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“Holy PTSD, Batman!:” An Analysis of the Psychiatric Symptoms of Bruce Wayne

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Correspondence to S. Taylor Williams M.D..

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Taylor Williams, S. “Holy PTSD, Batman!:” An Analysis of the Psychiatric Symptoms of Bruce Wayne. Acad Psychiatry 36, 252–255 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.36.3.252

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.36.3.252

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