"I was never really prepared for the reality of war."

 By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Years ago, a veteran told me, "I was never really prepared for the reality of war."

As a psychotherapist, I often think about his powerful observation when I work with people who have suffered various kinds of trauma. His comment continues to prove true as I hear stories from people who have been affected deeply by trauma, whether war, abuse, crime or a severe accident.

There are several realities to the experience of trauma, which we can describe generally as a situation that is a shock to the nervous system of the human being. The experience calls upon all of our resources -- physical, mental,  emotional and spiritual -- to survive.

After survival, however, the person's injured nervous system continues to feel the reverberations of the event. These after-effects may show up in many ways.  

Hypervigilance. Keeping highly watchful is an important survival skill in wartime. In ordinary life, however, this watchfulness creates huge problems; the veteran is unable to relax and perhaps may find himself or herself suspicious of others, having difficulty in crowds and certain situations, even close relationships.

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