Healing Combat Trauma

An American Veteran -- Eddie Writes a Moving Letter about Four of His Other Shell-Shocked WWII Veterans

Eddie Livingston was a teenage paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne who participated in five European campaigns, was a Prisoner of War for a year in Germany, and returned home with a slew of medals, honors...and a lifetime wracked by PTSD and abject poverty. Read more about him in the  "An American Veteran" series we've been bringing to light, here. In this very interesting letter, Eddie takes on the persona of a friend, "Willie," to write to a battle buddy named "Ben," about his own fears and concerns; but also, so importantly, about the bravery of the other, equally "unknown" soldiers who have succumbed to PTSD. With writing that's plain-spoken, deeply emotional, and straight from the heart, the unschooled Eddie Livingston is a match for any of the war writers out there, whose names are far more famous than his. Read on:

"Dear Ben:

Tomorrow is the big day. The day they open the old bean. And what they don't find, will probably worry them more than anything they do find. Ben, I would be the biggest liar in the world if I said I wasn't scared. It started -- the fear did -- the minute I said, "Yes, you can operate." The doctors leave the decision up to you. And that's what makes it so hard, Ben. And scary. And so different from Venafro. Or the other places. It hit me all at once, Ben, that I would be ALONE for this one. Completely, utterly alone.

Ben, I wrote you a letter a while back, and in trying to be funny, I may have left you with some wrong impressions about a wonderful bunch of people. I am speaking of the psychiatrists and related personall -- from ward boy right on up to specialist. These people are rendering incalculable service, Ben.

Because in the case of our mentally and emotionally disturbed veterans, Ben, psychiatry is their best bet, the only bet for many. The tragedy, Ben, in too many cases, that I have aseen is that "My world and your world" is lost to them. Irretrievably lost. Modern medicine with its miracle drugs can relieve their physical suffering. The psychiatrist can snatch one back -- briefly -- from that netherworld. But all too often, Ben, there is simply nothing that can be done, for too many of them.

I do not understand the problem. Nor do I know what needs to be done, or what can be done, even. But, Ben, I do know that we cannot afford the disgrace of apathy. For no group of Americans ever served our country more valiantly, and at greater cost to themselves, than did these men.

Let me tell you about four of them. Their stories are probably typical of most.

Just across from my bunk is a young fellow. Except for his eyes, which remind you of dark windows in an empty house, he looks no different than you or I, Ben. But on that shell-torn purgatory called Anzio, something went wrong with this kid, and he will never be right again. The guns of that inferno blaze and thunder in his mind, today, just as real and vividly, as on those terrifying days when the beachhead was active. Ben, this kid will never know even the make-believe peace of the Cold War.

Right down the aisle from this kid is another young fellow. His eyes are sky-blue, but there is no sunshine in them. There never will be again. The life has burned out of them, leaving two employ blue holes. He was a farmer. He was a farmer until 1940, when he joined the Army. He still had the dreams and visions of a farmer, Ben, until one bleak morning in June '44. It happened at Normandy. On Omaha Beach. The Germans swept in on the unprotected right flank of his outfit, and wiped them out, killing them all, except for him. He doesn't remember green fields. The harvest. Not even his dog, Bozo. But you should see his eyes when he tells you, 'I kept telling them the right flank was open! I kept telling them! I kept telling them!'" When you look into those empty blue holes, Ben, you have a feeling that freedom's right flank is now securet. That, because of the price he paid, the right flank is now secure -- perhaps forever. Thanks to the price he paid -- we can't forget.

The third kid is a youngster you will never forget. He's always in a rush, Ben. If you to stop to chat with him, even for a minute, he is fidgety. Pretty soon he will say, 'Please come back later. I am expecting my wife and two sons.' He will tell you that they come every single day. And, although he expects them momentarily, he will take time to show you their picture.

The picture, Ben, is just a landscape on a postcard. A winding country road and a sunny sky, by some forgotten artist. There are no people in the picture. Oh, yes, he had a wife and two sons. HE HAD THEM RIGHT UP TO IWO JIMA.

The last fellow is one you would understand, Ben. He was in North Africa, at Kassarine Pass. He was with Patton in Sicliy. With Mark Clark at Salerno and Anzio. He was with the first wave in Normandy. He helped to liberate Saint Lo and Paris. He marched clear across France. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He knew war long enough and well enough to write a book about it. And Ben, that's what he's done, he tells everybody. WROTE A BOOK ABOUT WAR.

He smiles shyly when he shows you his book. He tells you he is very sorry that he can't offer you a copy. But he has only ONE COPY at present.

"Here!" he hands you the book. "Look at it! Read a page! Like it?" he smiles.

"S-U-R-E," he will promise, eyes aglow with pleasure. "An autographed copy -- just for you! And very soon, now, too!"

The book, Ben, that he clutches to him so desperately, the book he shows you with such eager pride, is just an ordinary copy of the Bible. One a Red Cross lady gave to him a long time ago. So it's really a little more tattered and worn than most Bibles.

Ben, perhaps he did, well, help to write HIS BOOK. It doesn't seem at all impossible when you look into his eyes. Eyes a world from your own. Eyes that are always looking back ONE WAR. Eyes that are a world, a war, from your own, and always will be. Eyes that make you feel strongly that maybe he did at least help to write HIS BOOK.

Perhaps he researched HIS BOOK at Kassarine, amid the despair of defeat. Then wrought a first draft from the fury that was Sicily. Edited this for feeling in the agony of Salerno. Rewrote for effect in the fear that was Anzio. Illustrated for clarity -- and hope -- in the early dawn that was Normandy. Dedicated it to show the futility of war in the Battle of the Bulge. And prays now that all of us will join him in a rededication to end the need for war, in the Halls of Peace at the United Nations, and in our hearts.

Pray for me, Ben. And with warmest regards and best wishes, I am, your friend and buddy, Willie."

A Corrective to Believing PTSD is Responsible for Everything

I found this line last night on a blog. It's jagged and funny because, really, people do blame too much on PTSD, when it's sometimes not PTSD's fault at all.  Here's one veteran's barbed but humorous take on it:

"As to PTSD, I know some veterans have been emotionally devastated by their service experience. In no way do I not respect their experiences. The majority are, I believe, like me. I was an asshole when I went into the Army. The Army didn’t cause that. When I got out I was the same, only with some stress added."--- Anonymous

An American Veteran -- "The Only Happiness I Have Ever Known"

It's undeniable what a hard life Eddie Livingston had: 30 years of living in squalor, without electricity or running water, despite being an American hero, a seven-time Purple Heart winner, and a former P.O.W. in a brutal German camp. We've been reading about his life lately in the "An American Veteran" series, linked here. And we're so grateful to Eddie's niece, Pam Baker, for sharing Eddie's writings with a larger audience. He lives on in what he wrote so plainly from his large and broken  heart. And yet there is real wisdom, too, and surprisingly -- though not surprisingly for veterans, who sometimes truly brim over with it -- there is true compassion for others, and sage thinking about how we can interact together in the world, for the benefit of all.

In lines that could have come straight from Max Ehrmann's 1952 masterpiece, "Desiderata," reminiscent of sayings like "You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here," we find simple, plain yet profound truths in what Eddie wrote. And deep love for his fellow human being, despite all he personally had been through:

"The strong help the weak, the rich help the poor, the well help the sick, the intelligent help the ignorant, the good help the bad, the fortunate help the unfortunate.

Our nation is rich and strong, therefore we have a great responsibility to help those less blessed than ourselves.

It is not necessary that those people thank us or even appreciate our help. Let our reward be the good satisfaction that comes from helping others.

We cannot limit ourselves to helping those who we deem deserving of our help. We would run into controversy trying to decide who deserves our help, but all of us can see and define need.

A young enemy girl gave her life to save mine in POW Stalag. She did not even know my name, she only knew I needed help.

The only happiness I have ever known is the satisfaction that comes from helping another human being." -- Eddie Livingston, 1966.

An American Veteran -- Who Eddie Livingston Was, a Decorated War Hero with PTSD

Finally, a newspaper documents Eddie Livingston's struggle on its editorial pages. They write, giving him his due but was it too little, too late?

"Eddie's life must spur change."

If people noticed Eddie Livingston, they saw a small, shabby man with a white beard wearing tattered clothes and a soiled bucket hat. They may have smelled him before they saw him, as Eddie's clothing was always in need of a good washing. They wouldn't know that Eddie and his wife lived in a decaying house without water or electricity.

They wouldn't know that by anyone's definition, Eddie Livingston was one of our nation's most esteemed war heroes. They only saw a man who appeared as a vagrant, who shunned other people, who trusted no one, and stuttered badly on the rare occasions when he would talk with others.

They wouldn't know that Eddie Livingston had been among our nation's bravest soldiers in World War II, that he was a teenaged paratrooper dropped into Normandy as part of an advance team for an initiative that would become known as D-Day, that he was captured by the Germans on that mission and held in a prison camp for almost a year, that he was awarded seven Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars, a Distinguished Service Cross, and two Presidential Unit citations.

People he encountered may have never guessed that the harrowing experience of war, particularly life as a prisoner of war, was what took a psychological toll on Eddie. They could not have known.

