The Veterans PTSD Handbook: How to File and Collect on Claims for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The Veteran's PTSD Handbook: How to File and Collect on Claims for Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder. Front Cover. John D. Roche. Potomac Books, Inc.,
Table of contents

• Veteran's PTSD Handbook
• The Veteran's Ptsd Handbook : How to File and Collect on Claims for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• 2 editions of this work
• The Veteran's PTSD Handbook

We provide a review of the characteristics of PTSD along with associated risk factors, and describe brief, evidence-based measures that can be used to screen for PTSD and monitor symptom changes over time. In regard to treatment, we highlight commonly used, evidence-based psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies for PTSD. Among psychotherapeutic approaches, evidence-based approaches include cognitive-behavioral therapies e.

A wide variety of pharmacotherapies have received some level of research support for PTSD symptom alleviation, although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have the largest evidence base to date. However, relapse may occur after the discontinuation of pharmacotherapy, whereas PTSD symptoms typically remain stable or continue to improve after completion of evidence-based psychotherapy. After reviewing treatment recommendations, we conclude by describing critical areas for future research.

PTSD is associated with a chronic course and debilitating symptoms. This manuscript reviews the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of PTSD, current options for screening and treatment, and describes more recent directions in treatment research. PTSD develops after exposure to a potentially traumatic event.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM; [ 2 ] , the traumatic event must involve exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Exposure is defined as directly experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, or learning that a trauma occurred to a close family member or friend.

PTSD can also develop from repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of traumatic events, such as military photographers whose job it is to photograph the details of wartime atrocities, first responders who are charged with collecting human remains, and police officers who are repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse. The fifth edition of the diagnostic manual explicitly excludes exposure to traumas via television, movies, pictures, or electronic mediums, possibly due to concerns that the definition of trauma was enlarging to a construct too broad to be useful [ 2 ].

Although most individuals experience a traumatic event during their lifetime, the majority of trauma-exposed individuals do not develop PTSD. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD is estimated at 8. For approximately two-thirds of individuals exposed to a traumatic event, these symptoms resolve on their own with time [ 7 , 9 , 10 ]. PTSD thus is characterized by a failure to follow the normative trajectory of recovery after exposure to a traumatic event. A key to understanding this disorder is therefore investigating predictors of the trajectory of recovery or non-recovery. Researchers have identified a dose-response relation between exposure to traumatic events and the subsequent development of PTSD, such that the prevalence of PTSD increases as the number of traumatic events increase [ 3 , 11 , 12 ].

PTSD is also more likely to occur after more severe types of trauma, such as rape, childhood sexual abuse, or military combat [ 13 ]. Furthermore, the population trajectory seems to differ by trauma type. In comparing intentional to non-intentional traumas as distinguished by whether harm was inflicted deliberately , Santiago and colleagues [ 10 ] found that PTSD prevalence increases over time among survivors of intentional trauma, whereas the opposite is true among survivors of non-intentional traumas.

Higher risk for PTSD has also been associated with numerous pre-trauma variables, including female gender, disadvantaged social, intellectual, and educational status, history of trauma exposure prior to the index event, negative emotional attentional bias, anxiety sensitivity, genetic subtypes implicated in serotonin or cortisol regulation, as well as personal and family history of psychopathology [ 11 , 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ].

PTSD risk factors related to peri-traumatic and post-traumatic variables include perceived life threat during the trauma, more intense negative emotions during or after the trauma e. In addition to a history of trauma exposure, PTSD is characterized by four clusters of symptoms: In order to qualify for a diagnosis of PTSD, these symptoms must be present for more than one month, lead to significant distress or functional impairment, and must not be due to medications, substance use, or a medical condition.

The thorough assessment of symptoms is an essential component in the effective treatment of PTSD. The primary goals of assessment include the detection of trauma exposure, evaluation of DSM-5 PTSD criteria, and ongoing assessment of symptom severity during treatment [ 19 ]. Assessment procedures may involve several steps, ranging from the initial screening typically conducted in non-specialty clinics e. Together, the data gathered through these various methods provides invaluable information that can be used to inform treatment planning and monitor treatment progress.

Numerous assessment tools have been developed and investigated for PTSD. The following sections focus on the most common and empirically supported measures relevant to diagnostics, treatment planning, and treatment monitoring for PTSD see Table 1 for overview. Commonly used screening and self-report measures for trauma exposure and PTSD symptom severity. Several brief tools have been developed to screen for exposure to a Criterion A traumatic event, which allows for rapid identification of persons at-risk for PTSD.

