PTSD, TBI, and Moral Injury

Over the past ten years or so, Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS or PTSD) have become household terms. This is due in part at least to the maturation of attitudes about the costs of war. In a similar manner, moral injury is now the object of growing focus by researchers and academics. The type and severity of trauma that can cause PTSD, may also cause moral injury, as well. The Moral Injury project has pointed out that by its nature, moral injury does not necessarily present itself immediately. Some will experience questions of moral injury days soon after an incident. For others, however, difficulties will not surface for years. An experience with potential for moral injury is typically realized after a change in personal moral codes or belief systems. It might be helpful to do a personal inventory and ask oneself if moral injury could be something that is being wrestled with—sometimes without having had a label to pin on the internal conflict.