Associates in Christian Counseling

The Silent Wounds of War

Much of the following information was excerpted from an interview between Dr. Tim Clinton and Major General (ret.) Bob Dees for Building Excellence in Faith-Based Counseling, produced by American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) 2009.

Combat fatigue has gone by many names. In the Civil War it was referred to as soldier’s heart; in World War I as shell shock; in World War II as battle fatigue; and in the 1960s as Vietnam syndrome. It was not until 1980 that the American Psychiatric Association gave the formal name, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and added it to its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-III.

It is not just the name that has changed with each succeeding conflict but also the number of military personnel exposed to combat. In WWII, only 18% of soldiers were engaged in combat zones. By Vietnam, that number had risen to 30-40%. In the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, 68% of service men and women are engaged in combat zones. Of those serving in these two current conflicts:
     95% report seeing someone killed or wounded
     87% report personally knowing someone who was killed or wounded
     93% report being shot at
     95% report being attacked or ambushed
     93% report receiving rocket or mortar fire
A Rand study released in April, 2008, concluded that nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan — 300,000 by that time last year — report symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or major depression. [http://www.rand.org/news/press/2008/04/17/]

When that Rand study was released 15 months ago, they estimated 300,000 veterans had returned from these two combat zones. That would mean 60,000 of those had symptoms of PTSD. It is estimated that only 40-50% of those sufferers will seek treatment. The Veterans Administration estimates that there are more than 400,000 untreated cases of PTSD among veterans from wars past.

These numbers don’t simply impact the military. Each sufferer probably impacts 10 people in relationship around him. For those with PTSD, 2 out of 3 of their marriages will end in divorce. A recent census estimated that there are more than 760,000 homeless Americans. One in four of those are veterans. More than 70% of those suffer from PTSD.

In addition to the symptoms of PTSD with which we may be familiar—flashbacks, nightmares, intense reactions to reminders (i.e. loud noises, being startled, etc.), hypervigilence, outbursts of anger, etc.—there are spiritual symptoms as well. An individual may feel abandoned by, angry at or alienated from God, or an inability to pray as well as doubting their core beliefs.

In Matthew, Jesus directs us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” The veteran may be your neighbor, your co-worker, or sit next to you in church on Sunday. If you know someone who suffers in silence or someone who struggles with a silent sufferer, encourage them. They need not journey alone. Help is available.

Major General (ret.) Robert Dees served for 31 years in the military is now the head of Military Ministry through Campus Crusade for Christ.