These screening tools are especially relevant to busy settings that necessitate that a large amount of data be collected in a short period of time, such as primary care clinics [ 20 ]. Although there is no gold-standard trauma-exposure screener [ 19 ], several options with growing support in the literature exist [ 21 , 22 ]. Questionnaires such as the Trauma Assessment of Adults [ 21 ], the Brief Trauma Questionnaire [ 23 ], the Life Events Checklist [ 24 ], and the Trauma Life Events Questionnaire [ 22 ] all have psychometric support for evaluating exposure to potentiality traumatic events.

In addition to trauma exposure screeners, abbreviated PTSD symptom screeners are frequently used to determine the need for more in depth clinical interviews. After initial screening, more advanced assessment procedures should be conducted to establish clinical diagnosis of PTSD based on the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria.

In general, these diagnostic assessments can take up to several hours to complete and require significant training to administer. Once a PTSD diagnosis has been established, symptom frequency and severity are the next essential components to treatment planning and monitoring. A number of measures have been developed for monitoring PTSD symptoms.

These measures are generally brief, self-report assessments of the 20 symptoms associated with PTSD. These provide quick feedback regarding symptom severity and include cutoff scores to inform diagnostic status [ 19 , 29 , 33 ]. Separate trauma-specific versions of symptom severity measures have also been developed e.

Is PTSD primarily a biological or psychological phenomenon, and relatedly, are psychosocial or pharmacological treatments more appropriate? This question sets up a false dichotomy, as PTSD is rooted in both biological and psychological factors with regard to onset of symptoms, development of PTSD diagnosis, and maintenance of the disorder. Studies demonstrate that biological differences [ 36 ] and psychosocial differences [ 14 , 37 ] contribute to the risk for developing PTSD.

Experimental research additionally provides evidence that both biological and psychological interventions delivered relatively soon after trauma exposure have the potential to mitigate or even prevent in the case of psychotherapy for Acute Stress Disorder the development of PTSD [ 38 , 39 ]. Furthermore, across several controlled clinical trials, both pharmacological [ 40 ] and psychological [ 41 ] interventions have been shown to significantly reduce PTSD symptoms.

Altogether, the extant literature provides a strong case that PTSD is rooted in both biological and psychological underpinnings. The more pressing question, then, is which intervention pathway provides the most potent and persistent symptom reduction, and for which patients? The following section reviews evidence-based psychological and pharmacological treatments. Exposure-based interventions are the most empirically supported treatment modalities for PTSD [ 41 , 42 ]. The early roots of exposure-based therapies rest in the development of behaviorism in the s, when Pavlov [ 42 ] demonstrated that fear could be both conditioned and extinguished through learning experiences.

For example, repeatedly pairing the presentation of a tone with an uncomfortable shock eventually led to an automatic fear response to the tone even in the absence of a shock. Furthermore, repeatedly playing the same feared tone without the shock eventually reduced or extinguished the fear response to the tone.

Exposure-based behavioral therapies for PTSD are rooted in these same straightforward principles. The therapist helps the patient to systematically approach, instead of avoid, safe but feared stimuli e. Though this basic principle is common to all exposure-based therapies across anxiety disorders, the necessity of defining the therapy provided in the context of clinical trials led to the development of specific, session-by-session exposure therapy protocols for the treatment for PTSD.

PE is an 8-tosession protocol, typically provided in weekly or bi-weekly, to minute sessions [ 43 , 44 ]. In the beginning of PE, patients are taught a brief relaxation breathing exercise, and they receive psycho-education about PTSD symptoms and factors that contribute to the maintenance of PTSD e. Over the next several sessions, the patient revisits and describes the trauma memory aloud for a prolonged time e. This is called imaginal exposure.

In addition, the patient is taught to approach safe, trauma-related situations that have been avoided because they remind the patient of the trauma. This is called in vivo exposure. Notably, researchers have found that dropout can be higher in community settings [ 46 , 47 ] although dropout rates do not differ between exposure and non-exposure therapies for PTSD [ 47 ].

A meta-analysis pooled across 13 studies found large effect sizes of PE relative to control groups at post-treatment, and medium to large effects at follow up time points [ 41 ]. Evidence also suggests that PE can produce further symptom reduction among patients with only partial response to pharmacotherapy [ 48 ]. Over time, the field of psychotherapy has expanded to include cognitive-based treatment techniques in addition to exposure-based techniques. Though PE is categorized as a cognitive-behavioral therapy, and its exposure-based protocol does produce changes in negative thinking patterns associated with PTSD [ 49 ], the intervention strategies themselves are primarily behavioral rather than cognitive.

