HIDDEN BATTLES ON UNSEEN FRONTS: When the War Comes Home - Stories of American Soldiers with Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD

Veterans’ stories of PTSD and TBI anchor this “invaluable volume . . . another important cry for the proper treatment of the nation’s defenders” ( Publishers Weekly ). In the twenty-first century, the US military has vastly improved its combat medical and medevac capabilities. But even as more soldiers survive the thick of combat, they are returning home with invisible wounds that go tragically untreated. Hidden Battles on Unseen Fronts details the ever-increasing documented cases of physical or mental brain trauma among veterans. The authors share the “harrowing, inspiring stories” of soldiers who came home from Iraq or Afghanistan with life-altering injuries to the brain and psyche, along with their equally dramatic stories of recovery ( Publishers Weekly ). The chapters are developed from interviews with troops and their family members, and supported with essays by mental health professionals, veterans’ advocates, and members of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense, all of whom are working on the front lines of this national health crisis. All royalties from this work will go directly to the front line of support for wounded warriors with PTSD and TBI and their families. When the war comes home . . . This book is crafted around soldiers personal descriptions of their war experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan that culminate in life-altering injuries to the brain and psyche, along with the equally dramatic story of their recoveries. An irony of Americas 21st century wars has been that while our combat medical and medevac capabilities have grown enormously (from a rough average of 4:1 wounded to dead in WWII to 8:1 today), the nature of many of our soldiers wounds has undergone a subtle change. Men and women who survive the thick of combat, including repeated concussion blasts, increasingly present a difficult-to-detect kind of injury, no less debilitating then wounds from bullets or shrapnel. Hidden Battles on Unseen Fronts documents the ever-increasing cases of physical or mental brain trauma among our vets that has risen as a direct result of more soldiers surviving their flesh wounds on the battlefield. The chapters are crafted from interviews with troops and their family members, and bridged with essays by internationally known mental health professionals, veterans advocates, and members of the Veterans Administration and Department of Defense, all of whom are working in the front lines of what is quickly developing into a national crisis of unfathomable cost in both lives and money. From combat Army soldiers and Marines, even amputees, who eventually discover that their greatest disability is in their head, to support personnel such as Devore Barlowe, who returns from Iraq having witnessed atrocities that leave her with severe PTSD, but perseveres juggling her job and the single mothering of two young children, the voices of these warriors reinforce the books over-arching theme of resilience and courage. Thankfully the U.S. militarys battlefield support has vastly improved since prior wars. However, the signature wound of 21st century warfareTraumatic Brain Injury, as well as PTSDmay lie beyond the current reach of standard medical procedures, and is more evidenced by the postwar stories of the soldiers themselves. In this book we get a thorough look at the travails of our veterans who may currently be undiagnosed and without help, but whom we are all committed to support. Celia Straus is author of the national bestseller, Prayers On My Pillow, and an award-winning film writer/producer who has been writing about the war-related experiences of service members and their families since 2003. The Armed Forces Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the men and women of Americas military. All royalties from this work will go directly to the front line of support for wounded warriors with PTSD and TBI, and their families . Table of Contents Foreword World War II Introduction 1. DEPLOYED, DECORATED AND LIVING IN A The Story of Marine Corps Sergeant Christopher Horman 2. DECIDING WHO IS SANE ENOUGH TO The Ethics of Military Medicine in a Time of War by Alice Psirakis, LCSW 3. LANDMINE BLAST TO A The Story of Army SPC Walter Blackston 4. AMERICA KEEPS ITS The Truth About Military Care of Warriors with Traumatic Brain Injury by Colonel Christopher S. Williams 5. BRINGING THE WAR The Story of Army Chief Warrant Officer Richard Gutteridge 6. HEALING THE HUMAN SPIRIT, HOUR BY HOUR by Barbara V. Romberg, PhD 7. DEEPER THAN The Story of US Marine Corps Captain Tyler Boudreau 8. THE VAS SUICIDE PREVENTION Saving the Lives of Veterans by Dr. Janet Kemp 9. A SHARPSHOOTER FIRES The Story of Army PFC Robert Kislow 10. THE EXPERT OUR PATIENTS by Kelly Petska, PhD, and Donald MacLennan, PhD 11. WAR The Story of Army Sergeant John Medicine Bear Radell 12. THE WEAPON OF CHOICEPATIENCE by Dr. Charles Chip West 13. A WOMAN AT The Story of Army 2nd Lieutenant Sylvia Blackwood-Boutelle 14. I JUST WANT TO BE BACK IN IRAQ by Alice Psirakis, LCSW 15. AT HOME OUTSIDE THE The Story of Marine Corps Corporal William Berger 16. WINNING HIDDEN Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury by Bill Yamanaka 17. A NEVERENDING The Story of Army Corporal Jonnei Campaz 18. THE REAL STORY BEHIND YOUR STORY by Dr. Rick Levy 19. AGAINST ALL The Story of Marine Corps Corporal Joshua Hoffman 20. A VETERANS GUIDE TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN THE VA by Ira R. Katz, MD, PhD, and Bradley Karlin, PhD 21. WHEN MOMMY COMES The Story of Army Sergeant Devore Barlowe 22. WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS ANGRY, MOMMY? Children in WartimeHow to Know When Help Is Needed by Michael Genhart 23. A GOOD The Story of Army Sergeant David Emme 24. THE MENTAL TRANSCEIVER by Norman McCormack 25. ILL NEVER LEAVE The Story of Army National Guard Sergeant Jose Pequeno and His Mother, Nelida Bagley 26. THE FACES BEHIND THE The VAs Polytrauma System of Care by Dr. Barbara Sigford, MD, PhD 27. PORTRAIT OF The Story of Army Sergeant Brent Bretz 28. FAMILIES OF HONOR by Dr. Mary Car-Blanchard 29. DELTA FORCE The Story of Army Special Operations Sergeant Bryan Lane 30. REALIZING THE PROMISE OF EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHOTHERAPIES IN THE VHA by Bradley Karlin, PhD, Josef Ruzek, PhD, and Kathleen Chard, PhD 31. A WOUNDED The Story of Army Sergeant Nathan Toews 32. FALLING THROUGH THE Why Time Is Running Out by Lt. Colonel Cynthia Rasmussen 33. COURAGE TO The Story of Army National Guard Sergeant Michael Mills and Suki Mills 34. TENDING, ATTENDING, AND All Together, One by One by Dr. Joseph Bobrow 35. SLEEPLESS IN SILVER The Story of National Guard Specialist 1st Class Duval Diaz 36. THE BATTLE FOR LOVE by Mitchell S. Tepper, PhD 37. ONE FOOT IS BETTER THAN The Story of Army Corporal Nicholas Firth and His Mother, Faye Firth 38. FACING OUR FEARS by Barbara V. Romberg, PhD 39. AFRAID TO The Story of Marine Corps Sergeants Kelly Meister and Cody Sepulvida 40. THE ROAD BACK TO Its the Journey, Not the Destination by David Carroll, PhD 41. A FAMILY The Story of Army Sergeant John Weinburgh and Lindsey Weinburgh 42. PREPARING OURSELVES TO HELP WITH THE JOURNEY HOME by Barbara Tiner Acknowledgments About the contributors Resources For Military Service Members And Families

