Page 55 - Total War on PTSD

deployed, even with the understanding that it is the combat Veteran’s job and responsibility to be deployed and serve our country.
The military spouse takes on new roles and rules of the house may shift to accommodate the loss and absence of the combat Veteran. The discipline and decisions in the home are left to the military spouse and commonly by the time the end of deployment occurs, the combat family has forged a new routine and rhythm to adjust to the absence of the combat Veteran. It is not hard to anticipate that although the family happily awaits the return of their combat Veteran, reintegrating him/her back into the family system is not always an easy task. The combat Veteran upon returning home, may feel like an outsider in the newly established system, not only due to shifting roles, but because they have endured trauma, they often cannot reconcile within themselves and begin to have symptoms for which they cannot cope. The family or spouse of the combat Veteran may experience a profound sense of loss related to the return of the Veteran, as the individual who left months earlier truly did not return home.
When combat Veterans return to their communities, they are often isolated from their military peers and the men and women with whom they were deployed. They feel alone in their experience and feel those around them do not understand what they have been through, as well as start to view civilians as oblivious to the truth of the evilness of human nature and what people really are capable of doing. They continue to feel protective of those around them and believe that if they are “complacent” something bad will happen. Because of their trauma and their need for control over their environment, they are chronically vigilant wherever they go. Combat Veterans will keep their backs to the wall, watch entrances/exits, size up everyone in their environment, trust no one, and will always develop a mental plan of how to escape an environment or how they would respond if something dangerous were to occur. They have difficulties being present in the moment and enjoying their experiences. They chronically run “What if” scenarios in their heads, often anticipating the worst-case scenario. In some sense, this gives a sense of preparedness related to their environment. On a whole different level, however, it actually keeps them in a very negative mindset and perpetuates their anxiety and negative beliefs about people and the world in general. Combat Veterans will often go to businesses during off hours to avoid people. They will steer away from crowded areas or environments that
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