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Spouse CallsJoin the conversation with Stripes columnist Terri Barnes, as she explores issues relevant to the lives of military spouses. |
Web sites for more information about PTSD
Posted July 1st, 2007 by Terri Barnes in
In a recent Spouse Calls (July 1) a spouse writes about suffering along with her husband as he struggles with post traumatic stress disorder. Many veterans experience combat trauma to some degree following a deployment, whether or not they develop PTSD, and their families are affected.
Find out more about PTSD and those who struggle with it:
- Army initiatives seek to identify and treat PTSD more efficiently. See Stripes story from July 19.
- The National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: sponsored by the Veterans Administration.
- The Sidran Institute for Traumatic Stress Education and Advocacy
- The National Institutes of Mental Health has a page devoted to PTSD
- The PTSD Alliance: Information about PTSD and treatment options
- Veterans and Families Coming Home
- Information about a bill to encourage preventive measures for PTSD in the U.S. Military, from military spouse and author Kristin Henderson.
Additionally, information about short-term counseling for a variety of issues is available through Military One Source.
Spouses feel the wounds of war.
Terry,
Thank you so much for your time and effort you are taking with this. It means so much to me. I am going to get that book, I believe it will truly help. I want to help other marriages so deeply in my soul that are going through this but first I have to get through it first. I am realizing more and more everyday with the help of the Jesus that it isn't me but I think the hardest thing for me is I just want to feel loved, I want to help i just want my husband to love me I think on some days he does and some days he doesn't even love himself.
I won't keep you but I just had to think you for you time and I won't be rush any life changing decisions.
Thank you so much
Shannon Williams (Proud CavScout wife)
Encouraging
You are very welcome, Shannon.
I'm glad to pass along whatever information I can. Your comments here are always welcome, and could very well be an encouragement to someone else in a similar situation.
Sincerely,
Terri
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Terri's column
Ken Burns' "War" series on PBS recently focused on the dreadful WWII Battle of Peleliu which is where our family's problems with PTSD began. My father was an an army combat surgeon in that bloody encounter and was wounded, physically and mentally.
He returned home with a semi-claw for a left hand, impaired surgical skills, a refusal to talk about it and a bad case of PTSD which was unknown in those days but which involved alcohol, depression and violence. Sadly, his PTSD demons didn't just damage him; they damaged his immediate family and succeeding generations.
Since I know first hand that wars don't end when the last shot is fired, I wrote a novel loosely based on my father's life. It is called Beyond Peleliu (Ravenhawk Books) and is about the generational impact of war and the healing power of truth.All my royalties have gone to charity.
In researching and writing this novel, I learned to understand and forgive my father and, at the same time, to understand and forgive myself. Had he been able to tell us the truth about the Battle of Peleliu and his wound, things may have been vastly different.
As Sister Helen Prejean, author of Deadman Walking, wrote: "Beyond Peleliu is a must read book, not only for those who fought in World War II, but for all of us living in a time of many wars around the globe. This book can be a source of forgiveness and healing for those who inherited the demons of war." I hope so.
Peter Baird