Product Description

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in our returning combat troops is one of the most catastrophic issues confronting our nation. Yet, despite the fact that nearly 20 percent of the over half million troops that have left the military since 2003 have been diagnosed with PTSD, and that many who suffer symptoms are unlikely to seek help because of the stigma of this terrible disease, our government and media have remained silent.

Moving A Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops is a grassroots call to action designed to break the shameful silence and put the issue of PTSD in our returning troops front and center before the American public. In addition to presenting interviews with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffering with PTSD, such as Blake Miller, the famous "Marlboro Man," this book will be the most comprehensive resource to date for concerned citizens who want to understand the complex political, social, and health-related issues of PTSD, with an eye toward "moving our nation to care" to do what is necessary to help our fighting men and women who suffer from PTSD.

Ilona Meagher is editor of the online journal PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within and author of the PTSD Timeline, a comprehensive database of PTSD incidents. She has appeared on Fox News and numerous other media outlets.

Robert Roerich, MD, is one of the world experts in trauma therapy and PTSD and a board member of the National Gulf War Resource Center.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #146619 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 200 pages

About the Author
Ilona Meagher is editor of the online journal PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within. Her collaboration with ePluribus Media has resulted in the PTSD Timeline, a database of reported PTSD incidents. She has appeared in numerous media outlets, and has been interviewed on Fox News about the issue of PTSD in troops returning from Iraq.

Customer Reviews

disappointed
I felt as if I was reading a "report" from the internet and not an informative book on PTSD. Too much political bias for me, could have done w/out that, very slick job. There were a few interesting and valid view points and facts, but the meat and potatoes of this book could have been written in 20 pages in bullet format. I don't care much for reading books that are a compilation of information from other books. I have read many of her sources books and found them far more helpful and valuable.

I am a strong supporter of our military and understand PTSD and it's affects all too well. I have lost two Soldiers to suicide upon return from Iraq. If I weren't already in the mix I am not so sure this book would "move" me to care, I was hopeful by the title and reviews that it would inspire others to do just that "care" more and get involved. At some points I felt like I was reading anti-war, anti-American rhetoric and not about PTSD. The bias in the media and our own politicians wanting this war to be failure has hurt our Troops more than anything. I do agree Rumsfeld was an idiot and screw up in her political expressions.

I found no inspiration in this book, other than to agree the DOD needs to start tracking suicides of our Veterans post deployment, some are hard to call like high speed car accidents late at night, intentional or accident? I do agree more of us need to put pressure on the VA and politicians to force the VA to function properly now and not later, but again nothing in this writing stirred any fire from within. Maybe if PTSD and war is new to you it might, I can only hope.

Enough already w/understanding and research of PTSD, we have enough information and it's time to start progressive, productive treatment and support. As the author points out PTSD has been around since the dawn of war. The VA has always been poorly managed and needs to be cleaned up, this is nothing new, we can't blame all of it on Iraq and the Stan influx or present administration, though they do need to step up. During peace time no one cared what the VA was doing and now our country is paying the price in more ways than one. I did agree that the miitary and gov have created some nice catch 22's for our guys returning so they don't have to spend the money to take care of our Soldiers and Marines.

So I painfully give this book one star, just was hoping for more.

A Must Read
PTSD: Pathways Through the Secret Door A must read. Although it is a bit analytical at times. I found that it expanded my references greatly

An illuminating resource on PTSD
Those of us who diagnose PTSD are faced with daunting challenges in its treatment of many facets: therapy, support groups, community based resources, and medication management. Post Traumatic Stress becomes a disorder when that person is no longer able to function adequately. Friendships drift apart, marriages dissolve and increasing stress can overwhelm anyone whether it is the result of rape, natural or manmade disaster, or the horror of war. Knowing what PTSD is is half the battle in getting treatment.

Mental health professionals may hear from patients, "You weren't in combat; how would you know what PTSD is like?" Ilona Meagher has written an illuminating resource, gleaned from many hours of research and interviews with our military and veterans to bring Moving a Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops to our attention. You will discover through the words of our warriors what PTSD is.

A 19th century poem by Will Allen Dromgoole called the "The Bridge Builder" describes an older man who had a journey to make on foot, through a river over a deep canyon. After crossing it, he stayed and built a bridge across the stream.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim, near,
"You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide-
Why build you a bridge at the eventide?"
The builder lifted his old gray head:
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today,
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm, that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."

Let us build it through knowledge and support.