But plenty of people in the network of services our nation provides for veterans knew. Eddie struggled for years to get his benefits, then lived with his wife in heartrending surroundings that suggest he felt unfit for the world.

A story featured in the May 31 Eagle chronicles Eddie Livingston's tormented post-war life, particularly how he never received the help he needed for his post-traumatic stress disorder.

The system failed this decorated war hero and, in doing so, fails every American. Our nation must do a better job of supporting the men and women who have contributed their time, their sanity, their health, and their lives to the service of their country." 

An American Veteran -- A Sad and Painful Homecoming: "Loneliness and Peace Was Breaking My Heart into Little Pieces."

There are a lot of disappointing homecomings that veterans talk about. I remember reading Claude Anshin Thomas' in "At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace," about how uneventful and dissatisfying and not like he thought it would be, when he came back injured from Vietnam. Then I remember reading Pat, the protagonist here of "Eyewitness to Combat" share about his in the same way, in the piece called "Winners Go to Harvard, Losers Go to Vietnam," linked here. But Eddie's is the one that currently rips my heart out. Listen to the plainness and the plaintiveness of his language, and think about a man who went from being a teenage paratrooper from Alabama, jumping with the 82nd Airborne, to being a veteran with an astounding seven Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars, a Distinguished Service Cross, and two Presidential Unit citations after his five European campaigns and year as a prisoner of war. Read his remarkable retelling of his own homecoming. Sad to say, it only got worse.

---

"My homecoming was understandably sad. All the real friends I ever had were the Jokers; all dead now at Anzio, and dozens of other bloody battlefields.

My first night in the states I was in Washington, D.C. It was a rainy night. The rain was a thick mist really, with just enough breeze to give it life and the myriad of lights did many beautiful things to the mist. If Washington had ever looked prettier it must have been very long ago.

The unaccustomed lights dazzled me with an awesome foreboding. I was sure the bombers would come. I thought peace was all a gigantic hoax! And that war like some evil spirit was lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to pounce on me again. I walked the streets with a sad loneliness that was as absolute as creation's first dawn. Loneliness and peace was breaking my heart into little pieces. I had not the capability to cope with my loneliness, nor the ability to cope with or comprehend peace -- an incredible, awesome thing to me.

As I walked I instinctively surveyed my surroundings with the practical curiosity of the combat infantryman. Manholes became foxholes, unobstructed streets would afford good fields of fire, car parks became tank parks, etc.

As I walked, lonely and broken-hearted for my comrades forever lost to me, every awesome noise of war just echoed, reechoed in my mind and heart. I cried, wept. Every once in a while I would lift my head and catch a full face of rain to hid the fact that I was crying." -- Eddie Livingston, decorated war hero, World War II veteran, former P.O.W. The illustration is by his niece, Pam Baker, with whom he went to live, shortly before he died.

An American Veteran -- Begging Would Desecrate the Memory of My Fallen Brothers

"That VA psychiatrist was right: I can get in the street and beg, or I can take my gun and do as the VA told me and blow my disordered brains out. I will not get in the streets and beg and thus desecrate beyond redemption the service of every man who ever served our great nation. And I am thinking particularly of the brave men in the 82dn Airborne Division, whom I soldiered with, "I" Company, 3rd battalion, 504 parachute infantry regiment, most of whom are dead, as I wish I were." -- Letter of WWII veteran and former P.O.W. Eddie Livingston, who had survived five European campaigns, to Alabama Senator John Sparkman, April 22, 1962.

Editor's note: This display of Eddie's medals was photographed by his niece, Pam Baker, who found the medals under a pile of trash in Eddie's squalid living conditions. He and his wife Helen had lived for 30 years without electricity or running water, though he had served his country with valor and endured great personal hardship because of his service. The grand total of Eddie's war medals and honors is staggering: He was awarded seven Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars, a Distinguished Service Cross, and two Presidential Unit citations.

An American Veteran -- The Long, Never-ending, Tiring Struggle of PTSD

"I do not think I will ever find any peace or happiness; probably I would be better off dead. It does not matter one way or the other. I just get so tired of things at times." -- Eddie Livingston, WWII veteran, former P.O.W., PTSD sufferer, in a letter to his wife, Helen, August 1, 1966. 

Editor's note: The graphic illustration is of the house where Eddie and his wife Helen lived in squalor, without lights or running water, for 30 years. The illustration is from Pam Baker, Eddie's niece, with whom Eddie went to live right before he died.

An American Veteran on Neglect -- "Compensation for the Scars, Nothing for the Wounds"

Jim Tabb, who writes the wonderful occasional blog post at OldTimer, has an exceptional article about the history of the American veteran as abused and discarded, after he'd served his usefulness. 

Here's just one excerpt about how difficult the conditions World War II veterans returned to at home:

"In 1946, the VA had beds for about 82,000 patients but the VA rolls swelled to 15 million in just a few months and the hospitals were virtually all swamped.  There were 26,000 non service related cases also on the waiting list. The VA was building new hospitals but had money for only 12,000 more beds.  They came too few, too late."

Eddie Livingston, pictured at left, was an American hero, but you've probably never heard his name. A World War II veteran and former P.O.W., he was with the 82nd Airborne 504, 3rd Battalion, I Company. He fought in five European campaigns. When he came home, he felt abandoned by his government, and lived with his wife, Helen, without lights or running water for 30 years. Periodically he wrote his thoughts down and shared those with others, in letters to elected officials. He also told his story to family members, such as his loving niece, Pam Baker, with whom he came to live right before he died. Pam has since shared parts of his painful story with others. The snippets that emerge are of an amazing "everyman" veteran, who speaks from his heart about the agony and very little ecstasy after combat. Eddie Livingston's story is very much consistent with what Jim Tabb writes about, in the tradition of the American veteran being abused and discarded after war.

The Greatest Generation didn't talk about PTSD, though many, like Eddie Livingston, endured it. In another excerpt from a letter he speaks pointedly, though obliquely, about his PTSD:

"I have just one question: How callous and uncaring can one's government get? I understand Germany -- West Germany -- has made a remarkable recovery thanks to billions in American aid. But I have not done so well and am getting worse. All I have ever received from my government has been insults and abuse and 10% ($19.00) service-connected compensation per month for the scars, multiple of wounds (7) suffered in action. $19.00 for the scars; nothing for the wounds."

An American Veteran on the Aftermath of Combat -- "Many of Us Were Abandoned to a Fate Worse Than War"

World War II veteran Eddie Livingston came back from five European campaigns, seven wounds, and a year of being a P.O.W. who barely survived, to abject neglect from his own government and countrymen. Livingston and his wife lived for 30 years with no lights and no running water, in a home overrun by filth and in complete disrepair -- but also, truly off the radar of anyone's concern. No one knew the extent of their suffering, and from Livingston's perspective, his government turned a blind eye and a deaf ear. 

Livingston wrote: "'Government' used us, and when the war was over...'government' declared war on us. Our 'usefulness' was over...many of us were 'abandoned' to a fate worse than war." "I came out of service with my health shattered," he wrote. "I had no 'job skills' had I been able to work. My folks took care of me...or I would (have been) dead. I only how to 'soldier.' (And) there was no demand for my services. A V.A. doctor told me to go home and 'shoot myself' as a relief to my government. Perhaps I should (have)," he wrote.

Editor's note: To read more of Eddie's writings, click on the "An American Veteran" link, here.

An American Veteran on the "Addiction" of Combat -- "I Made the Mistake of Staying in Combat Too Long."

More from World War II veteran and former P.O.W. Eddie Livingston, who lived with his wife Helen for 30 years in squalor and neglect -- no lights, no running water. Conditions not befitting an American hero, an American veteran. But very much the case for one who fell through the cracks, for whom there no safety net. He writes poignantly about his experience of combat:

"After four years, seven wounds, a year as a P.O.W., World War II ended for me. I did the best I could, and no man should feel ashamed of his best. I have always known that war is our ultimate failure. But war is an addictive thing. I became addicted, and now I am addicted to agitation. I have no way of knowing how crazy I am. I doubt if the psychiatrist would (even) know. I made the fatal mistake of staying in combat too long. I had no choice; I had to stay. What we know does hurt us. It is what I know that has made me the way I am."

 Editor's note: the photo of Eddie Livingston, neglected American hero, and its caption were written by Eddie's niece Pam, with whom he lived right before he died.

An American Veteran -- on Decent Treatment for Veterans vs. War Memorials

 We've been sharing lately on this site the wonderful writing of Eddie Livingston, World War II veteran, former P.O.W., whose life after war was one long, unrewarded struggle, taking place far away from the concerned glances or compassionate inquiry of his fellow citizens, or even the government he served in war. His niece, Pam Baker, with whom he lived right before he died, has been bringing some of his writings to light, as they touch the heart of others who understand how representative Eddie was of many veterans who slip beneath the cracks, and fall away from any social safety net. Here is a crisp letter to the editor Eddie wrote a paper in Danville, Calif., where he lived before he died, on how veterans would like to be treated...and commemorated. It's almost Biblical in its straightforwardness and emphasis on binding up the wounds of the brokenhearted and neglected.

World War II Veteran and Former P.O.W. on the Experience of PTSD

"Although the war is long over, the experiences of war especially that P.O.W. (experience) still bother me very much at times. I have periods of nervousness and fear in which I am frightened and suspicious of almost everyone." -- World War II veteran of five European campaigns and former P.O.W., Eddie Livingston, in a letter he wrote to his wife, Helen, before they were married.