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...

publishers Weekly

in 2003, Author And Film Producer Straus (prayers On My Pillow) Began Interviewing Troops In Iraq And Afghanistan For The Non-profit Armed Forces Foundation; As They Returned Home, She Found Their Psychological Wounds Going Unaddressed By The Departments Of Defense (dod) And Veterans Affairs (dva). In 42 Harrowing, Inspiring Stories, Straus Crafts A Multi-faceted View Of The Neglect And Bureaucratic Nonsense Faced By Returning Warriors And Their Families. Though Neurologist Col. Christopher Williams Denies That The Dod Or Dva Are Falling Short In Caring For Vets With Invisible Wounds Like Traumatic Brain Injury (tbi) And Post-traumatic Stress Disorders (ptsd), The Stories Of Servicemen Like Marine Corp Sergeant Christopher Horman Speak For Themselves: Discharged With Noted Injuries, Including Ptsd, He Secured Treatment (with Help From The Aff) Only After He Had Lost His Job, Was Forced To Send Away One Of His Sons, Pawn His And His Wife's Wedding Rings And Move The Family Into A Motel. With A Thorough Resource Guide And Input From Caregivers And Family Members, Often Dealing With Their Own Psychological Hurdles, This Is An Invaluable Volume For Vets And Their Families, And Another Important Cry For The Proper Treatment Of The Nation's Defenders On The Field And At Home.
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This book is crafted around soldiers' stories of their war experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan that culminate in life-altering injuries to the brain and psyche, along with the equally dramatic story of their recoveries. An irony of America's 21st century wars has been that while our combat medical and medevac capabilities have grown enormously (from a rough average of 4:1 wounded to dead in WWII to 8:1 today), the nature of many of our soldiers' wounds has undergone a subtle change. Men and women who survive the thick of combat, including repeated concussions, increasingly present a difficult-to-detect kind of injury, no less debilitating then wounds from bullets or shrapnel. This book documents the ever-increasing cases of physical or mental brain trauma among our vets that has risen as a direct result of more soldiers surviving their flesh wounds on the battlefield. The chapters are developed from interviews with troops and their family members, and bridged with essays by mental health professionals, veterans' advocates, and members of the VA and DoD, all of whom are working in the front lines of what is quickly developing into a national crisis of unfathomable cost in both lives and money. All royalties from this work will go directly to the front line of support for wounded warriors with PTSD and TBI, and their families All royalties from this work will go directly to the front line of support for wounded warriors with PTSD and TBI, and their families. Bisac Code 1: MED073000