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Paperback
Publisher: Ulysses Press
Bob Dole
ISBN13: 9781569755136
Condition: NEW
Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
The bravery displayed by our soldiers at war is commonly recognized. However, often forgotten is the courage required by veterans when they return home and suddenly face reintegration into their families, workplaces, and communities. Authored by three mental health professionals with many years of experience counseling veterans, Courage After Fire provides strategies and techniques for this challenging journey home. Courage After Fire offers soldiers and their families a comprehensive guide to dealing with the all-too-common repercussions of combat duty, including posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. It details state-of-the-art treatments for these difficulties and outlines specific ways to improve couple and family relationships. Courage After Fire also offers tips on areas such as rejoining the workforce and reconnecting with children.
| Customer Reviews: |
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| Healing recommendations for both returning soldiers and their families. |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This book was written by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and two PhD psychologists. All three have provided therapy for those who have been exposed to traumatic events such as war and for the families and friends who love them. As Major Andy Jackson of the US Army Special Forces stated in the introduction "it is essential reading for all combat veterans, their families and friends, military chaplains, employers and clinicians at VA Hospitals and vet centers."
It has often been said that knowledge is power. As the book points out "it's natural for people who have experienced trauma to avoid anything that might remind them of the event, because these memories make them feel uncomfortable or distressed. But this kind of avoidance reinforces the symptoms of posttraumatic stress because it prevents them from learning a vital lesson: These reminders are not dangerous. They are merely "triggers" to uncomfortable memories of posttraumtic stress. " Learning that one can learn to control their reaction to the triggers can be very empowering.
In Chapter 1 Reactions to War the authors describe both Positive and Negative Effects of War. Under Negative Effects such problems as anxiety, posttraumatic stress, panic attacks, phobias, anger, substance abuse and depression are clearly defined with examples of most given.
Chapter 2 Strengthening Your Mind and Body reinforces the survival skills and strengths veterans of war already have to help them with combat related stress. It gives an overview of relaxation drills to help reduce anxiety in the readjustment to stateside living. One special section of this chapter is the Sleep Tips:19 Ways to Get Better ZZZZs area. When I myself briefly worked with returning National Guardsmen from Iraq, I noted that one of their most frequent complaints had to do with insomnia. Many seemed to be willing to do just about anything just to get a decent night's sleep. Effective recommendations in this area were always welcome.
Chapter 3 Coping Strategies explains to combat veterans HOW their avoidance of certain activities, places, people or situations actually reinforces their posttraumatic stress. This chapter presents a gradual way for the body and mind to learn that the trauma is, in fact, over. It further details HOW to cope with unwanted images and memories, and HOW to combat panic, anger, alcohol or drug abuse, depression and negative thinking. It contains a section with anger management tips entitled "Combat Strategies for Ruling Anger". I like that this chapter also explains to returning veterans what exactly "professional help" is, what are therapists and what is therapy." Tn our culture seeking help for emotional problems is too often discouraged.
In Chapter 4 Grief and Loss the authors explain that although numbing feelings or denying the truth might be adaptive DURING a combat situation later emotional numbness may well interfere with relationships and the ability to enjoy the things that used to bring one pleasure. The authors detail "In war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan-or Vietnam-it's especially important to stay calm and not let your emotions interfere with your duties. As you focused on surviving the next fire fight or sniper attack and getting back to the base, you didn't have time to process the traumatic death you heard about or watched. You buried your grief in the struggle to survive. It was part of your military training. You were taught that showing emotions was a sign of weakness, so you were discouraged from grieving." This chapter importantly gives veterans permisssion TO grieve, to process those feelings in an effort to heal. It even contains a set of GRIEF EXERCISES in the form of recommendations such as creating a memory book, a ritual, writing a letter to the deceased and to the loved ones of the deceased.
Chapter 5 Changed Views of Self, Others and the World discusses such important issues as safety and trust, control and power, self worth and self esteem , redeployment anxiety, relationships and closeness, meaning and purpose in life, spirtuality and faith and positive change. Significantly this chapter also includes a section detailing Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), what it is, what the effects of it are, how it is diagnosed and how it is treated.