Editor's note: Photo courtesy of Pam Baker, Eddie Livingston's niece.

Military Spouses and Families -- Resource List of Books and Articles

In honor of today being "Military Spouse Appreciation Day" -- hey, shouldn't that be all year long, given what they do?! -- here's a really stupendously great bibliography of books and articles relating to military families, spouses and children and all the various issues they can encounter in the mental health/social work realm.

Unfortunately, I don't remember where I found it on the Web back in February of this year, so I can't credit it appropriately. (And I've Googled it a bunch of different ways to find it again, but with no luck.) Like every bibliography, there are possible additions, subtractions and revisions -- but "as is, where is," it's a tremendous resource of information for finding out more about these very important subjects.

REFERENCE LIST: Military Families 

Children

Barker, L. H. and K. D. Berry (2009). "Developmental Issues Impacting Military Families With Young Children During Single and Multiple Deployments." Military Medicine 174: 1033-1040.

Barnes, V. A., H. Davis, et al. (2007). "Perceived stress, heart rate, and blood pressure among adolescents with family members deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom." Mil Med 172(1): 40-3.

Brom, D., R. Pat-Horenczyk, et al., Eds. (2009). Treating Traumatized Children: Risk, Resilience and Recovery Taylor & Francis, Inc.

Chandra, A., S. Lara-Cinisomo, et al. (2010). "Children on the Homefront: The Experience of Children           From Military Families." Pediatrics 125(1).

Chandra, A., L. T. Martin, et al. (2009). "The Impact of Parental Deployment on Child Social and      Emotional Functioning: Perspectives of School Staff." Journal of Adolescent Health In Press,         Corrected Proof.

Chandra, A., R. M. Burns, et al. (2008). Understanding the Impact of Deployment on Children and    Families: Findings from a Pilot Study of Operation Purple Camp Participants R. Corporation: 69.

Chartrand, M., D. A. Frank, et al. (2008). "Effect of parents' wartime deployment on the behavior of young children in military families." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 162(11): 1009-1014.

Chartrand, M. and B. Siegel (2007). "At War in Iraq and Afghanistan: Children in US Military Families " Ambulatory Pediatrics 7(1): 1-2.

Cozza, S. and A. Lieberman (2007). "The young military child: Our modern telemachus " Zero to Three 27(July): 27-33.

Cozza, S. J., R. S. Chun, et al. (2005). "Military families and children during Operation Iraqi Freedom." Psychiatric Quarterly 76(4): 371-378.

Ender, M. G. (2006). Voices from the backseat: Demands of growing up in military families. Military Life: The Psychology of Serving in Peace and Combat, The Military Family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International. 3: (pp. 138-166). viii, 262.

Flake, E. M., B. E. Davis, et al. (2009). "The Psychosocial Effects of Deployment on Military Children." Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 30(4): 271-278.

Fallon, M. A. and T. J. Russo (2003). "Adaptation to stress: An investigation into the lives of United States military families with a child who is disabled." Early Childhood Education Journal 30(3): 193-198.

Goodman, R. F. (2002). Caring for Kids After Trauma and Death: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. A. Gurian, The Institute for Trauma and Stress at The NYU Child Study Center: 57.

Hardaway, T. (2004). Treatment of psychological trauma in children of military families. Mass Trauma and Violence: Helping families and children cope. N. B. Webb. New York, NY, Guilford Press: 259-282.

Horton, D. (2007). The impact of deployment on children in military families, Horton, Denise: Walden U , US.

Houston, J. B., B. Pfefferbaum, et al. (2009). "Children of Deployed National Guard Troops: Perceptions       of Parental Deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom." Psychiatric Annals 39(8): 805-811.

Huebner, A. J. and J. A. Mancini (2005). Adjustments Among Adolescents in Military Families When A           Parent is Deployed, Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University: 50.

Huebner, A. J., J. A. Mancini, et al. (2007). "Parental deployment and youth in military families: Exploring uncertainty and ambiguous loss." Family Relations 56(2): 112-122.

Hutchinson, J. W. (2006). "Evaluating risk-taking behaviors of youth in military families." Journal of Adolescent Health 39(6): 927-928.

Jensen, P. S., S. N. Xenakis, et al. (1991). "The "military family syndrome" revisited: "By the numbers."." Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 179(2): 102-107.

Kelley, M. L. (1994). "The effects of military-induced separation on family factors and child behavior." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 64(1): 103-111.

Kelley, M. L., Hock, E., Smith, K.M., Jarvis, M.S., Bonney, J.F., and Gaffney, M.A. (2001 ). "Internalizing and externalizing behavior of children with enlisted navy mothers experiencing military-induced separation." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: 40(4): 464-471.

Lamberg, L. (2004). "When military parents are sent to war children left behind need ample support." JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 292(13): 1541-1542.

Lemmon, M. and L. Chartrand (2009). "Caring for America's Children: Military Youth in Time of War."          Pediatrics in Review 30(6): E42-E48.

Lincoln, A., E. Swift, et al. (2008). "Psychological adjustment and treatment of children and families with parents deployed in military combat." Journal of Clinical Psychology 64(8): 984-992.

Mmari, K., K. M. Roche, et al. (2009). "When a Parent Goes Off to War  Exploring the Issues Faced by Adolescents and Their Families." Youth & Society 40(4): 455-475

Morris, A. S. and T. R. Age (2009). "Adjustment among youth in military families: The protective roles of effortful control and maternal social support." Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 30(6): 695-707.

Paden, L. B. and L. J. Pezor (1993). Uniforms and youth: The military child and his or her family. The Military Family in Peace and War F. W. Kaslow. New York, NY, Springer Publishing Co: 3-24.

Ryan-Wenger, N. A. (2001). "Impact of the threat of war on children in military families." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 71(2): 236-244.

Warren, Z. E. (2006). Cognitive and behavioral development of at risk infants and toddlers exposed to stressful life events: The effects of trauma in early childhood, Warren, Zachary E : U Miami, US.

Wethington, H. R., R. A. Hahn, et al. (2008). "The Effectiveness of Interventions to Reduce Psychological Harm from Traumatic Events Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review." American Journal of Preventive Medicine 35: 287-313.

 

Communities of Support

 

Huebner, A. J., J. A. Mancini, et al. (2009). "Shadowed by War: Building Community Capacity to Support Military Families." Family Relations 58(2): 216-228

Kudler, H. and K. Straits-Tröster (2009). "Partnering in Support of War Zone Veterans and Their      Families." Psychiatric Annals online 39(2): 64-70.

Levin, A. (2009). "Military Hopes Civilian Clinicians Can Shrink Treatment Gap." Psychiatry News August       21, 2009 44(16): 16.

 

Culture

 

Danieli, Y. (2007). Assessing trauma across cultures from a multigenerational  perspective. Cross-Cultural Assessment of Psychological Trauma and PTSD. J. P. a. T. Wilson, Catherine So-kum. New York, NY, Springer Science + Business Media. Part 1: . (pp. 65-89). xxvi, 405.

Harris, J. J. and N. G. Jones (2007). African-American military service members and their families: A different environment. Human Behavior in the Social Environment from an African-American Perspective. L. See, A. New York, NY, Haworth Press: (2007).  (2nd ed.). (pp. 133-150). xliii, 782.

Lowe, T. B., J. G. Hopps, et al. (2007). Stressors experienced by African-American armed service personnel during the Iraq War. [References]. Human behavior in the social environment from an African-American perspective. L. A. See. New York, NY, Haworth Press: 519-542.

Osterman, J. E. and J. T. V. M. de Jong (2007). Cultural issues and trauma. Handbook of PTSD: Science and Practice. M. J. Friedman, Keene, Terence M. and Resick, Patricia A. New York, NY, Guilford Press: pp. 425-446.

 

Death

 

Bonanno, G. A. (2004). "Loss, Trauma, and human resilience, Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events?" American Psychologist 59(1): 20-28.

Goodman, R. F. (2002). Caring for Kids After Trauma and Death: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. A. Gurian, The Institute for Trauma and Stress at The NYU Child Study Center: 57.

Lieberman, A., N. Compton, et al. (2003). Losing a Parent to Death in the Early Years Zero To Three Press.

Network, N. C. T. S. (2008). "Traumatic Grief in Military Children." Traumatic Grief in Military Children: Information for Medical Providers, from http://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/military_grief_medical.pdf.

Network, N. C. T. S. (2008). "Traumatic Grief in Military Children." Traumatic Grief in Military Children: Information for Families, from http://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/Military_Grief_Families_final3.pdf.

Pearson, G. (2007). "Review of Military Widow: A Survival Guide." Perspectives in Psychiatric Care 43(1): 65.

Pfefferbaum, B., S. J. Nixon, et al. (1999). "Posttraumatic stress responses in bereaved children       after     the Oklahoma City bombing." Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent         Psychiatry 38(11): 1372-1379.

Ronel, N., U. Lebel, et al. (2006). "When parents lay their children to rest: Between anger and forgiveness." Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 23(4): 507-522.

Stoppelbein, L. and L. Greening (2000). "Posttraumatic stress symptoms in parentally bereaved children       and adolescents." Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 39(9):           1112-1119.

