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Blending illustrative narratives from veterans with cutting-edge research, this book provides a model for a needed shift from treatment post-trauma to psychological training pre-trauma to prevent deep depression and resulting suicides.
As suicides among members of the U.S. military and veterans continue at a rate higher than in the general population-nearly 20 each day-and their calls for help become louder, with three veterans waiting for treatment outside Veterans Administration hospitals in 2019 committing suicide, authors and former U.S. Marines Kate Hendricks Thomas and Sarah Plummer Taylor present a call for a new approach to help halt the needless deaths.
Thomas, now a researcher and assistant professor of public health, and Plummer Taylor, now a social worker and adjunct professor, detail a plan to establish preventative training for mental fitness that will help psychologically "vaccinate" service members against depression and PTSD, the most common precursors to suicidal thoughts. Thomas and Plummer Taylor detail their mental fitness training program to shift from post-trauma treatment to pre-trauma prevention. Each topic addressed is illustrated with stories from veterans. Part of the solution, Thomas and Plummer Taylor explain, is to present prevention as something for all service members and as a positive, strength-building, challenging activity for champions, as opposed to a post-trauma treatment only for "weak and broken" warriors.
List of contents
Trigger WarningForeword: Community-Focused Solutions for Veteran Suicide Prevention Patrick McGuiganChapter 1 Author's Note: The Pistol or the Yoga Mat
Sarah Plummer TaylorChapter 2 Author's Note: A Culture of Silence
Kate Hendricks ThomasSection 1: Introduction to the BattlespaceChapter 3 Overview of the Issues
Chapter 4 The Power of Choice
Chapter 5 Military Mental Health
Section SummarySection 2: Self-CareChapter 6 Regulating the Nervous System for Mental Fitness
Chapter 7 Practicing Mindfulness
Section SummarySection 3: Social SupportChapter 8 The Science of Social Health
Chapter 9 Connecting Post-Service
Section SummarySection 4: Spiritual PracticeChapter 10 The Science of Spiritual Health
Chapter 11 Spirituality in Action
Section SummarySection 5: Reckoning with ResilienceChapter 12 Resilience Defined
Chapter 13 The Health Benefits of Resilient Trait Cultivation
Section SummaryAfterword: A New Approach to Combat Trauma: Healing Veterans and Military Members with Body-Centered and Alternative Treatments, Kate Hendricks Thomas, Pam Pence, John S. Huang, and Justin T. McDanielAppendix A: Suggested ReadingAppendix B: Breathwork and Meditation for Integration, Balance, and ClarityReferencesAbout the Authors and ContributorsIndex
About the author
Kate Hendricks Thomas, PhD, is a Marine Corps veteran with a doctorate in health education and health promotion.
Sarah Plummer Taylor, MSW, is a Marine Corps veteran, counselor, consultant, and researcher with a focus on mental and behavioral health and community engagement.
