Page 65 - Total War on PTSD

are doing. The combat Veteran may struggle with guilt over having their own children when returning home and the crying of their own children can then become a significant trigger for them stateside.
Over the course of a deployment, combat Veterans often become more numb and aggressive. They will dehumanize people and see them as objects, targets, or “Haji,” the slang and derogatory term given to Middle Eastern individuals in the combat zone. The combat Veteran often will use morbid humor to cope with aversive events, as well as may feel empowered or even elated during the kill cycle and the taking of lives due to adrenaline highs. All of these reactions to the combat zone can be considered adaptive and a way to minimize the emotional impact on the Veteran at the time of the trauma. As one can well imagine, the combat Veteran will often come home and in hindsight start to question their morals and values that they could act in such a cold and callous manner, often labeling themselves “monsters.” Again, these adaptive behaviors must be looked at in the context they occurred and viewed as necessary to function. Often these numbing and chemically driven reactions are not driving the Veterans behavior. The situation and context, typically the need to survive and protect their peers, almost always are the deciding factors in the Veteran’s actions and behaviors. To be aggressive and angry in the combat zone are viewed by peers as much more favorable attributes than being emotional or breaking down, which are viewed as weak or “combat ineffective.” When a combat Veteran comes into treatment, it is important to give them a space that is judgement free and where their actions can be viewed contextually. In treatment, we discuss the natural progression of aggression over the course of deployment, suppression of the fear that stalks the Veteran and is replaced by numbing, and the necessity of these adaptive behaviors to survive horrific and overwhelming circumstances.
Combat Veterans can go beyond what situations dictate as far as aggression and the harming of others. They are often deeply ashamed by their actions and question their values and morals that would allow them to act in such a cold and seemingly sociopathic manner. These individuals are typically not sociopaths. I have repeatedly seen this phenomenon in God-fearing men who, in general, have very good values. Whether it is the group mentality, mid-brain/animalistic functioning in dangerous situations, the low level of chemical shock they experience related to
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