Chapter 6 Returning to Civilian Life contains a most important section on What Employers Should Know or Do to Help Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Return to Work. It makes recommendations on readjusting to work, suggests what to do if one is coming home to NO job, or is considering school. I was amused but thought it showed real wisdom for the authors to include the section "Dumb" Questions Civilian Asks and How to Respond to Them.
The book concludes with Chapter 7 Restoring Family Roles and Relationships. Even though EVERY chapter in this book finishes with Tips for Partners, Family Members and Friends this last chapter is especially relationship focused. It even contains a section Tips for Adult Family Members:How to Respond When Your Veteran Talks About War. There is a special focus on Reconnecting With Children who are often themselves traumatized when their mother or father marches off to war. It makes specific suggestions to the soldier how to help their toddler, preschooler, elementary school-age child, or middle or high school age child adjust. It even makes recommendations on how to discipline your child.
This is a great book. It really tries to reach out and connect with the returning combat veteran by being understanding, supportive and comprehensive. I would really recommend it to all servicemembers returning from deployment and veterans of war and, of course, their families and friends.
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| "Courage AFTER" is the Salient Phrase |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The forward by Senator Bob Dole is the best review from a fellow Wounded Warrior:
"I thank you for your service to our country, and I sincerely encourage you to now focus on your own well-being."
In "Courage AFTER Fire," `AFTER' is the salient word.
The Veteran can think of returning home as a new deployment with a new set of challenges that require the warrior to "improvise, adapt and overcome."
The tips for family and friends are very useful.
If the symptoms of PTSD (i.e. flashbacks, emotional irritability, avoidance/rejection, thought fragmentation, depression and substance abuse,) are contagious for family and loved ones, then stability, patience and understanding can be contagious for the warrior as well.
For example, always being on the lookout for tripwires on roadside bombs in the parking lot of Wal-Mart can leave loved-ones stressed-out, fatigued and bewildered.
The Vet then develops avoidance habits to spare the love-ones' of this unrest.
But, stability, emotional equanimity, understanding, and an "always open" communication policy on the part of friends and family can also pervade the warrior's consciousness by reminding them that war memories are not real threats.
The warrior also develops habits for avoiding these threatening memories.
Both types of avoidance (i.e. avoiding people as well as memories,) exacerbate the condition.
The authors lay out a step-by-step process for overcoming such avoidance.
Overcoming avoidance is not the end-all, however.
The warrior is advised to continue to press into normal daily activities once the avoidance of threatening memories has been overcome.
For example, the authors recommend avoiding news, politics or situations (backyard BBQs may remind them of burning flesh,) that remind the Vet of their deployment.
However, once the imaginary threat of memories has been diffused by way of the step-by-step process, then, engaging in news and current events can be used as a logical extension for overcoming avoidance and finding one's way back into normal daily life.
Indeed, such subsequent engagements may even be a source of inspiration and provide an additional sense of purpose.
The book has actual stories and plenty of practical coping strategies for warriors, and their loved ones' with the courage and the will.
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| Good book |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This book deals with a difficult topic-how to interact with returning soldiers. It is good to know that there are professionals out there that are helping these soldiers and that the military is offering more services to them-these problems are real.
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| Thought it would be good |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
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I purchased this for my boyfriend upon him returning home from Fallujah. He didn't open it once. It's just not a book that a war veteran wants to read, or even be reminded of. He went through enough and all he really needed was professional help. Not a book that reiterates the pain and struggles that families endure.
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| Down Range: To Iraq and Back |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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My son suggested I read this before he comes home from his tour of duty in Iraq. It has been very helpful to understand what he has to deal with in terms of adjusting from daily combat and normal day to day life at home. Most people don't have a clue what these brave men and women have to deal with. They cannot just turn off their emotions just because they are back home.
Eveyone who has a loved one serving in a war zone should read this book.
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