Tag: military

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School Library Journal Review of Veteran’s PTSD Memoir

Michael Anthony

A recent review from the School Library Journal regarding Civilianized:

“Teens who have grown up witnessing America’s involvement in wars and who may know veterans who experienced warfare firsthand will be drawn to this raw, unsentimental memoir. Upon returning home, Anthony-who spent the previous year in Iraq assisting doctors during surgery in a combat support hospital-realizes that he misses the adrenaline rushes, sense of purpose, and camaraderie. Thinking about misguided politics invokes a rage in the 21-year-old that is channeled by putting himself in dangerous situations. But far worse is the feeling of numbness. Alcohol and drug abuse lead to suicidal thoughts and the resolution that if he doesn’t recover in three months, he will kill himself. Believing that he has nothing to lose, Anthony signs up for a course on learning how to attract women. The narration has moments of levity as the instructor, whom Anthony describes as an “ape with ADD,” guides a group of misfits in ridiculous exercises. Anthony has ups and downs as he copes with post-traumatic stress disorder and addictions during the allotted three months. Ultimately, his salvation comes through writing about the truths of his deployment as well as through sobriety and a romantic relationship. The author’s message (that it’s not necessarily the horrors of war that break a soldier- it’s coming home) will resonate with audiences of all ages. VERDICT This fast, immersive work will especially appeal to reluctant readers for its grittiness and humor.”

-Sherry Mills, Hazelwood East High School, St. Louis

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Veteran’s Day: Are you the type of person that’s worth dying for?

Michael Anthony

Here’s the thing about Veteran’s Day … and what has me so bitter today…

There’s an implicit agreement between veterans and civilians: As Veterans our job is to fight and die for our country and countrymen; as civilians, your job to make sure that our country is worth fighting and dying for. And honestly, as of late, when I read the news and listen to the stories that are going on, I begin to feel as though you civilians aren’t holding up your end of the deal.

And now, here we are on Veteran’s Day…

Veteran’s day is a day to thank veteran’s for their sacrifices—both current, and veterans throughout the ages. It’s a day to thank those brave men and women who were willing to fight and die for the sake of their country, and their countrymen. From those first Americans fighting to free us from British oppression, to freeing the slaves, to liberating the concentration camp, to modern day soldiers…

But here’s the thing, this veteran’s day (and for the rest of this year, really) instead of wasting our time and money buying “Support our Troops,” bumper stickers, and shaking hands with veterans, or Facebooking a message to a friend-of-a-friend who served overseas; instead, I have a different idea…

Instead of thanking a soldier for being willing to fight and die on our behalf; instead of taking a moment of silence for all those who have given their life in the line of duty; how about we take that same amount of time  and instead focus on being the type of people, and the type of country, that’s actually worth dying for.

Those brave men and women who sign that dotted line are the bravest, and toughest, that our country has to offer—this means that, as always, it’s the toughest who protect the weakest. And that’s fine, we all have our parts to play, not everyone’s made to be a solider and a warrior.

But we need to keep in mind that when those men and women go overseas to fight and die, they’re doing it for US! And those who’ve never fought need to stop and ask themselves, “Am I worth it?” “Am I worth dying for?” And is our “Country worth dying for?” And if the answer is “No.” Then it’s up to us to walk down to that recruiting station and sign ourselves up, or it’s up to else to make sure our country is the type of place that’s still worth dying for. Because I’ll tell you, I’m tired of seeing that my brothers in arms are fighting for people who care more about the Kardashians than the battle of Kandahar, people who care more about the latest iPhone than the struggles that veterans faces after the war, people who’ve sent our economy into a recession, people who’ve shut the government down, and people who refuse to step up and actually make a different.

I don’t think it’s been done deliberately, but I do believe that you guys need to be reminded about the deal: we’ve held up our end, now it’s time for you guys to step up and hold up yours.

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Thought For the Day – Alden Nowlan (Growing up in War)

Michael Anthony

This quote, by the poet Alden Nowlan, really hit me at the right moment in my life. Recently, I had been reminiscing about my time in the military, particularly Iraq, and I felt this quote captured something that I had been trying to piece together for many years…

When I had first deployed to Iraq, I was only twenty years old. At that point, I had gone to college for a year, had been through army basic training and AIT–which included dozens of intense surgeries, and even delivering a baby or two–but even with all that, I went to war as an adolescent.

