morris, david j.

An exploration of posttraumatic stress disorder and how it affects the life of the author, a war correspondent and former Marine, and other PTSD survivors, looking at the scientific, literary, and cultural history of the illness.

Post-traumatic stress disorder haunts us in the early years of the twenty-first century. Over a decade into the United States' "global war on terror," PTSD afflicts as many as 30 percent of the conflict's veterans. But the disorder's reach extends far beyond the armed forces. In total, some twenty-seven million Americans are believed to be PTSD survivors. Yet to many of us, the disorder remains shrouded in mystery, secrecy, and shame. David J. Morris -- a war correspondent, former Marine, and PTSD sufferer himself -- has written the essential account of this illness.