Page 446 - Total War on PTSD

conversation and networking. Gone was the struggle to fit in. Gone was that feeling of not belonging. I had a job to do and the means to do it and I was going to give it my best.”
More than 200,000 U.S. service members return to civilian life each year. Military life can be challenging. Aside from the obvious physical demands — and the lack of privacy and personal freedom — for many military personnel there is the very real possibility of injury and death. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that many returning service men and women find the transition from military to civilian life difficult. In fact, researchers found more than 40 percent experience stress about the process. That difficulty is even more acute among Veterans from the post-9/11 era.
After living in the highly structured and demanding environment of the U.S. military, Veterans often find it difficult to re-engage with their families and communities. Adjusting to the normal pace of work and family life can be “boring” to someone used to the risks and intensity of life in a combat zone. And many Veterans crave the camaraderie and structure they experienced during their time in the service.
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