Cognitive Processing Therapy CPT; [ 50 , 51 ] on the other hand, relies more heavily on interventions that directly target maladaptive thinking patterns. CPT, alongside other cognitive-based therapies for PTSD, emphasizes the role that maladaptive or inaccurate interpretation of a situation plays in maintaining disorders such as PTSD, and intervenes directly with the thoughts rather than the resulting behaviors. This is read aloud and discussed with the therapist. The therapist begins to gently question any potential maladaptive thinking patterns, thereby helping the patient discover over-generalized or unhelpful automatic thoughts.

Over time, the therapist works with the patient to develop strategies for generating more useful or accurate thinking patterns. In the standard CPT protocol, the patient additionally writes one to two detailed accounts of the trauma and reads this account aloud in session.

At the end of treatment, the patient re-writes the impact statement, which is used to evaluate treatment gains. The session CPT protocol can be disseminated effectively in either a group or individual format [ 51 ]. Numerous trials have found CPT to be superior to a wait-list control group [ 53 , 55 , 56 ] and one study has demonstrated its equivalence to PE [ 55 ].

One dismantling study suggests that CPT may be equally efficacious with and without the written account of the trauma [ 57 ]. Subsequent analyses of this data qualified these results, demonstrating that those with higher levels of dissociation especially depersonalization responded best to the full protocol, and those with lower dissociation responded more rapidly to CPT without the trauma account [ 58 ]. Of note, other cognitive therapy protocols [ 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ] or combined exposure and cognitive therapy protocols [ 63 , 64 ] have shown promising results [ 41 ].

EMDR hypothesizes that the trauma memory, if not fully processed, is stored in its initial state, preserving any misperceptions or distorted thinking patterns that occurred at the time of the trauma. At the outset of EMDR, patients are trained in strategies for managing negative emotions. During the reprocessing phase, the therapist asks the patient to bring to mind a vivid visual representation of the traumatic memory, along with the distorted belief i.

The patient visualizes the memory while continuing to engage in the bilateral stimulation. The patient is asked what experiences emerge next e. The patient later practices thinking the desired thought e. The bilateral eye movements in EMDR are somewhat controversial. In support of the use of this strategy, van den Hout and colleagues [ 67 ] found that bilateral eye movements during autobiographical memory recall reduce vividness and emotions attached to the memory though their research was conducted in healthy controls rather than in PTSD patients.

Developers of EMDR hypothesize that bilateral eye movements therefore reduce distress attached to the trauma memory, thereby reducing avoidance, and allowing for increased attention to more adaptive thinking patterns that are then attached to the traumatic memory [ 65 ]. A recent meta-analysis further supports that bilateral stimulation eye movements are not the only potential form of bilateral stimulation used in EMDR impacts memory in ways that might facilitate PTSD treatment [ 68 ].

Other researchers have hypothesized, however, that the exposure-based components of EMDR are all that is required, and a review of dismantling studies has demonstrated that the EMDR protocol works just as well without the bilateral stimulation component [ 69 ]. Regardless of the validity of its theoretical underpinnings, EMDR has empirical support in that it consistently outperforms no-treatment controls and demonstrates similar outcomes to exposure- and cognitive-based psychotherapies for PTSD [ 41 , 70 ].

Although less frequently studied and supported in the more recent literature, relaxation-based psychotherapies are another type of psychotherapy for PTSD. Relaxation skills are trained and practiced in sessions using techniques such as behavioral rehearsal and imagery, modeling, and role-play. Although psychotherapeutic interventions are the first and most supported option for the treatment of PTSD, there are several evidence-based pharmacological treatments available.

In contrast to psychological interventions, pharmacotherapies can be provided in most clinical settings and require much less time and effort on the part of the patient e. The foundation of pharmacological treatments is supported by a growing literature for the association between PTSD and dysregulations in neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine systems [ 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 ]. For the purposes of this review, we have focused on the current medication options with the most evidence, and therefore omitted older e. SSRIs have a broad effect on PTSD symptoms, including improvements in re-experiencing, avoidance, numbing, and hyper-arousal symptoms, and related quality of life improvements associated with the symptom reductions [ 81 ].

