writing a short story. I wouldn't be too concerned about offending readers, because that's part of the journey. Someone is going to be offended no matter what you write, so there's no point in being too careful, and you certainly shouldn't make that your main focus.

Just. Write!

7955990
I've occasionally pondered that in terms of how it might relate to Equestria, a place where casual magic is an everyday occurrence. I can't think of the title unfortunately, but I'm sure I've read a fic in which Celestia was able to just wave away a suffering pony's trauma but didn't -- I think for reasons not a million miles away from those expressed in the quote. All I can really remember is that the subject was handled sensitively, but that it was very much not simply "humans in pony suits" stuff and absolutely relied on powerful magic (alicorn-level in this case) being a fact of life in Equestria. As I say, I wish I could remember the title.

7955990
When the trauma in question borders on life-destroying, I would be inclined to think differently. He developed mental and emotional issues as a result which put a damper on their marriage. While he was able to recover somewhat, that sense of sorrow stuck with them throughout the rest of the original timeline. He would do the same for her if the roles were reversed. When you love someone, you'll do anything to make sure they're safe and protected. That's what the idea was about.

7955991
That's true. The whole reasons she's doing this is because the abuse put him at a significant disadvantage in life, and they love each other enough to do anything. She wanted to change things so they could enjoy life to its fullest this time around.

7955984
I'd drop it if it wasn't a concept I felt strongly about, I'm almost positive the thought behind it's something people can relate to. Most people I know don't want to live with trauma, and creating a world where erasing it's possible might offer people hope where none may otherwise be found. It's part of our nature to wonder what might have been if life had gone differently. There's no point in not addressing it if it's gonna be there regardless.

7956005
The other possible danger is well expressed in “It’s A Wonderful Life”, albeit this sounds like a much darker take on it.

Essentially, yes the marriage is screwed up because of trauma, but what if they wouldn’t have married at all because of the different course life takes without the trauma?

There really are lots of ways to go with this… and yeah… potentially a minefield… good luck.

7955985
That's why OC two was up front from the beginning about who she was and why she was there. She's giving him the choice, and he's choosing to stay with her the same way as before. All that's really changing is his contentment with life. He's much happier without his shortcomings and pain weighing him down.

7956009
OC two was up front about her identity and intentions from the beginning. She's giving him the choice knowing full-well things might turn out differently, but her honesty factors in greatly into his decision. Ironically, her willingness to let him go actually plays in her favor because he realizes he doesn't want to leave her. Why would he after she did so much for him? Hers is an act of kindness he can only repay through undying devotion, and he's as curious as she is as to how their marriage would play out a second time. There's no reason I can think of as to why it wouldn't work. It was set up to from the beginning.

7956011
Here is another take on this concept… yes… it is more Star Trek… but it is valuable food for thought.

Tapestry

7956005
Eh, this is exactly what I meant by people being pessimistic about trauma. Trauma isn't just this thing that you have for the rest of your life without any hope of getting better, someone who's traumatized can get better.

I think the problem is how you've written yourself into a corner by making a character who's just incapable of recovering, whose only hope is being retconned out of existence to be replaced with a 'better' version of himself, which is pretty horrific when you think about it.
7956010
"OC two"? That's an odd way to refer to your own deuteragonist.

7955972
On one hand, trying to keep the mental effects of trauma on a character when it should be gone (i.e. by the past being changed, so what happened to them was stopped from happening) would be unrealistic, since, well, their past was changed, so there's no reason from the trauma to somehow still stick around. Given what you said, I'm assuming the OC who was traumatized was reborn in a new universe and/or the past was changed somehow.

But if I really wanted this trauma to still "stick", I would use a " history repeats itself" angle and have them more or less go through it again in their new life. Or, have the mental effects still be there instinctively as a lingering effect. For example, having a phobia of dogs due to your past life being attacked by them.

7956020
He did recover significantly in the original timeline. This second attempt is about pushing him from the content to the ideal. The second OC is an angel who came to his aid in the original timeline when all hope seemed lost. Her influence positively affected him, but it was incomplete. He never made a FULL recovery, and that's the key idea. To restore and rebuild him into his ultimate self. She wants to see him tap into his true potential, which he wasn't able to do because of the negative experiences he went through before. It's not just the abuse. He was generally angry and discontent with life, believing there was no hope for a better future. That's why she's there in both timelines - to prove him wrong.

7956016
That's actually the opposite of what's happening here. The second OC is actively helping him build upon his positive qualities. She's setting him to become stronger, more passionate, more courageous, and more intelligent. He has the choice to listen or not, but he does because she's truthful from the outset. He knows bad things happened, but he's willing to move on because of all the time and effort she put in on his behalf. She loved him enough to undo his pain. All he's doing is returning the favor.

7956027
But if the pain is undone, does he still need her help to grow in all of those ways in the first place?

Ultimately it depends on what you are trying to do with the story.

Certainly, I don’t get it.

7956043
This might contextualize it a bit. The trauma started when he was young and appeared in other ways throughout his life. What she's doing is intervening before it can occur again. By stopping it from happening, she's also redirecting his efforts towards positive pursuits he struggled with the first time - stuff like improving his grades in school, helping him become physically fitter, improving his social skills, and so on. In addition, she also reveals new details about their relationship he didn't know before, even during the original timeline. She felt ashamed and impure because of their prior acts of physical intimacy. Traditional perception of angels portrays them as celibate and borderline emotionless, so she felt others would view her negatively if they found out what she was. The second time around, she doesn't care anymore. The millennia between eras gave her a lot of time to think, and she realized how happy being with him made her despite their flaws and shortcomings. It's a mutually beneficial dynamic meant to help both of them develop beyond their previous limitations. Maintaining relationships takes effort, let alone successful ones. In a relationship meant to last for eternity, you have to give it everything. For them it started with pity. Now it's ending with pride.