Wright, K. M., L. M. Burrell, et al. (2006). Military Spouses: Coping with the Fear and the Reality of Service Member Injury and Death. [References]. Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat (Vol 3): The military family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International: 64-90.

 

 

 

Deployment

 

Basham, K. (2009). "Commentary on the Keynote Lecture Presented by Dr. Jonathan Shay, Friday, June      27, 2008 titled <i>The Trials of Homecoming: Odysseus Returns from Iraq/Afghanistan</i>, and additional reflections." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 299-309.

Basham, K. (2008). "Homecoming as safe haven or the new front: Attachment and detachment in military couples." Clinical Social Work Journal 36(1): 83-96.

Bowling, U. B. and M. D. Sherman (2008). "Welcoming them home: Supporting service members and their families in navigating the tasks of reintegration." Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 39(4): 451-458.

Burton, D. L. (2009). "Commentary on the Reaction Panel in Response to the Keynote Lecture presented      by Col. Carl Castro and Dr. Mark Chapin titled <i>The Deployment Cycle: Expectations and     Implications</i>." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 283 - 285.

Garran, A. M. (2009). "Commentary on the Reaction Panel in Response to the Keynote Lecture presented     by Dr. Jonathan Shay titled <i>The Trials of Homecoming: Odysseus Returns from         Iraq/Afghanistan</i>." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 310 - 313.

Haas, D. M. and L. A. Pazdernik (2006). "A Cross-Sectional Survey of Stressors for Postpartum Women during Wartime in a Military Medical Facility." Military Medicine 171(10): 1020-1023.

Herzog, J. R. and R. B. Everson (2007). The crisis of parental deployment in military service. Play Therapy with Children in Crisis: Individual, Group, and Family Treatment N. B. Webb. New York, NY, Guilford Press: 228-248.

McFarlane, A. C. (2009). "Military deployment: the impact on children and family adjustment and the need for care." Current Opinion in Psychiatry 22(4): 369-373

Packman, J., T. Paone, et al. (2006). When a Parent Gets Deployed: Helping Military Families Deal With Stress. Compelling Perspectives on Counseling G. Walz, Bleur, J. and Yep, R. Alexandria, VA, American Counseling Association: 67-69.

Pawlowski, L. M. (2005). Coping with military deployment: The C.A.R.E.S. resource for couples, Pawlowski, Lisa M : Regent U , US.

Peebles-Kleiger, M. J. and J. H. Kleiger (1994). "Re-integration stress for Desert Storm families: Wartime deployments and family trauma." Journal of Traumatic Stress 7(2): 173-194.

Rand, H. and R. N. S. R. Division (2008). Post -Deployment Stress: What Families Should Know, What Families Can Do, Rand Health and Rand National Security Research Division.

Russell, D. and D. Hamilton (2008). Reunion and re-integration with the family after deployment. Proceedings of the 6th Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Conference. G. W. Doherty. Ann Arbor, MI, Rocky Mountain DMH Institute Press/Loving Healing Press: 95-98.

Scaturo, D. J. and P. M. Hayman (1992). "The impact of combat trauma across the family life cycle: Clinical considerations." Journal of Traumatic Stress 5(2): 273-288.

Shay, J. (2009). "The Trials of Homecoming: Odysseus Returns from Iraq/Afghanistan." Smith College          Studies in Social Work 79(3): 286 - 298.

Slosky, L. H. (2008). The use of rituals and routines in military families experiencing deployment, Capella U , US.

Taft, C. T., J. A. Schumm, et al. (2008). "An examination of family adjustment among Operation Desert Storm veterans." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 76(4): 648-656.

Warner, C. H., G. N. Appenzeller, et al. (2009). "Psychological Effects of Deployments of Military      Families." Psychiatric Annals 39(2): 56-63.

           

 

 

Grandparents

 

Bunch, S. G., B. J. Eastman, et al. (2007). "A profile of grandparents raising grandchildren as a result of parental military deployment." Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment 15(4): 1-12.

 

 

Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma

 

Brom, D., R. Pat-Horenczyk, et al., Eds. (2009). Treating Traumatized Children: Risk, Resilience and Recovery Taylor & Francis, Inc.

Dekel, R. and H. Goldblatt (2008). "Is there intergenerational transmission of trauma? The case of combat veterans' children." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 78(3): 281-289.

Egolf, J. (2008). Flyboy's daughter. [References]. Proceedings of the 6th Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Conference. G. W. Doherty. Ann Arbor, MI, Rocky Mountain DMH Institute Press/Loving Healing Press: 67-78.

Leiner, B. (2009). "The Legacy of War: An Intergenerational Perspective." Smith College Studies in Social     Work 79(3): 375 - 391.

Scharf, M. (2007). "Long-term effects of trauma: Psychosocial functioning of the second and third generation of Holocaust survivors." Development and Psychopathology 19(2): 603-622.

           

 

 

Interventions 

 

Brom, D., R. Pat-Horenczyk, et al., Eds. (2009). Treating Traumatized Children: Risk, Resilience and Recovery Taylor & Francis, Inc.

Budzik, C. L. (2008). "Providing well child care for military families: what every provider needs to consider." Pediatr Ann 37(3): 185-8.

Collins, R. C. and M. C. Kennedy (2008). "Serving families who have served: Providing family therapy and support in interdisciplinary polytrauma rehabilitation." Journal of Clinical Psychology 64(8): 993-1003.

Erbes, C., R., M. A. Polusny, et al. (2008). "Couples therapy with combat veterans and their partners." Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session 64(8): 972-983.

 

Gambardella, L. C. (2008). "Role-exit theory and marital discord following extended military deployment." Perspectives in Psychiatric Care 44(3): 169-174.

Faran, M. E., M. D. Weist, et al. (2005). Promoting resilience in military children and adolescents.     Community Planning to Promote Resilience on Children. C. Clauss-Ehlers and M. Wiest. New York,             Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers: 233-248.

Goodman, R. F. (2002). Caring for Kids After Trauma and Death: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. A. Gurian, The Institute for Trauma and Stress at The NYU Child Study Center: 57.

Guha, V. (2005). Stress, coping and adaptation to wartime separation by families of National Guard personnel, Guha, Vatsala: U Hartford, US.

Hall, L. K. (2008). Counseling military families: What mental health professionals need to know. New York, NY, Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Herzog, J. R. and R. B. Everson (2007). The crisis of parental deployment in military service. Play Therapy with Children in Crisis: Individual, Group, and Family Treatment N. B. Webb. New York, NY, Guilford Press: 228-248.

Hutchinson, J. and L. Banks-Williams (2006). "Clinical issues and treatment considerations for new veterans: Soldiers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan." Primary Psychiatry 13(3): 66-71.

Jenkins, D. M. and M. J. Barry (2007). "Relationship 101: Couples therapy in theater." Military Medicine 172(6): iii-iv.

Lemmon, K. M. and E. M. Stafford (2007). "Recognizing and responding to child and adolescent stress:         The critical role of the Pediatrician." Psychiatric Annals 37(6): 431438.

Moon, P. K. (2006). Sand Play Therapy With U.S. Soldiers Diagnosed With PTSD and Their Families. [References]. Vistas: Compelling perspectives on counseling 2006. G. R. Walz, J. C. Bleuer and R. K. Yep. Alexandria, VA, American Counseling Association: 63-66.

Saldanha, D. (2002). "Family intervention in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders." Journal of Projective Psychology & Mental Health 9(1): 57-61.

Schumm, W. R., R. J. Crock, et al. (2008). "Reliability and validity of the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale with different response formats in a recent sample of U.S. Army personnel." Individual Differences Research 6(1): 26-37.

Storey, C. L. (2009). "The Psychotherapeutic Dimensions of Clinical Case Management with a Combat          Veteran." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 443 - 452.

Webb, N. B., Ed. (2007). Play therapy with children in crisis: Individual, group, and family treatment (3rd Ed.). New York, NY, Guilford Press.

Wilson, R. M., S. Leary, et al. (2009). "Military Veterans Sharing First-Person Stories of War and      Homecoming: A Pathway to Social Engagement, Personal Healing, and Public Understanding of             Veterans' Issues." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 392 - 432.

 

           

Maltreatment 

 

Bradley, C. (2007). "Veteran status and marital aggression: Does military service make a difference?" Journal of Family Violence 22(4): 197-209.

Clark, S., B., K. Koenen, C., et al. (2007). "Intimate Partner Psychological Aggression and Child Behavior      Problems." Journal of Traumatic Stress 20(1): 97-101.

Gibbs, D. A., S. L. Martin, et al. (2008). "Child maltreatment and substance abuse among U.S. Army soldiers." Child Maltreat 13(3): 259-68.

Gibbs, D. A., S. L. Martin, et al. (2007). "Child maltreatment in enlisted soldiers' families during combat-related deployments." JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 298(5): 528-535.

McCarroll, J. E., Z. Fan, et al. (2009). "Alcohol Use in Nonmutual and Mutual Domestic Violence in the U.S. Army: 1998-2004." Violence and Victims 24(3): 364-379

McCarroll, J. E., J. H. Newby, et al. (2008). "Responding to domestic violence in the U.S.Army-The Family    Advocacy Program." Family and Intimate Partner Violence Quarterly 1(1): 5-23.