Other agents, such as fluvoxamine and citalopram, also have received support for the treatment of PTSD [ 86 , 87 ]. Interestingly, paroxetine also has been shown to potentially address cognitive deficits associated with PTSD, in addition to the clinical symptoms [ 88 ]. Longer trials of SSRIs 36 weeks have been associated with a higher percentage of treatment response compared to the standard week trials [ 89 ].

Unfortunately, independent of the duration of the trial, the discontinuation of SSRIs is associated with the relapse of PTSD symptoms [ 81 , 83 , 90 ]. In contrast, symptoms typically remain stable or continue to improve after completion of evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD [ 91 ]. There are several other agents that have received support in the pharmacological treatment of PTSD. Two common examples are trazadone, an antidepressant serotonergic agent with a sedating side effect, and prazosin, an antiadrenergic agent that has been studied in the treatment of sleep and nightmares in PTSD.

Prazosin has received increased attention as of late after randomized clinical trials demonstrating its effectiveness for PTSD-related sleep disruptions and nightmares, as well as global functioning and PTSD symptoms [ 92 ]. While pharmacological treatments have shown some promise, more investigation and advancement in this area is needed.

One of the most important concerns with the sole use of pharmacotherapy for PTSD treatment is the evidence that discontinuing treatment can be associated with relapse [ 81 , 83 , 90 ]. Although relapse is relatively infrequent after one responds to an evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD [ 91 ], a proportion of patients either drop out of therapy prematurely or do not respond to therapy [ 46 , 47 , 54 ].

It is therefore critical to continue to investigate new strategies to improve upon the available treatments for PTSD. One novel line of research has investigated the potential to enhance mechanisms of learning during cognitive behavioral therapies such as those used for PTSD by administering medications that could facilitate fear extinction, for example, d -cycloserine, yohimbine, methylene blue, MDMA, and oxytocin [ 93 , 94 ].

However, pharmacological augmentation of learning mechanisms is still in its infancy and will require much further exploration before these strategies can be recommended as standard treatment techniques for PTSD. Another line of cutting edge research involves priming the trauma memory through a reminder, and then preventing reconsolidation of the primed memory through pharmacological blockade [ 95 ].

Although some evidence suggests that this technique reduces emotional reactivity to the trauma memory [ 95 ], findings in this newer area of research are very preliminary and somewhat conflicted [ 39 ]. Innovative treatments outside the realms of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, such as neuronal feedback and brain stimulation techniques [ 96 ], are also being explored and may help reduce PTSD symptoms, particularly in treatment-resistant patients. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of NIDA, Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States government.

National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List J Clin Med v. Published online Nov Lancaster , 1, 2 Jenni B. Teeters , 1, 2 Daniel F. How do we lose the loving closeness with those around us? And better yet, how do we re-gain what pain has robbed us of? Here you will find answers, explanations, and insights as to why so many combat veterans suffer from flashbacks, depression, fits of rage, nightmares, anxiety, emotional numbing, and other troubling aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD. Restoring hope for families of veterans with PTSD.

Welby O'Brien, Copyright Chances are that if your loved one has seen war, he or she has PTSD at some level, and you who love your veteran will also be deeply and profoundly affected. Now here is a comprehensive, practical book solely dedicated to addressing the cries and needs of the loved ones. A book that is geared toward your needs and issues—your cries.

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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. 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. Once a Warrior always a Warrior. Charles Hoge, Copyright The essential handbook for anyone who has ever returned from a war zone, and their spouse, partner, or family members.

Being back home can be as difficult, if not more so, than the time spent serving in a combat zone.

2 editions of this work

It's with this truth that Colonel Charles W. In clear practical language, Dr. Hoge explores the latest knowledge in combat stress, PTSD post-traumatic stress disorder , mTBI mild traumatic brain injury , other physiological reactions to war, and their treatment options. Dave Grossman, Copyright This is the first time I have been taught how to deal with it. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for Dummies. Mark Goulston, Copyright Cope with flashbacks, nightmares, and disruptive thoughts. Help your heart accept what your mind already knows — and overcome PTSD.

1. DADDY by DEMAND?
2. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Overview of Evidence-Based Assessment and Treatment.
3. Postfeminisms: Feminism, Cultural Theory and Cultural Forms?
4. 1. Introduction;

A traumatic event can turn your world upside down — but just because you're still afraid doesn't mean you're still in danger. There is a path out of PTSD, and this reassuring guide presents the latest on effective treatments that help to combat fear, stop stress in its tracks, and bring joy back to life. Identify PTSD symptoms and get a diagnosis. Choose the ideal therapist for you. Weigh the pros and cons of medications. Help a partner, child, or other loved one triumph over PTSD. Brannan Vines and Heather Hummert, Copyright Link to FREE e-book. More than , veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan along with hundreds of thousands who bravely served in other wars and conflicts are now dealing each day with the impact of Combat PTSD post-traumatic stress disorder.

