Since 1990, U.S. Veterans' centers have treated more than 1.6 million PTSD-affected men and women, including an estimated 100,000 from the Gulf War and an untallied total from the Iraq and Afghanistan fronts. The number also includes World War II veterans, because PTSD does not fade easily. Sufferers may experience the traumatic events in flashbacks that may seem as real as when they first occurred. Using firsthand accounts, the authors offer insights into the realities of PTSD and combat trauma, and how symptoms may pervade even the most mundane of daily activities and cause sufferers to experience withdrawal, depression, violence, rage, and even suicide. In a new epilogue, the authors offer data about treatments and resources that both PTSD sufferers and their families and friends will value.

"Including empirical research and anecdotal prose and poetry about combat veterans, this book discusses post-traumatic stress disorder among war veterans and present debates about diagnoses. Paulson and Krippner also take up other important issues-for example, the difficulty in determining who combatants are (in the case of Iraq) and coping when returning home....Readers will appreciate the volume's general assurance that most veterans get beyond their combat experiences, despite the fact that most receive no formal intervention. Those involved with veterans may wish to explore this existential view of intervention. Recommended. Graduate students through professionals." - CHOICE

"Haunted by Combat introduces the reader to an in-depth examination of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as seen through combat experiences. Paulson and Krippner present PTSD in a historical and developmental context, the implications of warfare and other accounts upon combatants and civilians, and the need for consideration of cultural and individual differences when considering the diagnosis of PTSD. They introduce researched and newer approaches that are and can be employed to help facilitate the healing of ongoing traumatic stress wounds, along with their own treatment proposal. First hand accounts through vignettes are also incorporated within the chapters to provide personal "faces" to the struggles people endure when experiencing ongoing traumatic stress. . . . The authors' passion for the field is palpable and clear. They speak with great authority and humility and their knowledge is evident in their presentation of the topics discussed supported by current research. An original appeal this book has in combination with all the other themes and bases it covers, is that it is an encouraging read for all audiences, especially veterans." - Perspectives, The Newsletter Of The Association For Hu

"The testimonials by Paulson and other war veterans, the easily comprehensible discussion of neurobiologic mechanisms, and the author's recommendations of essential therapeutic elements make Haunted by Combat a solid contribution." - The New England Journal Of Medicine

"Haunted by Combat includes Paulson’s autobiographical journal of his life before, during, and after the war.It is a well-written, interesting, and highly informative description, one that might well have been expanded into a separate volume. Such a book would certainly have been recommended for mental health trainees and also for other clinicians who work with combat veterans. It is by far the most coherent and useful part of this volume. The list of references in Haunted by Combat is also valuable and demonstrates the authors’ extensive knowledge of the literature on PTSD." - PsycCRITIQUES