McCarroll., J. E., R. J. Ursano, et al. (2004). "Classification of the severity of US Army and civilian reports           of child abuse." Military Medicine 169(6): 461-464.

McCarroll, J. E., F. Zizhong, et al. (2008). "Trends in US army child maltreatment reports: 1990-2004."         Child Abuse Review 17(2): 108-118.

Newby, J. H., R. J. Ursano, et al. (2003). "Spousal aggression by U.S Army female soldiers toward employed and unemployed civilian husbands." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 73(3): 288-293.

Rentz, E., S.W. Marshall, et al. (2007). "Effect of deployment on the occurrence of child maltreatment in military and nonmilitary families." American Journal of Epidemiology 165(10): 1199-1206.

Rentz, E., S. L. Martin, et al. (2006). "Family violence in the military: A review of the literature." Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 7(2): 93-108.

           

 

Marriage        

 

Adler-Baeder, F., J. F. Pittman, et al. (2005). "The Prevalence of marital transitions in military families." Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 44(1-2): 91-106.

Goff, B. S. N., J. R. Crow, et al. (2007). "The Impact of Individual Trauma Symptoms of Deployed    Soldiers on Relationship Satisfaction." Journal of Family Psychology 21(3): 344-353.

Huffman, A. H. and S. C. Payne (2006). The Challenges and Benefits of Dual-Military Marriages. [References]. Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat (Vol 3): The military family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International: 115-137.

 

 

Military Families        

 

Adams, G. A., D. B. Durand, et al. (2005). "Direct and Indirect Effects of Operations Tempo on Outcomes for Soldiers and Spouses." Military Psychology 17(3): 229-246.

Adams, G. A., S. M. Jex, et al. (2006). Work-Family Conflict among Military Personnel. [References]. Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat (Vol 3): The military family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International: 169-192.

Bowen, G. L., J. A. Mancini, et al. (2003). "Promoting the adaptation of military families: An empirical test of a community practice model." Family Relations 52(1): 33-44.

Castro, C. A., A. B. Adler, et al., Eds. (2006). Military life: The Psychology of Serving in Peace and Combat The Military Family. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International.

Chapin, M. (2009). "Deployment and Families: Hero Stories and Horror Stories." Smith College Studies in      Social Work 79(3): 263 - 282.

Clark, D. (2006). "Review of Courage After Fire: Coping Strategies for Troops Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan and Their Families." International Journal of Emergency Mental Health 8(3): 218-219.

Durand, D. B. (2006). Army Wife, Army Mother. Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat (Vol 3): The military family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International: 3-10.

Harmon, A. L. (2008). A descriptive study of military family needs following a polytraumatic injury, Harmon, A Lisa: Virginia Commonwealth U, US.

Henderson, K. (2006). While They're at War: The True Story of American Families on the Homefront, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Hoshmand, L. T. H. a. A. L. H. (2007). "Support for military families and communities." Journal of Community Psychology 35(2): 171-180.

Huitink, J., M. Rajnik, et al. (2006). "International Adoptions by Military Families: A Reexamination." Military Medicine 171(12): 1201-1205.

Kelley, M. L., M. J. Schwerin, et al. (2007). "A participant evaluation of the U.S. Navy parent support program." Journal of Family Violence 22(3): 131-139.

MacDermid, S. (2006). Multiple Transitions of Deployment And Reunion For Military Families The Military Families Research Institute at Purdue University.

MacDermid, S., R. Samper, et al. (2008). Understanding and Promoting Resilience in Military Families.          Military Family Research. M. F. R. I. a. P. University. West Lafayette, Purdue University: 1-28.

Martin, J. and M. D. Sherman (2009). The Impact of Military Duty and Military Life on Individuals and           Families: Resources and Intervention. Families and Change: Coping With Stressful Events and   Transitions. S. J. Price, C. A. Price and P. C. McKenry. Thousand Oaks, CA Sage Publications.

Matsakis, A. (2007). Back from the front: Combat trauma, love, and the family. Baltimore, MD, The Sidran Press.

Palmer, C. (2008). "A theory of risk and resilience factors in military families." Military Psychology 20(3): 205-217.

Pavlicin, K. M. (2005). Surviving Deployment: A guide for military families Elva Resa Publishing LLC.

Pinder, R. J., D. Murphy, et al. (2009). "A Mixed Methods Analysis of the Perceptions of the Media by            Members of the British Forces during the Iraq War." Armed Forces & Society 36: 131-152.

Richard, E. M. (2008). Constructing and contesting the public and private lives of military families, Richard, Elizabeth M : Arizona State U , US.

Rieth, L. S. (2007). Changes in the air force couple's ability to pay debts: Evidence from the 1997 and 1999--2000 air force community needs assessments, Rieth, Linda S: Capella U , US.

Robbins, L. S. (2005). Disorganized attachment in a military sample: Contributions from maternal trauma history, expressed sadness and narrative errors, Robbins, Leah Susan: Alliant International U, San Diego, US.

Sayers, S. L., V. A. Farrow, et al. (2009). "Family Problems Among Recently Returned Military Veterans       Referred for a Mental Health Evaluation." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 70(2): 163-170

Schachman, K. A. (2010). "Online fathering: the experience of first-time fatherhood in combat-deployed        troops." Nursing Research 59(1): 11-17.

Taylor, N. E., S. M. Wall, et al. (2005). "Mother and Soldier: Raising a Child With a Disability in a Low-Income Military Family." Exceptional Children 72(1): 83-99.

Ursano, R. J., H. C. Holloway, et al. (1989). "Psychiatric care in the military community: Family and military stressors." Hospital & Community Psychiatry 40(12): 1284-1289.

Wiens, T. W. and P. Boss (2006). Maintaining family resiliency before, during, and after military separation. Military life: The Psychology of Serving in Peace and Combat: The Military Family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International. 3: 13-38.

           

 

 

Military Service Members

 

Castro, C. C. (2009). "Impact of Combat on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Soldiers and Marines."        Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 247 - 262.

Cohen, S. P., C. Brown, et al. "Diagnoses and factors associated with medical evacuation and return to                     Freedom: a prospective cohort study." The Lancet 375(9711): 301-309.

 

Hoge, C. W., C. A. Castro, et al. (2004). "Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems,       and barriers to care." N Engl J Med 351(1): 13-22.

            Kennedy, C. H. (2006). Understanding one of our nation's greatest assets: Military personnel, PsycCRITIQUES Vol 51 (38), 2006.

Litz, B. T. (2007). "Research on the impact of military trauma: Current status and future directions." Military Psychology 19(3): 218-238.

Pierce, P. (1998). "Retention of Air Force Women Serving During Desert Shield and Desert Storm." Military Psychology 10(3): 195-213.

           

 

Moving Relocation     

 

Burrell, L. M. (2006). Moving military families: The impact of relocation on family well-being, employment, and commitment to the military. Military Life: The Psychology of Serving in Peace and Combat, The Military Family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International. 3: 39-63

Weber, E. G. and D. K. Weber (2005). "Geographic Relocation Frequency, Resilience, and Military Adolescent Behavior." Military Medicine 170(7): 638-642.

           

 

National Guard Reserves

 

Chisolm, J. S. (2007). The emotional impact and pastoral care implications of mobilization and deployment on national guard and reserve military members and their families, Chisolm, Joseph Steven: Texas Christian U , US.

Darwin, J. (2009). "Families: They Also Serve Who Only Stand and Wait." Smith College Studies in Social      Work 79(3): 433-442.

Edwin, J. A. (2008). An evaluation of a military family support program: The case of operation: Military Kids in Indiana, Edwin, James Augustine: Purdue U , US.

Faber, A. J., E. Willerton, et al. (2008). "Ambiguous absence, ambiguous presence: A qualitative study of military reserve families in wartime." Journal of Family Psychology 22(2): 222-230.

Guha, V. (2005). Stress, coping and adaptation to wartime separation by families of National Guard personnel, Guha, Vatsala: U Hartford, US.

Renshaw, K. D., C. S. Rodrigues, et al. (2008). "Psychological symptoms and marital satisfaction in spouses of Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans: Relationships with spouses' perceptions of veterans' experiences and symptoms." Journal of Family Psychology 22(4): 586-594.

Renshaw, K. D., C. S. Rodrigues, et al. (2009). "Combat exposure, psychological symptoms, and marital       satisfaction in National Guard soldiers who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2005 to         2006." Anxiety Stress and Coping 22(1): 101-115.

Sahni, N. (2005). Perceptions of those left behind: An exploration of family dynamics within military reservist families during the 2003 Iraq wartime deployment, Sahni, Nameeta: Alliant International U, San Diego, US.

Tollefson, T. T. (2008). "Supporting spouses during a military deployment." Family & Community Health 31(4): 281-286.

 

Policy

 

Jackonis, M. J., L. Deyton, et al. (2008). "War, Its Aftermath, and US Health Policy: Toward a          Comprehensive Health Program for America's Military Personnel, Veterans, and Their Families."    Journal of Law Medicine & Ethics 36(4): 677-689.

 

 

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder/Mental Disorder

 

Browne, T., L. Hull, et al. (2007). "Explanations for the increase in mental health problems in UK reserve      forces who have served in Iraq." British Journal of Psychiatry 190: 484-489.

