Ghost In the Ranks
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FriesenPress, 2016
Operational Stress Injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are among the possible consequences facing members of the Canadian military. Unlike the potential physical consequences of dangerous deployments, psychological injuries are not always apparent. Military members are taught a mental skillset to help them manage their internal emotional worlds allowing them to do extraordinary things. Unfortunately, while ingrained military training prepares our men and women for action as capable soldiers, this same training may also require them to trade aspects of their humanness—sowing the seeds for lingering mental distress. As a result, those most affected are left in a limbo, disconnected from their military roles and yet unable to relate to their former civilian lives. They become ghosts of their former selves, haunting the ranks until, more often than not, they find themselves on the outside looking in, with unacknowledged scars, anger, and regret. We ask a great deal of our men and women in uniform; if a shift in culture can help members of our military with mental distress, we owe it to them to make that shift possible. |
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Medalist Winner for New Apple Literary Services
2016 Summer eBook Award for Non-Fiction. |
Praise for Ghost In the Ranks |
"Ghost in the Ranks is a vital, compelling call to better understand, protect, and care for veterans and military
servicepeople... People in the mental health field, military leadership, and, perhaps most heartrendingly of all, families of struggling
veterans will grow in compassion and understanding through Whelan’s wisdom."
5 out of 5 Stars
-Foreword Clarion Review
"In this important and necessary book, Whelan explains that "at a fundamental level," veterans are bound to the military and "maintain aspects of this identity" for the remainder of their lives .... A valuable work for anyone interested in gaining insights into the inner lives of troubled veterans."
-KIRKUS-
servicepeople... People in the mental health field, military leadership, and, perhaps most heartrendingly of all, families of struggling
veterans will grow in compassion and understanding through Whelan’s wisdom."
5 out of 5 Stars
-Foreword Clarion Review
"In this important and necessary book, Whelan explains that "at a fundamental level," veterans are bound to the military and "maintain aspects of this identity" for the remainder of their lives .... A valuable work for anyone interested in gaining insights into the inner lives of troubled veterans."
-KIRKUS-
“Dr. Whelan offers an open and straightforward message to the men and women who serve and Canadian society about the lingering effects of an acquired military identity on mental health struggles... [he] has captured the very fabric of the men and women who serve. A must read!” — Michael Hobson, Veteran and R2MR Mental Health Educator
"[Ghost in the Ranks] outlines how the deepest values underlying military commitment—valour, honour, brotherhood—can become the ground for disturbance when elements of the system fail to be supportive."
--Dr. Robin McGee, Clinical Psychologist
--Dr. Robin McGee, Clinical Psychologist