All of my commanders and NCOIC’s were older than me, by many years, and as I watched several of them struggle through being leaders and commanding troops, I constantly found myself pointing out their imperfections. I couldn’t believe, to put it bluntly, how shitty some of these people seemed–as leaders, soldiers, and just, humans in general.

Now, granted, some of my hate and frustration with my leadership was warranted–one sergeant major, two first sergeants, and a company commander were relieved of duty after all (and even all that was a bit of an understatement)–but it’s only now, years later, that I realized I had been viewing much of my leadership through adolescent eyes that expected “adults,” and older people to have all the answers.

I know now that “adults” don’t have all the answers, and never did, and that I was foolish to expect them to in the first place.

As I’ve traversed through the  ages that many of my leaders were in Iraq, I find it chilling to think of the responsibility that many of my fellow soldiers had at such young ages. One leader, for example, was only twenty-seven when he was in charge of the section I worked in. To me, at that time, twenty-seven might as well have been forty, but as I’ve turned twenty seven myself–and then left it behind–I shuttered to think of having such responsibility when still at such a young age.

Now, at the age of thirty, I have my own responsibilities, full-time employment, a wife and daughter to look after, a mortgage to pay, etc. But my responsibilities now are nothing compared to the responsibilities that a leader faces during war–and many of them were younger than I am now.

Perhaps there’s no perfect age to be a leader at war; after all, age doesn’t always equal intelligence, or ethics…

But, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I now realize how foolish it was of me to expect these “adults,” to be perfect people, perfect soldiers, and perfect leaders. Some of them were shitty leaders, don’t get me wrong, but I realize now that many of them were just doing the best they could in a shitty situation. Maybe it’s taken all these years for me to reach adulthood and forgive them (forgive, but not forget, many of those bastards are beyond any grace). But I guess that’s where I’m at and I think this quote by Nowlan summarized it up nicely.

 

 

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Thought For The Day – Friedrich Nietzsche on War

Michael Anthony

“War and courage have done more great things than charity. Not your sympathy, but your bravery hath hitherto saved the victims.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

This is a controversial Nietzsche quote–one of many–but it’s one that I actually agree with.

Too often a tragedy strikes and people give their “thoughts and prayers,” to the victims, but typically, it ends there. Sure, they’ll tweet and post caring messages on Facebook, but in all honesty, does that do anything? Anything at all for the victims? It’s sad to think about, but most people, in the face of tragedy, actually do nothing. They maybe, at most, donate a few dollars to charity and then go living their lives.

Charity’s then take the money, pay their staff first, host a couple of expensive charity events–remember the sad state of affairs of Wounded Warrior Project (which was once a great organization)–and then after all that, only a little bit of the money donated to charity will actually go to the victims.

In the face of tragedy, it’s the brave and courageous, not the charitable, that make all the difference.

It’s fine to give “thoughts and prayers,” but please be aware that, sometimes, the answer to those prayers is God using the fist of the brave.

When WWII happened, America just didn’t sit by and give our “thoughts and prayers,” we gave the blood of our bravest.

I am not a war-hawk by any means, but when I see the tragedies caused by terrorists at home and abroad, and then I see social media filled with “thoughts and prayers,” but no one taking action, it’s another tragedy.

What are your thoughts? Agree? Disagree?

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Thought for the Day – Staff Sergeant Old School

Michael Anthony

You want to know something kind of strange about me?

I’ve never been offended in my entire life.

Seriously, I’ve never been offended in my entire life.

Let me explain…

Actually, there’s not much to explain.

Whatever this feeling/emotion of offended/offense is, I’ve never felt it. It just seems like this foreign abstract concept to me; I’ve felt every other emotion, I believe, but this feeling of offense, that seems to be in the news every day, I’ve never felt it. In fact, sometimes, I doubt that it’s even a real emotion.

Imagine, for a moment, a tribe of early cavemen and women, can you imagine them being offended? Sure, they can experience the typical emotions of joy, sadness, anger, and happiness, but what about offense? Will Org be offended when Olga makes fun of his cave drawing? Will Org’s wife be offended if she’s mistaken for a Neanderthal instead of a Homo Sapien? What would offend our early ancestors? Nothing, I think. Maybe I’m just a little more caveman, and haven’t evolved enough to feel offended, but honestly, I think it’s a useless emotion.

