Overview

A gripping account of PTSD, and a stark reminder that, for many veterans, wars go on long after the last shot is fired.

In the shadows and trenches of army life is a world where friends can become monsters, where kindness can seem twisted around into assault, and where self-loathing and despair can become a soldier’s constant companions. Whether you know it by old names like “soldier’s heart,” “shell shock,” or “combat fatigue,” post-traumatic stress disorder has left deep and silent wounds throughout history in the ranks of fighting forces.

After a decade of combat in southern Afghanistan, it is estimated that one in ten Canadian Forces veterans is affected by PTSD, and many of them suffer in painful silence. Among the Walking Wounded tells one veteran’s experience of PTSD through an intimate personal account, as visceral as it is blunt. In a courageous story of descent and triumph, it tackles the stigma of PTSD head-on and brings an enduring message of struggle and hope for wounded Canadian veterans. This book is a must-read for political decision makers and anyone who cares about Canadian veterans and the dark war they face long after their combat service is ended.