Blind Veterans Coping with Loss (ePub)

THE BOOK is a book of many stories, many unforgettable and awesome. After Dedication, Preface and Overview, the book is divided into three sections.

Section One in two chapters, describes the holy ground of blind veterans' experience, as 32 blind veteran's sharer their struggle to find meaning and hope. Chapter Three describes blind veterans not coping, not understanding that coping with loss requires a process of healing which is unpacked in chapter four.

Section Two consists of five chapters, each describing, with examples, the most common and natural response to loss and stress, those which keep us stuck, keep us discouraged. These reactions are natural, instinctive, universal and inevitable. Explaining these from the clinical experience of 50 years enables the reader to recognize that each of these is an unwelcome detour.

Section Three unpacks ten avenues of healing, illustrating proven ways to awareness and change. Among these are forgiveness, positive reframing, learning to talk about feelings, managing the chatter between our ears, choosing positive thoughts, practice in choosing a personal healthy faith, respecting the body's need for exercise, living with gratitude and discovering amazement. This section concludes with an invitation to consider joining the Blinded Veterans Association.

Appendices include: 1) How to contact your VIST Coordinator in the VA, and 2) More VA Resources for the Blind Veteran; and 3) A list of suggested happy songs to download to your smartphone.

THE AUTHOR is a storyteller and dream-catcher, the blind veteran (VA diagnosis: Catastrophicxally Disabled) who writes books for his veteran community and has authored some 30 titles, print and Ebook, with themes of gratitude, resilience and wellness. He has served his country over 23 years, enlisted and commissioned< active and reserve, all branches, longest as a navy chaplain. He earned his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania in 1967. In 2018, he was enrolled in the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame Honor Roll for 'Outstanding Military Service and Outstanding Community Service. He is retired as a psychologist. He is married 52 years to the same awesome partner and is blessed with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.