Recently, the CDP collaborated with colleagues within the VA Healthcare System, University of Rochester, and Louisiana State University to examine the role of difficulties with emotion regulation on military connected individuals with PTSD
A few years ago, I had the privilege of treating an Afghan interpreter who had served alongside U.S. soldiers for several years during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF); he had witnessed and directly experienced a multitude of traumas. When the U.S. decided to fully withdraw from Afghanistan in August 2021, my patient became incredibly anxious about the safety of interpreters and their families still in that country, as well as his own safety in the U.S.
As we have looked at the concept of moral injury we have predominantly looked at it as a condition of the individual. However, every disorder exists within a social context. In this entry, I’d like to examine the role of American society in moral injury. Previously, I had discussed the treatment options that have evolved. These methods focus on the service members developing some form of peace with what had happened in a variety of ways. What I am hoping to examine is the aspects of our culture and society that may contribute to the burden that our service members bear in the prosecution of a war or conflict.
Several years ago, I was co-facilitating a group Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) session with several BIPOC (Black, Indiginous, People of Color), Vietnam Veterans. During agenda setting, one of the Veterans in the group wanted to discuss a Challenging Beliefs Worksheet (CBW) that he had completed during the past week. I acknowledged his request, and, since he didn’t often speak about his practice assignments, I asked the group if we could start with his agenda item. The rest of the group agreed.