The Soldier's Guide to PTSD: A No-Sh*t Guide to Reclaiming Your Life

by Virginia Cruse

Your life is at stake, my friend, and I will not beat around the bush with fancy euphemisms and positive affirmations. I know how serious PTSD is . We’re going to touch on all the symptoms invading your day-to-day life. Once we've shined a light on how PTSD and Moral Injury have disrupted your life, we're going to cover the top clinically proven, evidence-based treatment options to get you on the road to recovery. But, before we get started, we have to have an honest conversation with ourselves. We have to be willing to take that first step. Do you believe change is possible? Do you want to change? Many people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder often feel they don't deserve to get better. Trauma lives in a part of the brain that resists rational thought, so we get stuck in toxic shame. Let me tell you a little secret. You Deserve to heal! PTSD and Moral Injury are soul damaging. Trauma warps our fundamental belief systems—beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world—leaving us in a constant state of uncertainty and self-doubt. It’s 100% okay not to feel all-in right now. Let me ask you this instead. Is it possible that you are stronger than you think? Would you be willing to find out? Keep reading. I’m going to teach you everything I wish I knew when I started my recovery from PTSD and Moral Injury. The Soldier’s Guide to PTSD does not waste time cutting through the bull and getting down to brass tacks. Told in the voice of a Soldier-turned-therapist, it is a call to arms, offering facts, empathy, and direction, while urging Service Members to seek the right therapy, helping family members to understand the battlefield, and connecting civilians with the Warrior culture. As a therapist, Virginia Cruse was becoming frustrated with the rumors her clients heard about PTSD that kept them from getting better. Why did so many of them believe PTSD couldn’t be treated? Why did so many feel shame for non-combat related PTSD? Others believed they deserved to have PTSD but didn’t deserve to get better. All the rumors, worthless information, and toxic shaming hit home hard with Cruse, who herself struggled with her own debilitating PTSD. No one had taken the time to explain PTSD and Moral Injury to Service Members in a way that made sense. Virginia Cruse has made it her mission to get the right information out there so people can gain access to the help they need. Other books in the PTSD Recovery Series

151 pages, Paperback

Published February 2, 2021

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in about an hour. This author is incredibly skilled in pulling you in and keeping you engaged. Her style of writing, speaking, and teaching is exactly what I needed to hear. I learned more in this hour about my PTSD than I did in 3 years of therapy. Will definitely be recommending to my trauma therapist!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent - incredibly practical and straightforward

Written with authority and clarity. Clever and humorous but never dismissive of such an important topic. This is an important resource for both soldiers and helping professionals.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book for clinicians, Veterans, or those who would like to gain a better understanding of PTSD symptoms and treatment with the military population. Ms. Cruse’s understanding both as a Veteran and a clinician give her a unique perspective, which is part of what makes this book excellent!!

[Joe Compton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are like me and loathe self-help books that get too technical, too woe is me, too plain old boring then you are in for a treat with "The Soldier's Guide". Yes, it's from a clinical perspective, yes it's technical at times but what it isn't is boring. The Author applies a personal style and caring touch that allows this book to really read fast, easy, and make you feel like you learned something all in the process. Seriously you will be surprised how much you are moved, touched, and just amazed at what has to be one of the most egregious diseases around.

If you served in the military, are friends or family of a service member, especially one currently active, this is a must read.

[Amanda Dotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for anyone who struggles, or knows anyone who struggles, with PTSD. Virginia takes such a heavily complex topic and explains it in a way that makes so much sense. Not only is this an easy read, it is also straight to the point and riddled with research and anecdotal examples. Whether you want to read it in one fell swoop, or section by section- you will walk away with incredible helpful tools to navigate and heal your personal trauma.

[Marc Porritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Cruse uses the language of a soldier to provide in a comprehensive overview of PTSD And it's treatment. She is able to describe even the most makes even complicated concepts in easy to understand terms. Easy to access side bars and info boxes make this an ideal reference as well. I recommend this book to clients it is an ideal read for veterans and their families.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you or someone you know has served in the military and is showing signs of PTSD, this is the book you need.

Virginia is a been-there-done-that former combat vet turn therapist. She wrote this book after her own struggles with PTSD. It is on point, filled with facts, and doesn’t bog you down with fluff or long-winded stories. It was written for service members and their family struggling with PTSD.

Virginia knows that patients need to advocate for themselves. Knowing the symptoms and treatments available will help those in need to access the care they deserve!

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does not cover the entire spectrum of PTSD. I denigrates several worthy methodologies that are effective and viable. As a trained, certified PTSD counselor, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book to my veteran friends who suffer from PTSD. It would not have helped me with my PTSD but another method did work for me.

[RaChelle Holmberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as a gift from the Hidden Gems ARC program, this book is a great resource, not to be read from cover to cover but rather to read and think about. Very helpful resource, a lot of thought and care was put in to creating it.

[Edward C Van Dyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a veteran , I truly wish had this book while still in practice. Any opportunity that I am given to recommend or share it I will definitely do so.

[Sergio Montoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear. Straight to the point. Easy to read. Written from experience.

[Nataliia Firsova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ця книжка може бути корисною для військових/ветеранів, які мають ПТСР, або ж для їхніх найближчих.
Читала в українському перекладі, знайшла для себе 3-4 інформативні моменти, тож прочитала недарма.

[David Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful no shit guide to reclaiming one's life post PTSD. As a therapist working with the AD military, it is one of my go to recommendations for individuals starting their path to recovery.

[Caroline Cortright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a military spouse and a PhD student in Clinical Psychology. My colleague recommended this book as a primer on PTSD and military mental health, and now I recommend it to others. This book is straight-forward and simply stated, making it perfect for clinicians and students working with military populations. It covers what PTSD isn't, what PTSD is, how to treat it, and how to prevent relapse. The book is short and to the point; the audiobook is only a couple of hours and I listened to it during my commute. This version of the book might not be appropriate for everyone because it uses coarse language, but this is how I will be explaining it to clients. If you want to quickly understand PTSD and how to treat it, get this book.

[TaniaRina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good balance of facts, Links & Resources, and down-to-earth explanations in an easy-to-read format.
Go.Get.Help.