It is a perfect way for veterans, loved ones, and those interested in supporting our nation's heroes and their families to begin getting an understanding of PTSD. It's authors, Brannan P. Vines and Heather A. Running with the Hounds. David Wingfield, Charles Gillies, Copyright David Wingfield's story is both unique and universal.

For 30 years he hunted cougar and bear with hounds in the mountains of Oregon, but once he had his prey cornered, he would rarely kill. He is unaware that his refuge, the wilderness, is also the stage upon which he will relive the past. His story is tragic, rich, and redemptive. It speaks to the burdens of memory that veterans of every war keep to themselves. Stories of wounded women warriors and the battles they fight long after they've left the war. Kirsten Holmstedt, Copyright Life is tough for veterans, especially female veterans.

They have much to deal with and much to heal from: Now more than ever these veterans are facing their problems head on. In this inspiring new book, Kirsten Holmstedt, trusted chronicler of women soldiers and veterans, tells the ups-and-downs stories of veterans struggling with the aftereffects of military service.

Introduces us to more than a dozen female veterans from all branches of the military, from Vietnam through Iraq and Afghanistan. Highlights where the military has succeeded and failed to help veterans. Tears of a Warrior. A family's story of combat and living with PTSD. Anthony Seahorn, Copyright Tears of a Warrior: Are you able to describe five characteristics of a combat veteran who is suffering from trauma PTSD? Tears of a Warrior is a patriotic book written about soldiers who are called to duty to serve their country. This is a story of courage, valor, and life-long sacrifice.

After the cries of battle have ended, warriors return home to face their physical and mental challenges. Some who made the supreme sacrifice return home in a box draped in the American flag. Those more fortunate, often scarred for life, try to establish a new beginning for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, for many veterans and their families, life will never be the same.

Society, overall, is simply too far removed from the realities of combat and a world filed with atrocities to truly comprehend or appreciate the experiences of returning veterans. If we send them, then we must mend them. Love and loss in an era of endless war. Author, Yochi Dreazen, Copyright Major General Mark Graham was a decorated two-star officer whose integrity and patriotism inspired his sons, Jeff and Kevin, to pursue military careers of their own. His wife Carol was a teacher who held the family together while Mark's career took them to bases around the world.

Convinced that their sons died fighting different battles, Mark and Carol commit themselves to transforming the institution that is the cornerstone of their lives. The Grahams work to change how the Army treats those with PTSD and to erase the stigma that prevents suicidal troops from getting the help they need before making the darkest of choices. Diane England, Copyright War, physical and sexual abuse, and natural disasters. All crises have one thing in common: Victims often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD and their loved ones suffer right along with them.

In this book, couples will learn how to have a healthy relationship, in spite of a stressful and debilitating disorder. They'll learn how to: Deal with emotions regarding their partner? Talk about the traumatic event s. Communicate about the effects of PTSD to their children. Handle sexual relations when a PTSD partner has suffered a traumatic sexual event.

Help their partner cope with everyday life issues. When someone has gone through a traumatic event in his or her life, he or she needs a partner more than ever. This is the complete guide to keeping the relationship strong and helping both partners recover in happy, healthy ways. How to file and collect on claims for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Because both combat stressors and noncombat stressors can cause PTSD and because of the difficulties in diagnosing the condition, filing a successful claim for benefits based on PTSD is difficult.

He also discusses the four years he spent helping one veteran establish a "service connection" for his PTSD claim with Veterans Affairs. Through the Woods and Over the Hill. The aging of America's warriors. Bridget Cantrell, Copyright Throughout the years, my doors have always been open to the veteran community. His struggles with trauma compelled me to pursue this area as my life s work. The more I counsel our aging warriors, the more I understand the long term effects of trying to sort out the repercussions of past military experiences. Then, as quick as it began, the fighting abruptly ends.

The warriors were prepared to step into an afterlife that never came. Now decades later, these same warriors have survived to become senior citizens still with lingering questions about their experiences and are at the same time being handed new challenges. This book provides a guide to help those warriors find meaning and solutions for a better life in their golden years after living through it all. The Aging of America's Warriors. It is a book that will help us all understand how to plan for and deal with the unique combination of surviving combat and the personal changes that come with growing old.

