Customer Reviews

Crisis and Chaos: Life with the Combat Veteran. The Stories of Families Living and Coping with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I live with a vet who is 100% disabled from PTSD. I picked up this book hoping for some helpful insights. Instead, I read page after page, story after story, of veterans who could only be described as self-centered, inconsiderate to the point of sociopathy, violent and with few redeeming qualities. To compound the harm done by this image to the many PTSD sufferers who are nothing at all like the vets she describes, her tone suggests that the wife (typically) is expected to somehow live through these atrocities almost no matter what it does to her life. Her image of the vet is almost a cruel continuation of the negative image much of society already has about Vietnam vets. In my experience, the kind of violent PTSD sufferer she describes is in the minority.

Her concluding chapter about the possibility of getting better appears out of nowhere and she gives little suggestion how this change is supposed to occur.

If you want to read a book that intelligently explains PTSD to both the sufferer and significant others, try Recovering From the War: A Guide for All Veterans, Family Members, Friends and Therapists by Patience H.C. Mason, also sold on Amazon.com. Give Crisis and Chaos a pass; you're missing nothing.

Many will recognize neighbors, friends, ex-spouses, and relatives who were never recognized for their sacrifice made during the unpopular war in VietNam. This book helps us understand why war does not end for veterans who served in combat zones; the war lives forever for veterans and their families. A book that cannot be "put down"--must reading for anyone who knows a veteran or wants to understand the legacy of war.

This book is a tell-it-like-it-is, no holds barred look at the true, often ugly nature of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the many troubling, often anti-social behaviors that can accompany it.

As one who has been there, I am most grateful for the author's concentration on the effects of PTSD as it relates to the families of combat veterans. She writes "To the spouse, child, parent- this book is dedicated to those who have helped our country's warriors to face the pain of their past, to mourn and to heal. You have suffered terribly on the homefront. For your unselfish love and care, you, too, are deserving of the purple heart."

As a wife of a combat veteran, Colleen knows of where she speaks. There are many personal examples of situations that are common to the problem.- Reading these stories have helped me feel a kinship with all these people brave enough to share their stories.

The author explores secondary PTSD, depression, suicide,the healing power of spirituality, among many other relative subjects.

This is a hopeful, helpful book touching on a subject that begs for more exploration in the public arena. An excellent, courageous resource.

While doing a seach for information on living with vets with PTSD there were two books listed.

I found it interesting that the negitive and positive comments (one each) appears to be copy and pasted in each case.

How about someone else reading and then giving the books a real life rating!