What Is Moral Injury?

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Both moral injury and PTSD involve maladaptive cognitions.

Mental defeat is recognized as a component of moral injury.

New approaches show promise in helping people lessen the burden of moral injury.

Improved mood is possible with new approaches to building self-compassion.

People of all walks of life and from every corner of the globe experience grief, loss, depression, loneliness, and related negative emotions at one point or another. I have previously written about recovery from moral injury and reclaiming identity.[i] In reality, however, many people do not view moral injury as something to “recover” from; they are looking for ways to cope with their feelings. Some view progress as finding the least painful path forward under the circumstances, sometimes a daily struggle. True, some people who have suffered great loss become role models for others who have experienced similar types of trauma, but not everyone achieves personal victory. Many people struggle to get through each day; they measure success by how well they can improve daily tasks.

Moving Forward Living With Loss

Although challenging for many who suffer from moral injury, there are positive developments in researching how to weather the storm. Madelyn........

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