Life in Baghdad, Iraq, in October 2003 and again in 2006 was like living in a Crock-Pot. It was hot, and the breeze, if you can call it that, was just as hot. We would travel to strange destinations to attend meetings, drop off supplies, or pick up soldiers. We even performed guard duty and with the scorching temperatures. The protective gear that we wore added about twenty degrees and an extra thirty pounds. The temperature was approximately 140 degrees or better. I was told to put on some suntan lotion, and I thought the officer was making a joke because I did not know a black man could get a sunburn in the desert; this is to be true. P roud T ough S trong D etermined
The author writes from his experience as a young army officer in Vietnam who served with the Dauntless Black Lions of the 1st Infantry Division. His spouse and co-author describes her perspective as a wife and mother who has lived the past thirty years with a veteran who suffers from the physical, and more specifically, the mental scars of combat. You will become familiar with how PTSD affects the veterans and their families and explore strategies for living with PTSD.
Since the invention of Modern Warfare and the longer lifespan of modern soldiers due to technological and medical advances, there are more PTSD relationships than ever. It's a new territory in the dating arena that is increasingly difficult to navigate. Warrior Lover addresses the issues that are exclusive to Combat PTSD relationships. Witty and compelling, Warrior Lover is an entertaining read that delves into the difficulties and rewards in dating a Combat Veteran and how to strengthen that relationship.
For every wounded warrior, there is a wounded home--an immediate and extended family and community impacted by their loved one's war experiences. Every day service members are returning from combat deployments to their families. And every day war comes home with them. When a combat veteran struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI), every member of the family experiences the effects. Spouses, parents, and children must undergo changes on the home front, a process that resembles the phases of grief. Confusion, hurt, anger, guilt, fatigue, and fear lie behind their brave smiles and squared shoulders. Wounded Warrior, Wounded Home gives hurting families a look inside the minds and hearts of wounded warriors and guides them in developing their own personal plan for physical, emotional, and spiritual wholeness in the wake of war. The authors, one the wife of a career US Navy SEAL and the other a clinical psychologist and Vietnam veteran, speak from their own experiences of living with PTSD and TBI. They also share insights from dozens of families and careful research, offering readers a hope-filled way forward.
Chances are that if your loved one has seen war, he or she has Post-traumatic Stress Disorder at some level, and you who love your veteran will also be deeply and profoundly affected. Finally, the cries and needs of the loved ones have been addressed in this comprehensive, practical book, now newly updated in its 2nd Edition! Love Our Vets answers more than 60 heartfelt questions, providing down-to-earth wisdom and much-needed tips for taking care of yourself. Sharing as a counselor and from her personal experience of living with a 100% disabled veteran with PTSD, Welby O'Brien gives hope, encouragement, and practical help for families and loved ones who are caught in the wake of the trauma. This book addresses a broad spectrum of issues and concerns and offers realistic wisdom from a wide variety of individuals who share from real hearts and lives. Now newly revised and updated with additional material, the 2nd Edition of Love Our Vets continues to be enthusiastically welcomed by VA and other counselors. This is not just another book about PTSD; rather, it is a tremendous resource for families and loved ones who struggle heroically along with their vets to face the day-to-day challenges.
When you hold the hand of a warrior, youre joining him on a questone that traverses glory and pain. Its a journey traveled by few, and fewer make it through till completion. Extraordinary men have run our colors across the battlefields of history, but behind them have been the women who have held vigil as they go. This passage in matrimony is unique in the way the military will change you, your husband, and your marriage. PTSD, deployments, or never-ending household moves are just some ways a new normal lifestyle will challenge even the strongest foundations. But what doesnt break you will make you stronger if you let it! This book will illustrate the courage, support, and faith it takes to overcome the challenges of military marriages, as well as the tools, understanding, and insight to enter into the rewarding experience of being a warrior wife.
This book provides definitions and real-life examples of complex PTSD and complex secondary PTSD (seen in a rapidly rising number of spouses and children), and the problems that arise when untreated. Arsenal of Hope aims to help soldiers, first responders, their families, and civilians with trauma—including those dealing with COVID-19 chaos or death. Jen Satterly is a certified coach and respected authority on PTSD, having been embedded with Special Operations during large scale military training missions and married to a Delta Force Command Sgt. Major. As a cofounder of a nonprofit for warriors and their families to heal after the trauma of war, her stories, research, realistic advice, and sometimes humor, are told through a military lens. Written with award-winning collaborative writer Holly Lorincz, Satterly uses her firsthand knowledge and medical expertise to deal with each issue. Most importantly, she illustrates how to change and create habits to circumvent the symptoms of post-traumatic stress.
This true-life account of author Nancy MacMillan's marriage to the love of her life, a Vietnam vet, leads to unexpected consequences as he struggles with PTSD. Shattered by nightmares he doesn't recall and pain he refuses to share, she becomes entangled in a web of secrets and fear. Despite her paralyzing anxiety, the author's unyielding love for her warrior husband strengthens her desire to save him from self-destruction.
Compelling stories of American soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with what are now considered this war's signature injuries-- TBI and PTSD -- along with the experiences of our mental health professionals newly mobilized to assist them.
When a parent has PTSD, children can often feel confused, scared, or helpless. Why Are You So Scared? explains PTSD and its symptoms in nonthreatening, kid-friendly language, and is full of questions and exercises that kids and parents can work through together. The interactive layout encourages kids to express their thoughts and feelings about PTSD through writing, drawing, and designing. This book can serve as a practical tool for kids to cope with and eventually feel better about their parent's PTSD. A comprehensive note to parents offers advice for using this book to help children communicate the emotions that may accompany their parent's PTSD recovery. From the Note to Parents: PTSD can negatively affect the children of parents or caregivers who experience it. In addition to being confused and worried about their parent or caregiver, children may experience fear and sadness of their own. A negatively affected child may suffer poor performance at school, act out at daycare, or withdrawal from family and friends. PTSD is not just a condition of the adult, but a condition of the family and others close to the child. There are several important aspects of their parent or caregiver’s PTSD that children should understand. Although your child’s age and maturity level, and your own comfort level, should dictate how much emphasis you give any particular issue, it’s important that each of the following be acknowledged, at least to plant a seed for future discussion. This book, and the discussions it is meant to facilitate, should help your child: understand what PTSD is and what it is not; recognize and cope with his or her feelings; and realize that things will get better and that help is available. This book is meant to be read by or to your child with guidance from a parent, teacher, counselor, or other adult that he or she trusts. Although you can accomplish this in several ways, it may be best to read it in sections. This way, several discussions can take place over an extended period, allowing time for your child to form questions and discover his or her own solutions to some of the concerns covered in the book. Regardless of how you decide to use this book, remember to watch for cues from your child. He is the best measure for how much information is too much and when it’s OK to keep reading and talking.
