The
"Forgiveness" Factor
In the Treatment of Vietnam Veterans
by
Thomas Brinson*
Abstract
Many Vietnam veterans suffer from
clinical and sub-clinical post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), despite
increasingly focused treatment during the past couple of decades. New
models of therapeutic intervention are needed. The author reviews relevant
literature concerning forgiveness and the incorporation of ritual and
ceremony. He portrays a novel, theoretically consistent intervention,
consisting of a comprehensive psychotherapeutic peer group program.
Veterans are offered opportunities to practice forgiveness, to participate
in reconciliation through volunteer human service activities, and to
experience compassion for self and "enemy" through participation in
healing rituals and ceremonies. He proposes that PTSD programs could
perhaps adopt similar strategies to foster forgiveness and reconciliation
among veterans suffering from PTSD.
Thomas is currently doing humanitarian
work in Sri Lanka and can be e-mailed at
ltbrin@earthlink.net.
Continue with full article (Adobe PDF,
97K).
*Clinical Supervisor
Southwest Case Management
La Frontera Center, Inc.
Tucson, AZ 85714