December 3
HISTORY OF PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder has a long history. Moses directed the commanders of the returning Hebrew warriors to encamp the army outside the Hebrew camp for the required cleansing period of seven days (Numbers 31:19). He also directed those who had slain or come in contact with a dead body to purify themselves according to the Hebrew laws on the third and again on the seventh days. Only then could these soldiers who had seen and tasted battle be allowed into the camp amongst their families once again.
Why? Not only because of the blood-borne disease they potentially came in contact with but, according to Jewish rabbinical clarification, it was because of the mental and emotional anguish the army had been put through in combat. God knew and knows the emotional pain soldiers feel when they see a comrade cut down before their eyes, or when they, who have been raised to respect human life, are now in a position to take life. These events traumatize the emotions and the psyche of the human being. God, in his wisdom, set forth the purification laws to counteract these traumas.
Now fast forward to American military history. In the Civil War, the condition Soldier’s Heart was recorded as shock-like symptoms along with mental and emotional symptoms. In World War I it was called shell shock. In World War II and Korea the problem was known as battle fatigue, and in Vietnam, combat stress. PTSD was finally recognized as a mental/anxiety disorder 1984.
Those with PTSD have severe problems trusting anyone and sharing that they have PTSD (if they even recognize it). But church laypeople can be trained to identify the outward displays and the internal feelings of a combat veteran. This basic training can be enough to help identify the problems:
• Get prayer support
• Make referrals to support systems
• Be able to support as a concerned layperson within the community.
Lord, make me more sensitive to the needs of returning veterans and their families; show me how to support them.
“The LORD is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
December 4
COUPLES FACING SEPARATION IS TOUGH
Mark returned home in the spring. It was the end of his second deployment. He and his wife had discussed the toll on their young family, and he was exiting military service. Although they were both committed Christians, the deployment had been very difficult. He had been involved in combat operations in Ramadi and Fallujah. But the combat wasn’t the only stress that tore at them. A year of separation and the stress of a young marriage and new baby were weighting both of them when he returned. There were signs that coming home would not be as easy as either had imagined. They expected the stress level to decrease, but instead it increased on his return.
Whether stress is combat or noncombat related, the signs are going to occur in the same way. The marriage relationship is often one of the first red flags. The husband may not feel needed. The wife may not be handling the return of the husband very well. For months she has handled the day-to-day needs of their family. There may be unique characteristics and a personality that was not present before he or she left, like temper outbursts or bouts of depression, anxiety symptoms, a pattern of withdrawal from social situations that were not there before the deployment. The couple may have difficulty connecting emotionally. If either spouse is having trouble adjusting to a return from deployment, primarily it becomes evident within the marriage relationship.
If a person is unable to get through the adjustment and deal with the stress and separation as well as the stress brought about in war, then it is an issue (not a character flaw) that needs intervention. Be watchful for the warning signs and reach out for help. Without help someone who was highly functional becomes chronically less functional. The signs are not subtle. They are red flags snapping back and forth in the wind.
Dear God, please help me cherish, love, and respect my spouse. Where there is strife, please bring peace. Where there is hurt, please bring healing.
“Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master. Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don’t take advantage of them.” (Colossians 3:18–19, THE MESSAGE)
December 5
FAMILIES AND EXTENDED DEPLOYMENT
Pending separation is difficult; communication and preparation must take place. The shock of it all is often too difficult for most to deal with effectively.
One soldier shared with me:
It was approaching Thanksgiving. Our unit had been notified of the deployment but we were not authorized to tell our families yet. It was a relief because most people did not know how to begin to give that news. Then without warning we were gathered together. The commander said, “The local news is going to release the story about our pending deployment tonight. If you don’t want your family finding out that way, go home and tell them now.” It was a gut-wrenching drive home. My wife and I went for a walk, and I broke the news. She was floored. Her worst nightmare had begun. How do you give that kind of news? How do you prepare to leave home?
There is no easy way to prepare for separation. Especially regarding deployment to a combat zone. There are numerous issues with fear, vulnerability, and shifting responsibilities. There is no easy way to begin that conversation. What is certain is that the communication must begin, and it must continue as deployment approaches.
The family needs a secure and strong support network. Those families who don’t already have one need to be very deliberate in finding and establishing one. They need to be very dedicated until they develop this. They cannot let any of the personal struggles that they are experiencing get in the way of establishing a strong support group. A support group should include some one who has experienced the same trial of separation or at least somebody who’s been through something very difficult and who has had to lean on somebody else.
In addition to the work needed before the deployment begins, deployed soldiers should stay in contact and communicate as much as they can once they have left. Fortunately the mechanisms that exist today for
