War and Redemption ─ Treatment and Recovery in Combat-Related Traumatic Stress Disorder

Incorporating illustrative case material from 65 veterans he has treated over two decades, Dewey (Chief of Psychiatry at the Boise, Idaho Veteran Affairs Medical Center) explores how the trauma of war effects veterans morally, spiritually, and existentially, in addition to the more commonly discussed symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. He also describes his thoughts on the process of treatment, including chapters on understanding conditioned responses, the use of group therapy, the role of humor in treatment, and the related issues of sleep and medication. Finally, he examines how veterans use concepts of sin, confession, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, and love in confronting their experiences of war. Annotation c2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Larry Dewey is Chief of Psychiatry at the Boise, Idaho Veterans Affairs Medical Center (USA) and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine, USA. He has worked with combat veterans and their families in outpatient clinics, support and therapy groups, specialized treatment programs, and inpatient units for over twenty years. Veterans treated have included those involved in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Bosnia and Kosovo, and most recently Afghanistan and Iraq. These veterans come from every branch of the service, every rank, and almost every conceivable type of combat experience. Prior to beginning his clinical career with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr Dewey graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1979 and completed his psychiatric fellowship and residency training at Yale in 1983.