After the War Zone: A Practical Guide for Returning Troops and Their Families

by Matthew J. Friedman, Laurie B. Slone

From the Director and Associate Director of the VA's National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress a highly practical, user-friendly guide that answering all conceivable questions about returning from war--for veterans and families

Two experts from the VA National Center for PTSD provide an essential resource for service members, their spouses, families, and communities, sharing what troops really experience during deployment and back home. Pinpointing the most common after-effects of war and offering strategies for troop reintegration to daily life, Drs. Friedman and Slone cover the myths and realities of homecoming; reconnecting with spouse and family; anger and adrenaline; guilt and moral dilemmas; and PTSD and other mental-health concerns. With a wealth of community and government resources, tips, and suggestions, After the War Zone is a practical guide to helping troops and their families prevent war zone stresses from having a lasting negative impact.

Genres: Military Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2008

About the author

Matthew J. Friedman

National Center for PTSD,

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (White River Junction, VT)

Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology & Toxicology,

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth (Hanover, NH).

Reviews

[R. Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is indeed a practical guide for returning troops and their families. It's not a very in-depth medical examination of TBIs, for example, but it introduces a lot of concepts and works to counter some of the more dramatic, upsetting stories we see so often in the news. I actually think it could be quite useful if read in advance of deployment, especially in a family context, just to prepare people for the possibility that they might experience some of these things AND that they will not be alone in those experiences.

This book is designed for people to pick and choose what they want to read, so some information is repeated (you might not have encountered it already if you are not reading linearly), and there are a lot of references to relevant sections in other chapters. There are also a ton of resources in the back of the book, although links and phone numbers might no longer work.

[Jeanny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thorough, understandable treatment of many issues around reintegration after deployment to a war zone. It is particularly helpful in its presentation of symptoms and potential help for people with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. It will be helpful to service members, their families and friends, employers, medical and mental health providers, educators, clergy, and many other community members who will surely encounter returning service members or their families and want to respond with welcome, gratitude, and help where it is needed.

[Kat Hodgins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been a good book to have 15 years ago :)

American information for resources, etc, but some good basics for a family new to "the life". Certainly nothing earth shattering to anyone who has been around the military for a while and paying attention.

[J.R. Handley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I needed to read... even a decade after I left the desert. I'm still struggling with my time in the Late Unpleasantness in Mesopotamia. I search for answers... daily. This book gave me a few of them, at least for today. Everyone's PTSD is different, so your mileage may vary.