Decades after Charles Figley’s landmark Trauma and Its Wake was published, our understanding of trauma has grown and deepened, but we still face considerable challenges when treating trauma survivors. This is especially the case for professionals who work with veterans and active-duty military personnel. War Trauma and Its Wake, then, is a vital book. The editors—one a Vietnam veteran who wrote the overview chapter on treatment for Trauma and Its Wake, the other an Army Reserve psychologist with four deployments—have produced a book that addresses both the specific needs of particular warrior communities as well as wider issues such as battlemind, guilt, suicide, and much, much more. The editors’ and contributors’ deep understanding of the issues that warriors face makes War Trauma and Its Wake a crucial book for understanding the military experience, and the lessons contained in its pages are essential for anyone committed to healing war trauma. The chapter, "Women Warriors: From Making Milestones in the Military to Community Reintegration" is authored by yours truly and it was an honor to take part in this long-awaited piece on approaching combat trauma from multiple perspectives. It should go without saying that women have not only been making historical strides, but also paying dearly for their bravery. It is important to note not only the history of oppression of and discrimination against women in the military and the necessary steps towards breaking down these barriers as well as seemingly myriad socio-cultural hurdles, but also that we must help pave the way to a less tumultuous future. This chapter will discuss women veterans’ history as well as military sexual trauma, combat service, benefits and barriers, discrimination, and progress. The topic of women veterans alone could fill volumes of books. Here I will attempt to address many sensitive subjects which can act as a springboard to activate a discussion of even more critical and essential points for service providers and women veterans in general. Purchase "War Trauma and Its Wake" Routledge Hardback Amazon Hardback Amazon Kindle Edition
0 Comments
|
AuthorM.B. Dallocchio is an artist, author, Iraq war veteran, and social worker based in London. Her latest book, “The Desert Warrior,” covers post-traumatic growth, resilience, and redefining one’s own personal meaning of “home.” Archives
August 2020
|