Politics / News, ptsd, Uncategorized

How can I help someone with PTSD?

Michael Anthony

PTSD Awareness Month

PTSD does not just affect the person who has it. Rather, the condition can also have a negative impact on his or her family and friends. It’s not easy to live with the symptoms of PTSD, and seeing your loved ones suddenly change their behavior can be utterly terrifying. You fear that they won’t ever come back to normal, even when they’re under therapy.

Even though things may get difficult, it is important that you give your full support to the person suffering from PTSD. It doesn’t sound much, but it can actually promote a positive change to your loved one. Here are tips on how you and your family can cope with PTSD:

  1. Be patient. Even if a person is totally committed to his treatments, it will really take a lot of time before he can recover from PTSD. This means that you really need to be patient throughout the process.
  2. Learn more about PTSD. If you understand how PTSD works, its effects, and the available treatments, you will be more capable of helping your loved one and keep everything in the right perspective.
  3. Don’t force the person to discuss his thoughts and feelings. Talking about traumatic experiences can be really difficult, even if you are discussing it with someone close to you. Instead of forcing your loved one to talk to you, give him some space and allow him to open up when he is ready. Just tell him that you are always willing to talk.
  4. Learn to listen. If they are ready to talk about their traumatic experiences, listen to them without forming any judgments and expectations. Make him feel that you are interested in what he is saying and that you care about him. You don’t necessarily have to give some advice all the time; it’s enough that you just listen to him. Let the professionals give the advice for you.

In some cases, a person suffering from PTSD may feel the need to rehash the traumatic event over and over again. This can be infuriating at times, but avoid scolding him and telling him to move on with his life. Let him talk and lend a listening ear.

Keep in mind that it’s alright if you don’t like what you hear. It’s understandable that traumatic experiences are stories that are really difficult to digest. However, make sure that you still respect their feelings.

Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir

In this dark humored War Memoir, Iraq veteran Michael Anthony discusses his return from war and how he defeated his PTSD. Civilianized is a must read for any veteran, or anyone who knows a veteran, who has returned from war and suffered through Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

dark humored military memoir“An intense memoir.” -Kirkus

“I wont soon forget this book.” -Mary Roach

“A must read.” -Colby Buzzell

“[S]mart and mordantly funny.” –Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Anthony delivers a dose of reality that can awaken the mind…” Bookreporter

Order your copy of Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir .

Picture: Flickr/Alexis Lane

Politics / News, ptsd, Uncategorized

Alternative PTSD Treatments

Michael Anthony

alternative therapies for PTSDContemporary Alternative PTSD Treatments…

Aside from the conventional medications and therapy sessions, war veterans suffering from PTSD can also opt to try alternative treatment to calm their mind.

Usually, contemporary treatments are used alongside with the conventional medications. A popular example of this one is the use of aromatherapy to reduce the discomfort that a patient feels after surgery. In some instances, these alternative treatments are used instead of contemporary ones; as in the case of following a special, healthy diet instead of undergoing chemotherapy.

The list below shows several effective treatments that will help reduce your anxiety and depression. Please keep in mind that you must still consult your personal physician before trying out these contemporary methods:

  1. Relaxation Techniques

These methods offer a short-term relief for anxiousness or depression. It is also used for patients with inflammatory or heart diseases. Relaxation techniques are effective for adults suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. Unlike the cognitive behavioral therapy, this one can be done at home and without the need for a therapist.

  1. Acupuncture

This is another therapy that is gaining popularity in the field of PTSD. In fact, the group Acupuncturists Without Borders offers free acupuncture treatment to war veterans. You can find these specialists in more than 25 health facilities across the United States.

Acupuncture is a great alternative for the pharmacological drugs that are commonly administered in hospitals. Aside from being affordable, this treatment does not alter one’s brain negatively and it allows soldiers to carry out their duties while undergoing conventional PTSD treatment.

  1. Yoga

This is another alternative treatment that is widely embraced by active military while undergoing PTSD treatments. The physical movements of yoga are effective at relieving pain, bringing lasting comfort, and providing adequate physical stimulation at the same time.

