I have covered most of these issues you have brought up in my blog PTSD, A Soldier’s Perspective, but as you have pointed out I have yet to write a inclusive article on the theme you have brought up.

Below you will find articles that reflect the issues you have brought up.

My original paper on the complexities the returning combat veteran faces, it touches on reintegration on a personal and community level:

PTSD, From A Combat Veteran’s Perspective

Post on combat veteran’s associations and attachments with the military community and how that supersedes the family and community connections:

Warrior Archetype

And finally, a post on how spirituality and sobriety are cornerstones to my recovery:

What I Did to Battle PTSD

However, according to the book I read by Dr. Jonathan Shay (I referenced this in a previous commentary), there are three steps to conquering the demons of PTSD. First is sobriety. The veteran must be free from the clutches of alcohol and/or drugs in order for any kind of treatment to be effective. The second is reconnecting with your community. According to Shay’s 20 years of experience in dealing with the most extreme cases of PTSD, veterans have a very difficult time trusting others because of the danger that is associated with that during war time. Finally, the veteran must create a personal narrative. He/she must connect his/her past with the present, and the future. This is the last, and most important step. While at war, the body adapts to survive (of course, I don’t have to tell you this, but others might not appreciate the magnitude of the adaptations), creating the primitive/rational response problem that you referenced above. The soldier in a combat zone lives everyday in a high stakes atmosphere of life or death, so thoughts about the past and future are completely eliminated. Anyway, I could go on all day about this, but I think you, and others here, should definitely consider reading his book.

Shane