Haunted by Combat: Understanding PTSD in War Veterans

by Daryl S. Paulson

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Author: Daryl S. Paulson

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Paperback:
ISBN 10: 1442203919
ISBN 13: 978-1442203914

Across history, the condition has been called soldier's heart, shell shock, or combat fatigue. Now more commonly known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, it is increasingly being seen in our service men and women as they return from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other combat zones. PTSD affects sufferers in various ways in their everyday lives, and sometimes the signs and symptoms are missed or simply ignored. With instances of PTSD on the rise, however, it is no longer possible to turn a blind eye. Paulson and Krippner take us into the minds of PTSD-affected veterans, as they struggle against the traumatic events they've faced in combat and the lingering effects of these experiences in their daily lives.

Review

This book is an outstanding guide for the understanding of war trauma. Every professional linked to the subject should take the time to analyze not only the veterans' experiences and the techniques for treatment, but also the high sensibility of the authors to the need of fighting the global calamity of war and hostility among humans. (Lic. Gustavo C. Schiavo Gomez, Diplomat, Oriental Republic of Uruguay)

Including empirical research and anecdotal prose and poetry about combat veterans, this book discusses post-traumatic stress disorder among war veterans and present debates about diagnoses. Paulson and Krippner also take up other important issues-for example, the difficulty in determining who combatants are (in the case of Iraq) and coping when returning home....Readers will appreciate the volume's general assurance that most veterans get beyond their combat experiences, despite the fact that most receive no formal intervention. Those involved with veterans may wish to explore this existential view of intervention. Recommended. Graduate students through professionals. (CHOICE)

The history of our species is a history of war, and the history of war is a history of deep human trauma and suffering. In this clinically important and highly approachable text, Paulson and Krippner help us understand the psychological and spiritual basis for the post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by today's combat veterans. The authors poignantly describe how the PTSD of the men and women they interviewed resulted from "the loss of individual perspective or personal myth that ensure the security and safety of the world." Paulson and Krippner provide clinicians, family members, and concerned citizens with the cross-cultural tools we need to help Iraqi combat veterans move from post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic strength. The authors help us see that by approaching combat veterans with compassionate understanding, rather than denial, we may, collectively, realize a world of peace that knows no end. (Jeannette Diaz-Laplante Ph.D, Harvest for Haiti, Bainbridge Graduate Institute)

Haunted by Combat introduces the reader to an in-depth examination of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as seen through combat experiences. Paulson and Krippner present PTSD in a historical and developmental context, the implications of warfare and other accounts upon combatants and civilians, and the need for consideration of cultural and individual differences when considering the diagnosis of PTSD. They introduce researched and newer approaches that are and can be employed to help facilitate the healing of ongoing traumatic stress wounds, along with their own treatment proposal. First hand accounts through vignettes are also incorporated within the chapters to provide personal "faces" to the struggles people endure when experiencing ongoing traumatic stress. . . . The authors' passion for the field is palpable and clear. They speak with great authority and humility and their knowledge is evident in their presentation of the topics discussed supported by current research. An original appeal this book has in combination with all the other themes and bases it covers, is that it is an encouraging read for all audiences, especially veterans. (Perspectives, The Newsletter Of The Association For Hu)

Allying the authors' personal experience with first-hand accounts of veterans from current war scenarios, especially from Iraq and Afghanistan, this book provides a compelling account of the psychosocial sequelae of war on soldiers and their loved ones. The book presents a clinical and sociological analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans and war-afflicted civilians, as well as useful guidelines for treatment in this population. The bridging of soldier stress and war stress in civilians emphasizes the human struggle with healing the lasting wounds of war and conflict. The combination of personal and clinical approaches makes this book powerful and helpful reading to both professionals working with war-afflicted soldiers and civilians as well as victims and their families. (Teresa Mendonça McIntyre, Former President, The European Health Psychology Society, and Research Professor of Psychology, University of Houston)

The testimonials by Paulson and other war veterans, the easily comprehensible discussion of neurobiologic mechanisms, and the author's recommendations of essential therapeutic elements make Haunted by Combat a solid contribution. (The New England Journal Of Medicine)

Paulson and Krippner have given us a remarkable look at one of the most insidious and yet hidden plagues of our time. This book is both a rich resources and a tale as hard to put down as any mystery story. (Allan Combs, professor of Transformative Inquiry, California Institute of Integral Studies)

Paulson and Krippner examine the psychological trauma of combat from perspectives as diverse as endocrine and neurological research to Jung and Campbell's discussions of the myth of The Hero. They weave these into sophisticated, sound suggestions for therapy. (Deirdre Barrett, Ph.D., editor of Trauma and Dreams)

A Marine veteran and a distinguished psychology researcher specializing in the study of human experience have collaborated in a remarkable account of what thousands upon thousands of soldiers bring back with them following their participation in war. Many have killed others including children and civilians, seen comrades die, faced death themselves. Beyond the labeled designation of PTSD, the book reveals a vast world of conflicted experience, unresolved psychological terrors, disillusionments often combined with physical injury and brain damage. Some have come to question the purposes for which the war was fought. They return haunted by flashbacks to a society that often delays or withholds appropriate treatment. They know they are changed but often feel that no one, family included, can possibly understand what they are facing and many have difficulty reweaving any network of support. But the authors emphasize that the affected soldiers are not just a diagnosis but rather people struggling to create the inner stories that can make sense of their experience and help them to continue their lives. (Marc Pilisuk, Ph.D, professor emeritus at the University of California and the Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center)

A message that is clear from this book is that the focus of connecting with and treating veterans is not about the "disorder," it's about the person. Paulson and Krippner help to illuminate that it takes courage to walk through the darkness of war experiences and to remember that everything, the mind, body, soul, and relationships are impacted. The personal accounts of veterans along with the poetry included by various authors add an in-depth and meaningful understanding to the nature of combat trauma by making it a personal journey of being with our soldiers and those forever changed by both the wars on the battlefield and the invisible wounds carried home. (Daniel B. Pitchford, Ph.D., co-author of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)

About the Author

Daryl S. Paulson, PhD, is president and chief executive officer of BioScience Laboratories, Inc., a national testing laboratory facility located in Bozeman, Montana.
Stanley Krippner is professor of psychology at Saybrook Graduate School, San Francisco.

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Haunted by Combat: Understanding PTSD in War Veterans