Finding Peace With PTSD

By Joanna Nunez

No one ever has a perfect family life.

As a licensed clinical social worker, Joanna begins working with Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans and learns about the in-depth horrors of combat zone traumas and unforgettable memories. Working with these men and women, she is able to identify parallels in their interactions with their families and her family while growing up.

From an early age, Joanna always wondered why her relationship with her father was so strained. Wanting to break down the barriers that have always existed between them, she asks her father to help her understand PTSD from the soldiers’ point of view. Their work together soon grows into a memoir of her father’s time in Vietnam, her clinical viewpoint on how his trauma has affected their family life, and a guideline for those that live with a combat veteran.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LDB Press
• Release date: Jan 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310937835

Joanna Nunez

Joanna Nunez is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who has a private practice near Ft. Bragg, NC. She specializes in trauma, mood disorders, and children’s behavior, specifically after traumatic events. She also acts as the program coordinator of Victims’ Services and Military Liaison for a Fayetteville, NC nonprofit organization.She received her Master of Social Work from East Carolina University in 2007. She is a proud Give An Hour (giveanhour.org) provider, and likes to volunteer at Wear Blue: Run To Remember (wearblueruntoremember.org) events, occasionally waking up very early on Saturday mornings to train with them.In her precious spare time, she enjoys traveling, baking, cooking, walking, and paranormal investigations. Joanna is owned by five cats and couldn’t ask for anything else, except more cats.

Book preview

FINDING PEACE WITH PTSD

Copyright © December 2015 Joanna Nunez

Published © December 2015 Peaceful Musings Publishing

Cover Art Design By: L. B. Cover Art Designs

Formatted By: S. H. Books Editing Services

All of the pictures inside of this book were supplied by the author.

All rights reserved.

The author retains sole copyright to her contributions to this book.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.

For information and inquiries, please address: Joanna Nunez, via [e-mail].

Because this is a memoir, any similarities to any persons, living or dead, or places, events, or locales, is purely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

DEDICATION

For my heroes in combat boots—Mom, Dad, Sis, and Mando.

(And also for everyone else in our family that served and still serves;

you know if I type everyone out it will be longer than the book.)

RIP, Uncle Mike Muroski, Ray Nunez, and Rod.

Your service and dedication to our country are not forgotten.

For those that suffer from PTSD and their loved ones.

For the twenty-two Veterans that take their own lives every day.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Part 1

Introduction

Disclaimers

Who Was My Dad Before The War?

At The Bottom Of A Bottle

The Army Goes Rolling Along

If War Is Hell, Vietnam Is Double Fire

Where Am I?

Vietnam Second Tour–Joe The Taco Man

Trying To Get Help

A Fresh Start And A New Family

Another Perspective

Part 2

What Is PTSD?

How PTSD Affects The Family

Avoidance

Anger

Perception Of Children

Secondary Trauma

I Want The Person I Married Back

Prior Trauma And Other Complications

When Other Family Members Have Mental Health Issues

If It’s Significant, They Repeat It

Moral Injury

So What Does All Of This Mean?

Challenges In Writing This Book

Glossary Of Terms And Acronyms

Ranks

Breakdown Of The Army

References

About The Author

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My only worry is that this section will be longer than the actual book, and that I will still forget someone!

I have to thank and honor my dad, who opened up to me and allowed all of the trauma he’s been carrying with him for many years to be put out into the open. I hope it helps his healing process. I can already say our relationship is better than I could have ever dreamed it to be, and I am forever thankful.

My mom and sister, while small in the book, have been a huge source of support for me, and not just in the writing process. Mom, thank you for all of the unofficial editing you did, reading the grant excerpts, book excerpts, and for my new Lenovo! It’s nice to have an actual laptop now. Sis, I am so proud of you. Thank you for contributing to the book, and for allowing me to chill at your place when I needed to a.) get away, and b.) focus on writing, editing, etc. I will cherish our Savannah Seesters and Ray Charleston weekends.

Sharon C. Williams, I don’t think this would be in print without you. I am so lucky to have a mentor like you. You accepting payment in the form of food only makes me like you even more. I’m fortunate to have a talented, published author as a friend who guided me through this entire process. Let’s publish this [redacted]!

Nancy Medina (head publisher), thank you for taking a chance on an unknown, non-published, novice author. You have been a joy to work with, and I appreciate you so much. I’m sorry for the milspeak, my writing style (brief), and vanishing references.

I would like to thank the staff, clients, and caregivers of the Jim Catfish Hunter Chapter of the ALS Association. Thank you for every lesson you continue to teach me and for believing in me. The time for a cure is now!

My Editing Team:

Scott Wells (technical editor): I will say it again, you might not be an editor, but you did an awesome job. Your military knowledge astounds me. Your service and sacrifice to our country leaves me speechless. Thank you for being an awesome soldier, police officer, and cousin.

Armando Nunez Jr. (technical editor): Your years of watching the History Channel and the Military Channel (now called something else) have paid off! Seriously, you are the best, most patient husband a person could ask for, and a great military editor. Thank you for knowing how to spell exotic locations like Cam Rahn Bay. You know that you’ve butchered the spelling when spell-check has no suggestions. Love you.

Patricia Rachmat (technical editor): Again, by sheer fortune and divine intervention, my LCSW mentor just happened to specialize in PTSD and just happened to be willing to help me with the edits of this book. Thank you for always speaking your mind and making me add more, expand, and explain in detail. If I ever write a dissertation, you are the first person I’m sending my first draft to!

Kathleen Zahran (main editor): When the publishing company tells you that you’ve presented a professional, well put together transcript, you know the only part you had in that was choosing an awesome editor. Thank you so much for all of your help and edits. I can’t wait to start sending you more manuscripts.

Heather Horton Sokoloski (secondary editor): Thank you for your love and support, and for helping me put forth my best efforts.

Everyone Else:

Stephanie Pressley, thank you so much for believing in me, even before I believed in myself. You are an awesome friend.

Jessica Godfrey, thank you for your support, and for listening to me whine and complain about having no free time.

Aunt Lee (Rosalie Muroski), thank you for your offers of support, and for believing in me. You sparked my love of psychology and sociology at a young age. I only wish Uncle Mike could read this.

T, thanks for pushing me to try harder, and for teaching me that there is no such thing as an ex-Marine.

Alice Ascher, thank you for believing in me, teaching me patience (a work-in-progress), for referrals, and for always having a positive spirit.

Lynn Newsom, thank you for teaching me about moral injury