People who are haunted by nightmares and anxieties find it difficult to sleep at night. Even though they are not on guard duty anymore, most war veterans have an extremely vigilant nervous system.

With the right yoga and meditation techniques, PTSD patients can learn how to relax their nervous system, allowing them to have restful sleep. Yoga also gives the feeling of safety and calmness.

  1. Kava

Kava is a plant that thrives in the South Pacific region. It is commonly used for improving one’s mood and relieving anxiety in a safe manner. It can usually be bought in tablet forms. Ask your personal physician first before taking up kava tablets.

Efficacy of Alternative Medications

There is still a lot to learn when it comes to alternative medications for PTSD. Acupuncture, for instance, is proven to be effective. However, it needs to be further evaluated in order to determine its non-specific benefits.

The Department of Veterans Affairs offer evidence-based treatments. Although they do not have specific guidelines for providing alternative PTSD treatments, they are implementing ways to track their effectiveness on patients.

Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir

In this dark humored War Memoir, Iraq veteran Michael Anthony discusses his return from war and how he defeated his PTSD. Civilianized is a must read for any veteran, or anyone who knows a veteran, who has returned from war and suffered through Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

dark humored military memoir“An intense memoir.” -Kirkus

“I wont soon forget this book.” -Mary Roach

“A must read.” -Colby Buzzell

“[S]mart and mordantly funny.” –Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Anthony delivers a dose of reality that can awaken the mind…” Bookreporter

Order your copy of Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir .

Picture: Flickr/ Trauma and Dissociation

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Thought For The Day – Richard Jadick

Michael Anthony

Every veteran has at least one story that revolves solely around music. For me, it was seeing Toby Keith sing American Soldier while deployed to Iraq (for the concert he renamed the song to American Warrior since there were Marines and Airmen on the base and not just soldiers).  I don’t consider myself a fan of country music, but that was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to in my life.

Toby Keith put on an amazing show and when he sang American Soldier, the experience of actually seeing American Soldiers singing along to the song, while at war, it was surreal. Something I’ll never forget.

I have nothing but the utmost respect for Toby Keith and all the other entertainers who trek overseas to perform for our troops. It’s an experience most of them will never forget.

Politics / News, ptsd, Uncategorized

Seeking Help at the VA for PTSD

Michael Anthony

PTSD Rally

War veterans are the ones who usually develop PTSD. This can occur while they are still working with the military or after. Thankfully, the Department of Veterans Affairs has several programs that can help retired soldiers cope up with PTSD. From diagnosing the common symptoms to intensive treatment, the VA has you covered. Moreover, they also employ numerous mental health professionals who relentlessly research on new and effective ways to help PTSD patients and their families.

In this post, you will learn more about the Department of Veterans Affairs’ PTSD treatment programs and how you can apply for help.

Eligibility for VA PTSD Services

Every war veteran has a chance to be eligible for the VA’s PTSD services. Here are the factors that can affect your eligibility:

  • You managed to perform active military services when you were in the Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or Army.
  • You were discharged by the military under honorable conditions.
  • You are part of the National Guard or Reservist corps and you completed a federal deployment in a combat area.

However, you should also take note of the following:

  • Health care services are also available for veterans who did not serve in combat.
  • You can still use the veteran’s health care services, even on non-medical injuries or health concerns that are connected to military service.
  • The benefits that you get from another health care system are different from the benefits at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  • The health care facilities at VA hospitals are available for both men and women. 

Available PTSD Treatments

Thanks to the advancements in medicine and technology, veterans suffering from PTSD can choose from a variety of treatments. Below is a list of mental health treatments offered by the VA:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

This one is a type of counseling method and is considered as one of the most effective methods for treating PTSD. The VA offers two types of therapies under CBT. One is the Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and the other one is Prolonged Exposure treatment.

CPT will teach you effective ways for handling any distressing thoughts that come in your head. Therapists can walk you through your previous experience (in a safe manner) and help you understand the situation better. If you know how the traumatic experience changed your outlook and behavior, it will be easier for you to cope with it.

