Walter F. McDermott

Walter McDermott graduated with honors from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1968, enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to the Mekong Delta in 1969 at the height of the Vietnam War. A specialist with the Ninth Infantry Division, he provided artillery support to infantry patrols while struggling to cope with the authoritarian severity of the Army and the Alice-in-Wonderland madness of the war. His frank memoir relates the surreality of combat and traces his own metamorphosis from thoughtful undergrad to jaded veteran.

This introduction to the invisible wound of war, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, explains the historical development of PTSD, its myriad symptoms and the most effective psychological and medical treatments. Combining the basic tenets of cognitive psychotherapy and his own military experience, the author explores such topics as PTSD's effects on families and spouses, fear and anxiety, memory difficulties, feelings of guilt or anger, depression and suicidal thoughts, and others. Because it is a hidden, psychological wound, veterans afflicted with PTSD may find it difficult to understand their symptoms. Veterans and their families can better understand PTSD by reading this book.