The Next War at Home

Fighting PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder will be the next major battle our country will need to face.

We have thousands of young men and women who have returned home and who will be returning home from war.

Two years ago in one my counseling classes a professor told us that there will be a great demand for male counselors to understand and treat PTSD as our soldiers come home. The mental, emotional, physical, and relational issues PTSD causes can wreak havoc for an individual and families alike. One of the best treatments for PTSD is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. Typically a major event in ones life is what causes the symptoms of PTSD to manifest into unusual behavior which include but not limited to nightmares, anger, marital problems, anxiety, fear, recurring thoughts of a event, difficulty concentrating and the list continues (See the DSM IV TR for complete list).

This post is not intended to cover all things related to PTSD.

However, the one question to address is; how can we as individuals, communities, families, and church bodies start to take the next step to help our soliders who are returning home and facing the war of PTSD in their personal lives?

If we don't take appropriate steps now to help these individuals and families the consquences will be far greater socially, economically, and relationally for everyone, including those who have not struggled with war induced PTSD. Think Vietnam.

To read a brief chapter over this matter get Dick Morris' book Catastrophe.