Evans, L., T. McHugh, et al. (2003). "Chronic posttraumatic stress disorder and family functioning of             Vietnam veterans and their partners." Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 37(6):          765-772.

Frenz, M. (2007). Combat Veterans Diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Effects on Their Children: A Phenomological Study, University of Phoenix. Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership: 187

Galovski, T. and J. A. Lyons (2004). "Psychological sequelae of combat violence: A review of the impact       of PTSD on the veteran's family and possible interventions." Aggression and Violent Behavior         9(5): 477-501.

Grieger, T. A., S. J. Cozza, et al. (2006). "Posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in battle-injured        soldiers." American Journal of Psychiatry 163(10): 1777-1783.

Litz, B. T. (2007). "Research on the impact of military trauma: Current status and future directions." Military Psychology 19(3): 218-238.

Manguno-Mire, G., F. Sautter, et al. (2007). "Psychological Distress and Burden Among Female Partners of Combat Veterans With PTSD." Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 195(2): 144-151.

Nemeroff, C. B., J. D. Bremner, et al. (2006). "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A State-of-the-Science            Review." Journal of Psychiatric Research 40: 1-21.

Outram, S., V. Hansen, et al. (2009). "Still living in a war zone: Perceived health and wellbeing of    partners of Vietnam veterans attending partners' support groups in New South Wales, Australia."            Australian Psychologist 44(2): 128-135.

Rand, H. and R. N. S. R. Division (2008). Post -Deployment Stress: What Families Should Know, What Families Can Do, Rand Health and Rand National Security Research Division.

Ray, S. L. and M. Vanstone (2009). "The impact of PTSD on veterans' family relationships: An         interpretative phenomenological inquiry." International Journal of Nursing Studies 46(6): 838-      847.

Riddle, J. R., T. C. Smith, et al. (2007). "Millennium Cohort: The 2001-2003 baseline prevalence of mental    disorders in the U.S. military " Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 60: 192-201

Samper, R. E., C. T. Taft, et al. (2004). "Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and parenting satisfaction among a national sample of male Vietnam veterans." Journal of Traumatic Stress 17(4): 311-315.

Stein, M. B. and T. W. McAllister (2009). "Exploring the Convergence of Posttraumatic Stress and Mild           Traumatic Brain Injury." American Journal of Psychiatry 166(7): 768-776.

            

Psychological Toll      

 

Karney, B. R., R. Ramchand, et al. (2008). Invisible wounds, a working paper, Rand Health and the Rand National Security Research Division: 182.

Richardson, J. D., J. Sareen, et al. "Psychiatric problems in medically evacuated service members." The       Lancet 375(9711): 257-259.

           

 

Reference Handbook 

 

Ainspan, N. D. a. W. E. P. (2008). Returning Wars', Wounded, Injured, and Ill, Praeger Securit International

 

 

Schools

 

Aydlett, A. E. (2006). Dealing with Deployment: a Small-Group Curriculum for Elementary and Middle     School Students. Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

Fitzsimons, V. M. and C. A. Krause-Parello (2009). "Military children: when parents are deployed              overseas." J Sch Nurs 25(1): 40-7.

Horton, D. (2005). "Consultation with military children and schools: A proposed model." Consulting          Psychology Journal: Practice and Research 57(4): 259-265.

Network, N. C. T. S. (2008). "Traumatic Grief in Military Children." Traumatic Grief in Military Children:    Information for Educators. from                http://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/military_grief_educators.pdf.

Secondary Traumatization

Bride, B. E. and C. R. Figley (2009). "Secondary Trauma and Military Veteran Caregivers." Smith College      Studies in Social Work 79(3): 314 - 329.

Burton, D. L. (2009). "Commentary to Reaction Panel in Response to the Keynote Lecture presented by        Drs. Brian E. Bride and Charles R. Figley titled <i>Secondary Trauma and Military Veteran      Caregivers</i>." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 330 - 334.

Chara, K. A. (2008). Secondary PTSD transmission among survivor families of World War II sailors of the United States ship Emmons: A descriptive and correlational analysis of reported and perceived long-term symptoms among veterans, their wives, and adult offspring, Chara, Kathleen A : Capella U , US.

Dekel, R. and Z. Solomon (2007). Secondary traumatization among wives of war veterans with PTSD. [References]. Combat stress injury: Theory, research, and management. C. R. Figley and W. P. Nash. New York, NY, Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group: 137-157.

Dekel, R. and H. Goldblatt (2008). "Is There Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma? The Case of Combat Veterans’ Children." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry Vol. 78(3): 281-289

Fals-Stewart, W. and M. Kelley (2005). "When Family Members Go To War--A Systemic Perspective on Harm and Healing: Comment on Dirkzwager, Bramsen, Ader, and van der Ploeg (2005)." Journal of Family Psychology 19(2): 233-236.

Figley, C. R. (2005). "Strangers at Home: Comment on Dirkzwager, Bramsen, Ader, and van der Ploeg (2005)." Journal of Family Psychology 19(2): 227-229.

           

Single Military Parents

 

Kelley, M. L. (2006). Single military parents in the new millennium. Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat C. A. E. A. Castro, Amy B (Ed); Britt, Thomas W (Ed). ,Praeger Security International. 3: 93-114.

Roper, L. L. (2007). Air force single parent mothers and maternal separation anxiety, Roper, Lawanda L : Capella U , US.

 

Spouses          

 

Dana, K. L. (2006). Careers of their own: Role-identity negotiation among air force officers' wives, Dana, Krista Lorrell: U Oklahoma, US.

Dekel, R., H. Goldblatt, et al. (2005). "Being a Wife of a Veteran with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder." Family Relations 54(1): 24-36.

Gorbaty, L. R. (2009). "Family reintegration of reserve service members following a wartime deployment:    `A qualitative exploration of wives' experience." Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B:    The Sciences and Engineering 69(7-B): 4421.

Hobson, T. A. (2006). The impact of deployment on the stay-behind spouse of active duty navy women, Walden University.

Jebo, J. L. (2008). An untraditional life: Male spouses of female military personnel, Jebo, Jennifer L : Virginia Polytechnic Inst And State U , US.

Keener, M. (2007). Shared Courage: A Marine Wife's Story of Strength and Service Minneapolis, MBI            Publishing Company.

Mansfield, A. J., J. S. Kaufman, et al. "Deployment and the Use of Mental Health Services among U.S.          Army Wives." N Engl J Med 362(2): 101-109

Matsakis, A. (2005). In harm's way: Help for the wives of military men, police, EMTs & firefighters. Oakland, CA, New Harbinger Publications.

Orthner, D. K. and R. Rose (2009). "Work Separation Demands and Spouse Psychological Well-Being." Family Relations 58(October): 392-403.

Sahlstein, E., K. C. Maguire, et al. (2009). "Contradictions and Praxis Contextualized by Wartime       Deployment: Wives' Perspectives Revealed through Relational Dialectics." Communication         Monographs 76(4): 421-442.

Spera, C. (2008). "Spouses's ability to cope with deployment and adjust to Air Force Family demands." Armed Forces & Society 35(2): 286-306.

Westman, M. and D. L. Etzion (2005). "The Crossover of Work-Family Conflict From One Spouse to the Other." Journal of Applied Social Psychology 35(9): 1936-1957.

Wright, K. M., L. M. Burrell, et al. (2006). Military Spouses: Coping with the Fear and the Reality of Service Member Injury and Death. [References]. Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat (Vol 3): The military family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International: 64-90.

           

Traumatic Brain Injury          

Anderson, M. I., T. R. Parmenter, et al. (2002). "The relationship between neurobehavioural problems of      severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), family functioning and the psychological wellbeing of the            spouse/caregiver: path model analysis." Brain Injury 16(9): 743-757.

Cernak, I. and L. J. Noble-Haeusslein (2009). "Traumatic brain injury: an overview of pathobiology with       emphasis on military populations." J Cereb Blood Flow Metab.

Collins, R. C. and M. C. Kennedy (2008). "Serving families who have served: Providing family therapy and    support in interdisciplinary polytrauma rehabilitation." Journal of Clinical Psychology 64(8):     993-1003.

Committee on Gulf War and Health: Brain Injury in Veterans and Long-Term Health Outcome, Board on       Population Health and Public Health Practice, et al. (2008). Gulf War and Health: Volume 7: Long       Term Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury.

French, L. M. and G. W. Parkinson (2008). "Assessing and treating veterans with traumatic brain injury." J Clin Psychol 64(8): 1004-13.

Friedemann-Sanchez, G., J. M. Griffin, et al. (2008). "Communicating Information to Families of       Polytrauma Patients: A Narrative Literature Review

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Groom, K. N., T. G. Shaw, et al. (1998). "Neurobehavioral symptoms and family functioning in         traumatically brain-injured adults." Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology 13(8): 695-711.

Griffin, J., G. Friedemann-Sánchez, et al. (2009). "Families of patients with polytrauma: Understanding         the evidence and charting a new research agenda." Journal of Rehabilitation Research &       Development 46(6): 879-892.

Hoge, C. W., D. McGurk, et al. (2008). "Mild traumatic brain injury in US Soldiers returning from Iraq."         New England Journal of Medicine 358(5): 453-463.