CPT has four main processes:

  • Diagnose any PTSD symptoms and learn how the therapy can help
  • Gaining more awareness about your inner feelings
  • Cognitive restructuring – the processes of challenging your thoughts and feelings
  • Understanding the sudden changes in your beliefs after facing a traumatic experience

Aside from frequent meetings with a mental health professional, you will also be given practice exercises that will develop your emotional and cognitive well-being, even when you’re outside the therapist’s office.

The second option for the CBT is the Exposure Therapy. As the name implies, this treatment requires the patients to be repeatedly exposed to any feelings or situations that they have been avoiding. This will teach war veterans that not everything that reminds them of a traumatic event should be avoided.

After identifying all of the situations that you commonly avoid, your therapist will require you to confront all of them until your stress levels or fears decrease.

Similar with the CPT, the Exposure Therapy also has four parts:

  • Educating yourself about the symptoms of PTSD and how Exposure Therapy can help you out
  • Training how to breathe. This may sound like a silly task, but it is actually an effective relaxation technique that will help you overcome stress.
  • Facing the normal and safe situations that you commonly avoid. The more you become exposed to these situations, the easier it will be to get over your PTSD.
  • Discussing the traumatic experience and learning how to control your thoughts and feelings.

Exposure Therapy requires around 15 sessions with your therapist and practice assignments that you need to do on your own. As time goes by, you will be able to control your reactions when faced with stressful situations.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

In this type of therapy, you will be required to focus your attention on hand gestures while you are discussing the traumatic events that triggered PTSD symptoms.

When our eyes are following fast movements, it becomes easier for our brains to process traumatic events. If you have other things to focus on while discussing these memories, your behavior will change as time goes by. It will also help that you relax and efficiently handle any emotional distress in the future.

EMDR is composed of four parts:

  • Identifying the traumatic memory or belief that triggered any negative reactions
  • Learning how to desensitize yourself when recalling traumatic memories. In this stage, you will create mental images while performing eye movements that your therapist will teach you
  • Reinforcing positive thoughts
  • Undergoing a body scan. The therapist will focus on tension in your body in order to determine the additional issues that you need to face in the future.

After the EMDR sessions, you will have a more positive outlook when recalling traumatic events in your life. It usually takes around four sessions with a therapist to see the improvements.

PTSD Services offered by the VA

  • Thorough mental health testing
  • Providing medications
  • One-on-one psychotherapy sessions
  • Therapy sessions for the family
  • Conducting of group therapy sessions. The topics covered in these sessions include stress management, searching for combat support, and strengthening relationships with the family. There are also support groups for war veterans with a specific type of trauma.

The treatments offered by the VA are thoroughly researched to make sure that they are effective on war veterans. However, please be reminded that the programs offered may vary per VA hospital. In some cases, the treatments may also need a referral. Your personal physician can guide you in selecting the program that suits you best.

Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir

In this dark humored War Memoir, Iraq veteran Michael Anthony discusses his return from war and how he defeated his PTSD. Civilianized is a must read for any veteran, or anyone who knows a veteran, who has returned from war and suffered through Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

dark humored military memoir“An intense memoir.” -Kirkus

“I wont soon forget this book.” -Mary Roach

“A must read.” -Colby Buzzell

“[S]mart and mordantly funny.” –Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Anthony delivers a dose of reality that can awaken the mind…” Bookreporter

Order your copy of Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir .

Picture: Flickr/Army Medicine

Best Of, Politics / News, ptsd, Uncategorized

11 Common PTSD Myths Debunked

Michael Anthony

female veterans with PTSD

One challenge that victims of PTSD have to face is the judgment of other people due to misinformation. Because of the myths surrounding this medical condition, the relationships of the patient with his or her loved ones are often strained.

The prejudice and maltreatment of PTSD patients have been around ever since human beings started to wage wars against each other. Even though extensive research has already been conducted regarding the psychological effects of war on soldiers, there is still a lot to learn about PTSD. That is the reason why these myths are still proliferating.

So to help you better understand combat-related PTSD, here are several myths that were already debunked a long time ago:

Having PTSD means you are mentally weak

This myth is one of the oldest and most difficult to combat. Having this type of condition is not a sign of mental weakness, or even weakness of character. Aside from the internal strength of an individual, there are a lot of factors that can affect the development of PTSD. Examples of this are the type of trauma, circumstance, duration, and the number of traumatic events that happened throughout a person’s lifetime.

