As I sit here and reflect on the complexities of life, I can’t help but think about the profound and often misunderstood issue of moral injury. This is not just a buzzword or an abstract concept; it’s a harsh reality that I, like many others, have faced after serving our country. My 26 years in the military, including 15 continuous months in Iraq, in an area ominously referred to as the ‘Triangle of Death,’ have shown me the emotional and spiritual toll that combat can take. During my deployment from August 2006 to November 2007, 54 soldiers from our unit were killed, and 267 were wounded. Many more would later succumb to the invisible wounds of war, the kind that don’t show up on X-rays but cut far more profoundly.
Moral injury goes beyond physical trauma or even PTSD. It stems from the internal conflict that arises when our actions in war clash with our deeply held moral beliefs. Unlike PTSD, which is often rooted in fear and characterized by flashbacks or hyper-vigilance, moral injury digs into the core of who we are as human beings. It leads to feelings of guilt, shame, and worthlessness that can fester long after we return home.
Understanding the Depth of Moral Injury
Moral injury is a complex, multifaceted issue that defies neat categorization or a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment. It resides at the intersection of psychology, spirituality, and ethics. Soldiers are trained to follow orders, often without question. But what happens when those orders conflict with your values? The internal battle can be just as devastating as any physical confrontation on the battlefield.
This is where our current understanding and treatment of trauma often fall short. PTSD has gained a lot of attention over the years, and rightfully so, but moral injury remains less understood and less treated. Yet, it can be just as intense, if not more so, because it attacks the very essence of who we are.
The Spiritual Dimension of Healing
One of the things I’ve learned through my own experiences is that healing from moral injury requires more than just addressing psychological symptoms like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. As a Christian, spirituality has been a crucial part of the healing process. It’s not just about religion—it’s about finding meaning and purpose amid suffering. After everything we’ve been through, veterans often feel disconnected from their communities, their faith, and even themselves. It’s like living in a world that no longer makes sense.
Spiritual care providers, like chaplains, can play a vital role here. They offer a safe space for veterans to explore their feelings of guilt, shame, and betrayal and seek forgiveness and understanding. But more than that, they help us reconcile our actions with our beliefs, rebuild our sense of self, and rediscover our place in the world.
The Role of Mental Health Professionals
While spiritual care is essential, it’s not enough on its own. Mental health professionals are also a critical part of the healing process. However, we need to shift how we approach treatment. Traditional therapies for PTSD focus on reducing fear-based symptoms and correcting distorted thoughts. They often fail to address the moral and ethical dimensions of trauma. To truly help veterans heal from moral injury, mental health professionals need to be equipped to engage with these deeper issues.
One of the challenges is that many mental health providers may not feel prepared to address the spiritual aspects of trauma. This is where collaboration between chaplains and mental health clinicians becomes so essential. By working together, they can offer a more comprehensive and practical approach to healing.
Forgiveness and Meaning-Making: Centerpieces of Restoration
Two key themes often emerge when discussing moral injury: forgiveness and meaning-making. For many of us, the healing process involves accepting our actions and forgiving ourselves. This is not about condoning what happened but about finding a way to live with it and move forward. Meaning-making is equally essential. We must find a way to make sense of our experiences and integrate them into our lives to move forward.
Meaning-making is equally essential. To move forward, we must find a way to make sense of our experiences and integrate them into our lives. This can involve finding new ways to serve, giving back to our communities, and using our experiences to help others. It can also mean reconnecting with our faith or finding new sources of meaning and purpose.
Moving Forward: A Call to Action
Reflecting on the complexities of moral injury, I am reminded of our immense responsibility to support our veterans. These men and women have given so much for our country; we owe it to them to ensure they receive the care and support they need to heal. Each of us, in our capacity, can contribute to this cause.
We need to urgently expand our understanding of trauma to include the moral and spiritual dimensions of suffering. We must provide veterans the tools to reconcile their experiences and find peace. A holistic approach to healing, which fosters greater collaboration between mental health professionals and spiritual care providers, is not just a suggestion—it is a critical need.
Even local pastors need to be equipped to handle it if they are going to do any pastoral counseling. The church plays a crucial role in facilitating the healing process, but it often misses the mark too often. A holistic team approach is necessary and may require more time, effort, and energy, but it’s essential. Don’t we owe it to these men and women who have given everything?
We voted politicians into office, many of whom lined their pockets with defense contractor money while sending our soldiers off to war. It’s a tragic, endless cycle, and the best of what America has to offer—its sons and daughters—get caught up in it. But when they come home, they lack resources and services. While things have gotten better recently, we’re only just getting started. We need the people of this nation to take responsibility, make better decisions at the polls, and demand that Congress reallocate resources to help these veterans genuinely come home.