Jaffee, M. S., K. M. Helmick, et al. (2009). "Acute clinical care and care coordination for traumatic brain   injury within Department of Defense." Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development 46(6):          655-666.

Kreutzer, J. S., T. M. Stejskal, et al. (2009). "A preliminary investigation of the brain injury family    intervention: Impact on family members." Brain Injury 23(6): 535-547.

Lezak, M. D. (1978). "Living with the Characterlogically Altered Brain Injured Patient." Journal of Clinical      Psychiatry 39: 593-598.

Lefebvre, H., D. Pelchat, et al. (2005). "The experiences of individuals with a traumatic brain injury,             families, physicians and health professionals regarding care provided throughout the continuum."          Brain Injury 19(8): 585-597.

Lew, H. L., J. H. Poole, et al. (2007). "Program development and defining characteristics of returning           military in a VA Polytrauma Network Site." Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development     44(7): 1027-1034.

Perlesz, A., G. Kinsella, et al. (1999). "Impact of Traumatic Brain Injury on the Family: A Critical Review."    Rehabilitation Psychology 44(1): 6-35.

Pessar, L. F., M. L. Coad, et al. (1993). "The Effects of Parental Traumatic Brain Injury on the Behavior of             Parents and Children." Brain Injury 7(3): 231-240.

            Ponsford, J., J. Olver, et al. (2003). "Long-term adjustment of families following traumatic brain injury          where comprehensive rehabilitation has been provided." Brain Injury 17(6): 453-468.

Rand, H. and R. N. S. R. Division (2008). Post -Deployment Stress: What Families Should Know, What Families Can Do, Rand Health and Rand National Security Research Division.

Sahlstein, E., K. C. Maguire, et al. (2009). "Contradictions and Praxis Contextualized by Wartime       Deployment: Wives' Perspectives Revealed through Relational Dialectics." Communication         Monographs 76(4): 421 - 442.

Sinnakaruppan, I. and D. M. Williams (2001). "Family carers and the adult head-injured: a critical review     of carers' needs." Brain Injury 15(8): 653-672.

Uysal, S., M. R. Hibbard, et al. (1998). "The effect of parental traumatic brain injury on parenting and          child behavior." Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation 13(6): 57-71.

Verhaeghe, S., T. Defloor, et al. (2005). "Stress and coping among families of patients with traumatic           brain injury: a review of the literature." Journal of Clinical Nursing 14: 1004-1012.

Wells, R., J. Dywan, et al. (2005). "Life satisfaction and distress in family caregivers as related to specific     behavioural changes after traumatic brain injury." Brain Injury 19(13): 1105-1115.

The Combat Veteran's Lament: "My Mind is Not a Faucet That I Can Turn On and Off at Will..."

"People tell me to forget the war, telling me it is over. Their advice is sound and well-intentioned but impossible to follow. Simply because my mind is not a faucet that I can turn on and off and at will. I am working on it." -- Eddie H. Livingston, World War II combat veteran, former POW.

The Tao of Healing

We've collected the quotes we've been posting lately on health, healing and the wisdom of the body into a series called "The Tao of Healing," along with relevant articles from this site over the last few years. To access that collection as a whole, click here.

The quotes are intended to be opportunities for reflection about what health and healing mean to you, what hope you can have, and what wisdom you may already bring to addressing your own condition. So often, we're quick to forget that we have any wisdom at all about ourselves as individuals, and yet, typically we know -- or ought to know -- ourselves better than anyone else can or would.

As Harvard-trained physician and integrative medicine pioneer Andrew Weil, M.D., tellingly writes in "Health and Healing," "...My training and background as a physician have made me reluctant to go to doctors or hospitals except for real emergencies. I have practiced paying attention to my body, diagnosing my own problems, and treating them myself whenever I can. As a result of this practice, I have become a sharp observer of changes in my body, usually detecting illnesses at very early stages and having a good sense of their nature."

While his method might not work for everyone -- since laypeople are probably less aware of the risks they might be overlooking than a trained physician might be -- still, it points out that quintessential "theme" of the Tao of healing...to observe one's self in sickness and in health, and figure out if there are any life lessons encoded in the experience, or wisdom to be gained from the observation of same. Not always, but sometimes, or frequently enough if you practice it, there's quite a lot to be gained from looking within and contemplating what the message of illness and difficulty is -- while not ignoring the outward signs that may need treatment.

The concept many of us have grown up with, of there being a distinct "Mind-Body" split, is actually one that only goes back to the 17th century, and mathematician/philosopher Rene Descartes. Both earlier and later, this "split" or "dualism" between the body and the mind has been rejected as "artificial." Whether or not you want to get into this abstract philosophical detour, it's interesting to contemplate that if there is no split, the body and the mind work in concert to share their sometimes quite enlightening wisdom with us, if we're open to hearing it.

Homeopathy for Health: An Esoteric Treatment Approach for PTSD

Homeopathy is an exquisitely subtle system of medicine, sometimes classified as "energy medicine," which was developed by the German Samuel Hahnemann in the 1800s, and imported to America, before the Civil War. Today, homeopathy is better known outside the bounds of the U.S. The British royal family, for example, practices it; it's extremely popular in India, etc. And internationally, organizations like the World Health Organization have good things to say about it. In America, it's been pretty much marginalized since its heyday in the 1800s, as part of what was known as the Popular Health Movement. But the same things that made it of interest then are still compelling today: it's safe, nontoxic, no side effects, and eminently affordable. It can also be self-prescribed. And it's readily available in natural food stores like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Puget Consumers' Co-op, and also online. A vial of homeopathic sugar pellets, manufactured by a leading brand like Boiron (little blue tubes) costs about $6-8. And specifically to our interest here, various homeopathic remedies hold promise for treating some of the symptoms of PTSD, at least according to the homeopaths.

Because you're probably unclear on what homeopathy is or how it works, it might make some sense to sit down with one of the books written by homeopaths for a lay reading public. Two good ones come to mind: The Family Health Guide to Homeopathy, by Dr. Barry Rose; and/or The Complete Guide to Homeopathy: The Principles of Practice and Treatment, by Dr. Andrew Lockie and Dr. Nicola Geddes. If you're interested in an in-depth explanation of how homeopathy came to the U.S., was summarily trounced by the nascent American Medical Association ("AMA") which was created to put homeopathy and homeopaths out of business, read the fascinating account of that in Andrew Weil, M.D.'s "Health and Healing." I won't go into details here, because it's a little hard to grasp at first blush anyway; but suffice it to say it's a fascinating system, with very little cost or downside. And if it were to be able to help resolve some of the symptoms of PTSD, that would be progress indeed.

A little background on homeopathy as a system:

"Homeopathy has proven to be a potent and effective system for healing individuals because individualizing each case is the essence to its methodology." -- Dr. Harry van der Zee, homeopath.

"Homeopathy is a system of medical treatment which looks at the whole person, not just the illness from which he or she is suffering," writes Dr. Barry Rose, in "The Family Health Guide to Homeopathy. World-famous violin virtuoso and conductor Yehudi Menuhin, a longtime fan of homeopathy himself, wrote the foreword to that book, and in it he writes:

"The efficacy of homeopathic remedies perplexes many people who are used to the ways of orthodox medicine. Instead of suppressing symptoms, and thus allowing the possibility of their recurring, homeopathy gets to the root cause, removing symptoms in the order in which they appeared, and thus paves the way for a complete cure. Indeed, sufferers from chronic (health) complaints ... can, with time and patience, be returned to full health."

---

"In the current age of technology, where so much of modern medicine seems to depend on harsh drugs and surgery, natural and gentle alternatives can arouse skepticism. However, there is no medical practice as benign and safe as homeopathy. As a musician, what I particularly love about it is the great effect of subtlety -- the enormous response to an infinitesimal but crucial intervention. Too long have we put our faith in quantity and massive attack. It is high time humanity learned the extreme value of the minute and the minimal (that is homeopathy)." -- Lord Yehudi Menuhin, foreword to "The Family Health Guide to Homeopathy," by Dr. Barry Rose, Fellow and Executive Dean, Faculty of Homeopathy, Royal London Homeopathic Hospital (UK). 

Andrew Weil, M.D., in "Health and Healing," introduces homeopathy by first talking about the "conversion" of a personal friend, an allopathic (conventionally-trained) physician who ultimately rejects his training in favor of becoming a homeopath. "In this course," Weil writes, "he followed in the path of most of the homeopaths in history; most have been M.D.'s who rejected the methods they first learned, then studied the theory and practice of homeopathy as apprentices to established practitioners..." Weil continues:

"My friend told me he was much more successful in treating people since his conversion; he was also much happier, had better rapport with patients, and for the first time in his life really enjoyed practicing medicine. He felt he was able to stimulate genuine healing in sick people, whereas before he just suppressed symptoms, often by plying patients with toxic drugs and using other methods he now considered more harmful than beneficial."

The arc of homeopathy's influence in America is relatively easy to trace. It initially enjoyed some popularity, then was quickly squashed by the efforts of the nascent American Medical Association, today's all-powerful AMA, which apparently came into existence to suppress it. It later disintegrated as a movement, and only today is beginning to see a slight resurgence -- while it did manage to retain its popularity in many parts of the world outside the U.S., including the U.K., Eastern Europe, and India.

