Faces of Recovery continues the report on how millions of American soldiers have faced the ultimate dilemma: kill the enemy or risk being killed yourself. As documented in Eric Newhouse's earlier book, Faces of Combat, PTSD & TBI, each choice traumatizes the brain. The trauma is cumulative prolonged combat increases emotional and physical injury. This book also describes a newly discovered complication, moral injury. It occurs:
When soldiers are ordered into a conflict they can't justify morally, but they're forced to kill others to stay alive. When soldiers feel their chain of command has betrayed or abandoned them.
When they have violated their own moral code, for example by killing civilians to avenge the death of friends.
And when they fail to protect the buddies who have been watching their backs.
Faces of Recovery looks at the steps each vet must take personally to feel accepted again in society. These include forgiveness, making atonement, self-forgiveness, and physical exercise to help the brain reduce depression and anxiety.