B0038M1ADS EBOK Read Free

sharp and direct, but one
that may at times make others feel uncomfortable. There is maturity, but
combat also takes its toll and can make one feel older. It's not uncommon
for service members to feel as if they've aged one or two decades during a single deployment. Warriors are more independent, but this may make it
difficult to tolerate authority at work.

    Many warriors have a hard time reconnecting with loved ones, despite
their demonstrated ability to form lifelong bonds with unit peers. This
is not only because of how they've changed, but also because their loved
ones and society don't necessarily understand these changes, or view these
changes as "bad" or as an "illness." Unfortunately, PTSD has become confused with various normal reactions that warriors experience.
    PTSD is in many ways indistinguishable physically from prolonged
severe stress. Under prolonged stress, the stress "thermostat" is reset to
a different level. Prolonged stress causes numerous changes in the nervous system and endocrine (hormone) system that affect the entire body.
These can include increased heart rate and blood pressure, changes in
hormone levels, elevation in adrenaline, changes in concentration and
memory, and reduced immunity to fight infection. Studies suggest that
cells in the body that are under prolonged stress may undergo accelerated aging, validating the perceptions of combat veterans that they have
aged more rapidly than their peers back home. Deployment to a war
zone, which is a form of prolonged and severe stress, can change the
way in which the body adjusts to or responds to normal everyday levels
of stress. These physical (physiological) changes in the body are doubleedged. Warriors develop remarkable observational skills and reflexes.
However, post-deployment, they sometimes overreact to things in a way
that leads to strained relationships and problems at home or work.
    Coming Home
    Coming back from a combat deployment is like returning to the threedimensional world after experiencing a fourth dimension. It's hard to sort
out who is really crazy-you, or the rest of the world. The rest of the world
can't comprehend the concept of a fourth dimension; they can't relate to
it, and may not even be interested. Service members and veterans often
feel they're wasting their time dealing with people who can't relate to their
perspective, and many actually feel more at home in the war zone. One
infantry soldier, several months after returning from Iraq, said: "Through all the hell and anguish I've experienced fighting a war, I'd still rather be
fighting at war than wake up everyday to the bullshit I have to deal with
and overcome here at home in what I call my job and life."

    A marine who had been in Iraq said, "Truth is, many marines are lost
when they get home; there is a gap between us and civilians, which is having
an effect on each other understanding one another."
    In this book we'll examine why the soldier quoted above feels like
he'd rather be back in combat, and why the marine feels a split between
his peers and civilians. We'll explore the contradictions and paradoxes
of PTSD, and untangle what PTSD is from what it's not. Most important,
you'll be provided with concrete guidance toward a goal of living life with
greater joy and meaning, embracing your warrior spirit and using skills
you already have to successfully "transition" or "readjust" after combat,
whether that's within a few months of coming home or decades later. It's
never too late. The "transition" and "readjustment" process doesn't mean
you give up being a warrior, but rather learn to dial up or down your warrior responses depending on what's happening around you, always adapting to the environment you find yourself in.
    "Transition" and "Readjustment"
    The "transition/readjustment" time frame that is the focus of this book is
ill-defined and full of hazards. Depending on who you talk to, it seems to
span the time from