This study explored former combat soldiers self-descriptions of being broken. All participants were solicited with a request to discuss their understanding, personal meanings, and events that led them to feeling broken. Participants were required to have deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan and to have referred to themselves as being broken. A grounded theory design was used to capture the complexities of the participants combat and post-combat experiences. Fifteen men volunteered to participate in up to four interviews. Data analysis revealed six categories which were broken down into the five findings: numbness results in withdrawal from relationships and social engagement; experiencing death, witnessing death or injuries of people close to them, and realizing that they could get killed at any time; idealization of command is promoted but is invariably ruptured; survival guilt is bad news; and physically broken, mentally broken, and emotionally broken. Also addressed was the distinctive process that unfolded as the participants engaged the researcher around the exploration of being broken. Theoretical, research, and clinical implications are discussed.

This study explored former combat soldiers' self-descriptions of being broken. All participants were solicited with a request to discuss their understanding, personal meanings, and events that led them to feeling broken. Participants were required to have deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan and to have referred to themselves as being broken. A grounded theory design was used to capture the complexities of the participants' combat and post-combat experiences. Fifteen men volunteered to participate in up to four interviews. Data analysis revealed six categories which were broken down into the five findings: numbness results in withdrawal from relationships and social engagement; experiencing death, witnessing death or injuries of people close to them, and realizing that they could get killed at any time; idealization of command is promoted but is invariably ruptured; survival guilt is bad news; and physically broken, mentally broken, and emotionally broken. Also addressed was the distinctive process that unfolded as the participants engaged the researcher around the exploration of being broken. Theoretical, research, and clinical implications are discussed.

The Australian Defence Force prides itself on a longstanding tradition of Mateship, Courage, and Noble Sacrifice. The unfortunate truth is that when the war fighting stops it's not the enemy that you have to worry about - it's your own people.

Nearly 1.9 million U.S. troops have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq since October 2001. Many service members and veterans face serious challenges in readjusting to normal life after returning home. This initial book presents findings on the most critical challenges, and lays out the blueprint for the second phase of the study to determine how best to meet the needs of returning troops and their families.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder than can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event." This is the Wikipedia description for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Anyone can look it up. Everyone knows that military personnel are likely to face difficult and challenging situations. You may think: 'Yes, I get that, God knows what these serving boys and girls have seen and been through.' You can try and imagine, but that is all you can do. I also did not understand, until I experienced first-hand the impact of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Through the stories of six veterans, this book seeks to give insight into their broken hearts, bodies and minds- and the hell they experienced. This invisible hell of the traumatic sights, sounds, smells, screams, and pain cannot be forgotten and continues to haunt these veterans. Nothing can make these experiences go away - that is impossible. But beyond their harrowing experiences, many veterans are let down by society. Their relationship with the world is forever changed. They return home to find they no longer fit into their former communities. Their loved ones may be unable to cope with or support these returning veterans. The British government regularly turns its back on veterans, reneges on its covenant, on its promises and on its duty to men and women who have lost so much through serving their duty. Researching and writing this book has been an emotional roller-coaster. It is painful to see how our troops have been badly let down on so many levels. The pain, trauma and sense of betrayal are all tangible in the personal accounts of veterans battling Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . The subsequent disintegration of personal relationships is complex and at times happens around issues that cannot be controlled. The British government can control how it helps the men and women who have served their country. This book seeks to explain the challenges of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to all who have not been there, who struggle to understand and seek to support those affected. We hope that this book has a wide and far reaching audience and inspires crucial changes that will make a positive difference in the lives of veterans and their loved ones.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder than can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event."This is the Wikipedia description for PTSD. Anyone can look it up. Everyone knows that military personnel are likely to face difficult and challenging situations. You may think: 'Yes, I get that, God knows what these serving boys and girls have seen and been through.' You can try and imagine, but that is all you can do. I also did not understand, until I experienced first-hand the impact of PTSD.Through the stories of six veterans, this book seeks to give insight into their broken hearts, bodies and minds- and the hell they experienced. This invisible hell of the traumatic sights, sounds, smells, screams, and pain cannot be forgotten and continues to haunt these veterans.Nothing can make these experiences go away - that is impossible. But beyond their harrowing experiences, many veterans are let down by society. Their relationship with the world is forever changed. They return home to find they no longer fit into their former communities. Their loved ones may be unable to cope with or support these returning veterans. The British government regularly turns its back on veterans, reneges on its covenant, on its promises and on its duty to men and women who have lost so much through serving their duty. Researching and writing this book has been an emotional roller-coaster. It is painful to see how our troops have been badly let down on so many levels. The pain, trauma and sense of betrayal are all tangible in the personal accounts of veterans battling PTSD. The subsequent disintegration of personal relationships is complex and at times happens around issues that cannot be controlled. The British government can control how it helps the men and women who have served their country.This book seeks to explain the challenges of PTSD to all who have not been there, who struggle to understand and seek to support those affected. We hope that this book has a wide and far reaching audience and inspires crucial changes that will make a positive difference in the lives of veterans and their loved ones.

Why, he asks, were only fourteen American soldiers tried as collaborators when thousands of others who admitted to some of the same offenses were not?".