PTSD also occurs when the individual does not have a solid interpersonal support system. Sadly, a lot of war veterans do not get the support that they need because of social stigma and misunderstanding.

Any experience can be a traumatic one

It is true that a lot of events that happen to us can become stressful. However, there are still several criteria that need to be met before calling a certain event as “traumatic.”

The criteria are as follows:

  1. Being exposed to sexual violence or near death events that may lead to serious injuries.
  2. The person must directly or indirectly be involved in the traumatic experience, or he has witnessed it in person.

When you say indirectly exposed, this pertains to hearing and seeing the details of the traumatizing experience. An example of this one is the drone pilots. They may not be in the middle of the warzone, but they are still exposed to the horrors of the battlefield because of the things that they see and hear on the screen. In addition, they also enter and exit the war zone regularly.

A person can easily develop PTSD after being exposed to a traumatic incident

When faced with a traumatic experience, you can expect that you will be mentally, emotionally, and physically stressed. However, it does not mean that you will already develop PTSD immediately. In order to be diagnosed with this condition, the feelings of extreme fatigue, stress, or anxiety should last for more than a month. In addition, people who suffer from PTSD also find it difficult to focus on their work and personal life.

People who suffer from PTSD are automatically crazy and extremely dangerous

Class war movies and sensationalized news reports have taught us that war veterans suffering from PTSD are crazy and should be avoided at all costs. Keep in mind that this stereotype is entirely wrong. This type of condition should never be associated with psychosis and extreme violence. PTSD is mostly about abrupt mood changes and reliving distressing memories. Never use the word crazy when talking about patients suffering from this condition because it damages their reputation and stigmatizes them further.

People with this condition are completely useless in work environments

A lot of soldiers do not want to seek treatment for PTSD because they fear that they will lose their ranks in the military. This is also the same with other workers who have developed the same condition.

Sadly, what people do not know is that they can still keep their regular jobs while getting PTSD treatments at the same time. One should not be too scared when diagnosed with this condition because it is very manageable.

PTSD is easy to get over with as time goes by

Thanks to modern PTSD treatments, it is now easier for war veterans to return to their normal lives. However, this condition does not instantly go away once you take some anti-depressants. Sometimes, conquering PTSD is a life-long journey. While most people learn to cope on their own, a lot of patients still seek professional guidance every once in a while.

War veterans who developed PTSD are not considered as part of the “wounded soldiers”

That is because you cannot see any huge scars or other types of physical injuries. However, one should remember that veterans with PTSD have made a lot of sacrifices to protect the country. Psychological injuries are quite the same with the physical ones. Both are collateral war damages that are inevitable.

You cannot do anything for war veterans (or other people) suffering from PTSD

This condition is actually very responsive to treatment. And with the advancement of medical technology, there is currently a multitude of ways to treat PTSD. If your current treatment does not work for you, you can still choose other options like cognitive behavioral therapy or prolonged exposure treatment. Seeking help from a professional is the first step in choosing an option that works best for you.

PTSD only targets a specific age group

Keep in mind that children can also experience PTSD. But as discussed in Chapter 1, their symptoms may vary depending on their age.

You only need one treatment for PTSD

Not necessarily. The type and complexity of the treatment will still depend on the person suffering from this condition. If he is showing severe symptoms, it means that he may have to undergo different types of therapies. Doctors may also ask him to take several antidepressants.

Therapies never work

Therapies are effective at treating patients because it helps them understand what PTSD is all about. It also helps health professionals to assess the patient and develop ways to help them cope with their situation. With methods such as exposure therapy and cognitive behavior therapy, people with PTSD will learn how to face their fears and deal with bad memories in a healthier and safe manner.

Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir

In this dark humored War Memoir, Iraq veteran Michael Anthony discusses his return from war and how he defeated his PTSD. Civilianized is a must read for any veteran, or anyone who knows a veteran, who has returned from war and suffered through Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

dark humored military memoir“An intense memoir.” -Kirkus

“I wont soon forget this book.” -Mary Roach

“A must read.” -Colby Buzzell

“[S]mart and mordantly funny.” –Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Anthony delivers a dose of reality that can awaken the mind…” Bookreporter

Order your copy of Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir .

Picture: Flickr/MilitaryHealth