Adjusting to life after deployment. Bret Moore and Carrie Kennedy, Copyright As a military service member, you're looking forward to life after deployment and being back home among family and friends. But adjusting to "normal" life again can bring its own challenges. You're not the same person you were when you left on deployment.

This book, written by military psychologists Moore and Kennedy, is a down-to-earth guide that's full of practical advice. The authors talk straight about both the joys and challenges of returning home, advising that one size does NOT fit all when it comes to making the transition. They share thoughtful, constructive tips for dealing with unwanted surprises like relationship break-ups, financial problems, and kids who are suddenly strangers.

Experiences shared by many returning service members, like sleep disturbances, anger management, and learning to live with "hyperstartle," are also discussed. For those whose transition has been more difficult, chapters on identifying the signs of PTSD, living with disturbing memories, and seeking relief from suicidal thoughts are particularly valuable. Christian books about military PTSD. A Journey to Hope. Healing the traumatized spirit. Michael Langston and Kathy Langston, Copyright The tragedies and traumas of war are enormous and the consequences of it change forever the lives of those who return as well as the lives of loved ones and friends of those who do and do not return.

For many veterans the psychological battles continue long after combat deployments end. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder significantly affects many people and is not limited solely to war trauma.

The Veteran's PTSD Handbook

In this volume of hope and healing the authors recount their ongoing journey to hope. In an intensely personal yet broadly applicable discussion of PTSD, Mike and Kathy Langston provide encouragement and hope for all who struggle with the ravages of PTSD or who love someone who struggles with it. This is a powerful story proclaiming that recovery is possible and that the past need not control the present or the future.

A Long Healing Come Slowly. Jim Carmichael, Copyright Michael Lloyd's life came to a screeching halt when his best friend, Cpl. Damien Wilson, was killed in Vietnam. Little did Michael know the black whirlpool of emotion Damien's death would set into motion.

Stephen had put his combat experiences behind him- he thought. By , Vietnam monopolized nightly newscasts viewed by millions of Americans at their dinner tables. Stephen attempted to dissuade his son from making any rash decisions about avenging Damien's death, but he overlooked the possibility of that death raking up terrifying memories of deadly flak, German MEs, and his riddled bomber lumbering to its German targets. Stephen began spiraling out of control, taking his family with him. This story is historical fiction based on true events. You will follow the Lloyds as they suffer the repercussions of PTSD, and the severe mental trauma that ambushes, as it victimizes the whole family.

Veteranss PTSD Handbook How to File and Collect on Claims for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

This account is about infinitely more than human reactions to shock and grief. It is about the King of redemption, the Lord Jesus Christ, as He preserves and governs His creatures with wisdom and power. This novel details the lives of one family, who are all woefully ignorant of the effects of war. It also describes the assuring hope of heaven in the midst of tragedy.

For many soldiers, there is a war after the war. After experiencing the horrifying aspects of war, many soldiers are afflicted with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, termed by some as "cancer of the soul". It is written for those who are asked to lay down their weapons and return to civilian life but seem to have lost the necessary pieces for this transition. It is a message of hope for those who have lost it and cannot seem to come back, and it is the testimony of a tortured soul who has found peace within. Faith in the Fog of War. Stories of triumph and tragedy in the midst of war.

Chris Plekenpol, Copyright You want the flare of your faith to burn as intensely as a fire on the battlefield. These devotions are written by a man who had considered war something that someone else always did, and was then himself deployed to Iraq as a company commander. Because in war, as in contemporary America , reality involves struggle, trial, and triumph. War screams the same questions whispered in everyday life. The battlefield explodes with the same tenacity of emotions that wretch our souls. Smoke fills the air just as doubt clouds our minds.

Are you on the frontlines of war overseas? Or perhaps your battle is personal, deep within. These devotions, penned by Captain Chris Plekenpol while on the battlefield in Iraq, expose the depths of inexplicable suffering as well as the heights of incredible victory in God. An army chaplain's memoir. As he left for his second tour of duty as an Army chaplain in Iraq, Roger Benimoff noted in his journal: I am excited and I am scared.

I am on fire for God He is my hope, strength, and focus. Unable to make sense of the senseless, Benimoff turned to his journal. What did it mean to believe in a God who would allow the utter horror and injustice of war? Did He want these brave young men and women to die? In his darkest moment, Benimoff wrote: Why am I so angry? I do not want anything to do with God. I am sick of religion.