I went to the range today to have a recreational shoot, nothing serious, and then catch up with a few of the others as it's been a little while since I've been. Things didn't work out quite like that though.
My range is run by the military and prioritises military personnel so it's full of active and ex-military people one of which I ran into today; A mate. We chatted as I was getting my guns ready but before I shot any rounds we decided to go to the pub instead. You see, as we chatted I heard something in his voice that alarmed me. So, off to the pub for a beer and a chat we went; The shooting can wait.
I'm not going to go into the scenario specifically however this chap is suffering through some emotions based around his service which ended about two years ago. I had thought he suffered from a little PTSD but today he disclosed the reason for his feelings and I'm not surprised he's struggling.
He doesn't have post traumatic stress disorder, not diagnosed anyway, although he has sustained moral injury through his experiences in the military and at war.
As a human grows, between the age of zero and about eighteen, their moral compass develops influenced by family, friends, religion, school teachers, coaches and those they come into contact with and have some degree of influence over them, a scout leader for instance. I think this is why certain images and influences like movies and video games can be so dangerous, but that's a different post.
Moral injuries occur when a soldier perpetrates acts that transgress their moral compass, but it's not as simple as just that; Witnessing others perpetrate those acts, failing to prevent acts that go against one's moral compass, ethical code of conduct, moral beliefs or values can have the same effect.
The term moral injury was first coined in the United States around 2009 by a medical doctor who was treating returned soldiers and now there's a field of study that investigates ways to treat it. My friend is in the midst of a moral crisis, has moral injuries, and I'll be honest, he's really struggling right now. I'm worried for him now that I understand what he's going through a little better, and why.
We spoke for a couple hours and whilst no solutions were found I think he went away feeling a little better. I don't mean that I did anything to make it so, I just listened and prompted him to talk, more that I believe he found a little solace in telling me how he felt and opening up. We chatted about morals, life, adversity and righteousness and of course about the events that have impacted him so strongly.
One thing I had to bring up, albeit it reluctantly, was guns, his guns more specifically.
Last year two of my friends, a husband and wife, turned their guns on themselves in a double suicide and I had no real choice but to ask my buddy today whether I needed to take his guns off his hands for a time. He declined the offer and I didn't push it.
He is seeing someone, chatting to doctor who is trying to work through his issues and he's also speaking with some who offer religious perspective which is great considering his deeply religious nature - One of the reasons he struggled in the first place.
I came away feeling a little depressed to be honest, and somewhat helpless too. I have seen similar before and know where it can lead.
What causes moral injury?
Combat involves the use of deadly force and sometimes there's collateral damage, knowingly or accidentally. Soldiers also give orders that often result in injury or death of others. Orders can be given that are illegal or contravene the rules of engagement or Geneva Convention. These, and many other things that occur in war, can cause moral injury as can a change in a soldiers belief in the necessity for war, the justification for it. It's a complex thing I guess, and one that I came away today thinking a lot about from the perspective of how can I help my mate.
I need to do some research...I can't leave this to the government to deal with I think - The government/military have a tendency to discharge soldiers and send them on their way without a great deal of support; It's often left to the family or the individual to deal with which is why the suicide rate among veterans is so high.
A lot of study has been undertaken into TBI (traumatic brain injury) and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) in the last decade or so but not a great deal into moral injury. Fortunately it's gaining momentum now, or so I read this afternoon after getting home from the pub. I am hopeful something can be done for my mate, and I'll do what I can naturally, be there for him, but I know I'm not the best person to be taking this on, I'm ill-equipped.
I'll be calling him every day or so, and we have a catch up booked in for this week, another beer...I'll let him talk and see where it goes.
Have you guys dealt with something of this nature? Have you heard of moral injury and do you have any thoughts on the matter? I'd appreciate your input if you do.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