For the historical background, again we go to Weil (and we're compressing quite a bit even here):

"The seeds of homeopathy fell on particularly fertile soil in America. The first homeopathic physician arrived in the United States in 1828. Eight years later, the Hahnemann Medical College opened in Philadelphia. An American Institute of Homeopathy, founded in 1844, became the first national medical society. Most significant, American homeopaths did much better than allopaths (conventionally-trained M.D.'s) in treating victims of cholera epidemics that swept through the Midwest at the end of the 1840s. Their success brought them prestige and money and encouraged widespread desertions from the ranks of orthodox practitioners. By 1850 another homeopathic medical college had opened in Cleveland."

Homeopathy's "disciples were meticulous observers of the most basic injunction on doctors: primum non nocere -- first, do no harm. With their minute doses of remedies, they could not possibly make patients worse. Early homeopaths were aglow with the zeal of new converts. They had a comprehensive theory of health, disease and treatment, based in experimental research and handed down by a master. They were concerned with patients as individuals. They aimed to cure disease from within, at its source, not just suppress symptoms. Best of all, their method worked, even for the gravest infectious diseases." "Homeopathy," he wrote, was establishing " a firm foothold in the New World."

"What followed, predictably, was a desperate struggle by the allopaths to regain their lost prestige and control. Then ensued a long and bitter war between allopaths and homeopaths that was fought in every city and town, in virtually every hospital across America." The roots of the American Medical Association, today's all-powerful AMA, are found, Weil writes, in its creation in 1846 literally to oppose homeopathy. "From the start," Weil says, "the AMA was militant and exclusive. In 1855, it demanded that all state medical societies ... expel any homeopathic members. It also worked to gain control of city hospitals and boards of health, threatening boycotts of hospitals if homeopaths got privileges at them. During the Civil War, it was able to prevent homeopaths from enlisting in the Army Medical Corps." In 1878, he writes, "A Connecticut physician was expelled from his county medical society for consulting with his wife, who happened to be a homeopath." "The ruthlessness of organized allopathy," he says, "was quickly successful." 

If today we're beginning to see a little tepid enthusiasm bubbling up again for this fascinating, subtle energy medicine, Weil concludes, it may be because some of the same frustrations are drawing consumers to it now as generations ago. "American homeopathy is now having a modest resurgence," he writes. "Some serious M.D.'s, like my friend ... have converted to homeopathy in the traditional way, after losing faith in allopathic medicine."

"If homeopathy makes a comeback in the Western world," he concludes, it will happen because attitudes similar to those prevalent during the Popular Health Movement (of the 1800s, when homeopathy enjoyed its American heyday) are again on the rise.  In the last quarter of this (the 20th) century, the technological dream that supported allopathy has begun to fade. Dissatisfaction with regular medicine grows year by year in every sector of society, with the same three complaints voiced over and over: it has become too expensive, too dangerous, and not effective enough at treating the diseases that really matter... Modern hospital medicine looks more and more "heroic" in its reliance on invasive procedures that depend on elaborate technology and seem to ignore or deny the body's own healing powers."

I was hoping to learn more about who has been using homeopathy, historically, to treat PTSD, and I had hoped in particular to learn about its use in the Civil War. I figured the timing was perfect: it had just established its presence in the United States before the Civil War broke out. However, once I re-read Weil I realized that the AMA had virtually squashed homeopathy by then, and in fact had forbade homeopathic physicians from joining the war effort. By World War I, though, homeopathy was on the rebound, at least in Europe, and performing duties in the war. I'm still hoping to learn more about those efforts, but in the meantime, I've come across a few current sources about war trauma, PTSD and the use of homeopathy.

Outside the bounds of the U.S., for example in India, homeopathy has continued to flourish, in part because it's an affordable system of medicine within reach of individuals in an impoverished country. One Indian homeopath, writing on the Web, discusses potential remedies for PTSD, after a catastrophic event like the bombings in Mumbai (not quite our 9/11, but similar). He suggests a number of possible remedies, based on individuals' constitutions, including: "Aurum metallicum, Ignatia amara, Natrum muriaticum, Phosphoric acid, Sepia, Staphysagria; also, Arsenicum album, Causticum, Calc. carb, Nitric acid, Nux vomica, Pulsatilla, Thuja, etc." For more information look to his site, linked here. (Individual symptomology would help indicate which remedy would make the most sense, as he explains in his article.)

The British homeopath Peter Chappell, who co-founded the Society of Homeopaths in the U.K., and has worked with infectious disease in Africa, wrote a book specifically about homeopathy and trauma, "Emotional Healing with Homeopathy: Treating the Effects of Trauma." He describes how homeopathy can get to the root cause of a long-term illness or predicament, like trauma, when he writes:

"In this book, I write a lot about the patterns behind suffering...When a situation becomes too overwhelming for us to process, the trauma is stored up inside us. I believe that many of our dysfunctions ultimately stem from our being traumatized and not being able to process it at the time or later. For example, if someone close to us dies unexpectedly, we need to grieve; but if we cannot cry because we have forgotten how, we will start hurting. If we later develop (other) symptoms...we may well not connect them with the stuck grief. This kind of cause and effect, however, are like the 'rule' in understanding health; they follow each other like clockwork. Whenever anyone becomes ill, other than from some obvious contagious disease like measles, it is very useful to question what was going on before it happened -- a year or a week or just a minute before." -- "Emotional Healing with Homeopathy: Treating the Effects of Trauma," by Peter Chappell.

To give you a specific example of how homeopathy works, one of the remedies Chappell proposes for PTSD, depending on the symptoms, is "Aconite." Here are some of the descriptors from his rubric for it, and it will remind you, undoubtedly, of symptoms you've heard from various combat veterans:

"Aconite" -- sudden shock (9/11). "Shock is the keyword. Fear and fright from shock are very strong here, the strongest fears of all the homeopathic types. Great panic and fear of death, that they will die this minute. Great shock from seeing an accident or hearing about the sudden death of someone known to them. Not terror or fear, which is more [another remedy]. Flashbacks are possible but are also considered [another remedy]. Tremendous problems with fear and fright, bad news. Also, anger with anxiety, fright and silent grieving. They can be upset by over-excitement and excessive joy. Humiliation and hurrying also upset them. A chill or a very cold dry wind, forms of sudden shock, can make them instantly ill. The likely cause is birth trauma. It's not for shock with injury -- see [another remedy.]"

Because homeopathy is "individualized medicine," who are the types of individuals who might respond well to aconite? Chappell describes:

"Vital, vigorous, extrovert, robust people who are yet exquisitely sensitive to mental shock. ... They act as if death is imminent. ... Strong panic attacks, especially if triggered by a similar event to the original shock. Palpitations."

Typically, in homeopathy, if there are a dozen possible remedies for something like PTSD, each remedy is keyed most to certain characteristics of certain individuals. Reasoning from that, individuals can investigate which remedies might have value for them; or by visiting a homeopath, the clinician can take a history of the patient, and prescribe his or her best choices. It's interesting, of course, or as others might say, "elegant," as a system -- because as people experience trauma differently, they may respond to potential remedies differently as well.

To add one more layer of esoterica to this whole discussion, a homeopathic physician like Harry van der Zee, who practices in war-torn countries like Rwanda, which have experienced genocide, and where the population is therefore traumatized as a whole, has experimented with coming up with remedies that seem to treat the common denominator of trauma. In a very interesting, thought-provoking article, linked here, he describes his findings. It would be fascinating to see if what he's found would be of value also to veterans who suffer from PTSD, and have found their symptoms to be intractable otherwise. Homeopathy, so simple, elegant and subtle -- and so poorly understood -- might hold a key to healing when other treatments fail; or might prepare the ground for other treatments to succeed. In either case, it's worth at least considering.

Quotable Quotes -- Albert Schweitzer, M.D. on the Doctor Within Every Patient

"Within every patient there resides a doctor, and we as physicians are at our best when we we put our patients in touch with the doctor inside themselves." Albert Schweitzer, M.D. -- Swiss physician, theologian and humanitarian; winner of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize. (1875-1965.) 

Quotable Quotes -- Andrew Weil on the Secret Wisdom of the Body, a Key Participant in Health and Healing

"It is a misnomer to call medicine 'the healing art.' The healing art is the secret wisdom of the body. Medicine can do no more than facilitate it. That is all healers can do, too." -- Andrew Weil, M.D., "Health and Healing."
  

Belleruth Naparstek to Mental Health Colleagues: "Please Stop Saying PTSD is Incurable."

Note to mental health colleagues: "You can recover from posttraumatic stress. Certainly, you can significantly reduce - not just manage - its symptoms. But - and here's the thing - not with traditional treatment. The problem is, a lot of my colleagues don't know this yet. So they go about it in traditional ways and pronounce the condition incurable, based on the results they get." -- Belleruth Naparstek, from her article "Note to Colleagues: Please Stop Saying Post-Traumatic Stress is Incurable," just published in The Huffington Post on May 1, 2010, and linked here. The whole article is excellent; please give it a read and a think as well...

Editor's note: We've written about Naparstek before on this site, here. Her guided imagery tapes, CDs and DVDs, including "Health Journeys: A Guided Meditation for Healing Trauma (PTSD)," and her book, "Invisible Heroes : Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal," are loved by many.