I remember walking into an old church sanctuary located on the north side of Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. There, seated in a semi-circle, were a group of men of various ages and backgrounds each holding a guitar. I was given a loaner guitar for the day, some sheets showing finger placement for chords, and a flyer about moral injury.
The group of men were all veterans, me included, and the group was simply called “Guitars for Veterans.” As I would come to learn, music, poetry, creative writing and journaling are all tools used by those with a moral injury.
What is moral injury?
According to the Moral Injury Project at Syracuse University, moral injury is “…the damage done to one’s conscience or moral compass when that person perpetrates, witnesses, or fails to prevent acts that transgress one’s own moral beliefs, values, or ethical codes of conduct.”
While moral injury can, and often does, occur during the same event that causes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), this is not always the case. PTSD can be caused by many things that do not damage one’s moral compass, such as a car accident or life-threatening situation. Despite the events being traumatic, they do not bring into question one’s values or ethics.
Moral injury and veterans
Conversely, if a soldier is given an order or asked to do something against their moral conscious, this may cause a moral injury. Examples include killing or harming others, triage, or committing an error that results in the injury or death of a fellow soldier.
According to an article about moral injury on the Veteran Affairs website, patients struggling with moral injury often have feelings of guilt and shame. These feelings can lead individuals to believe they do not deserve to get better or be happy. As a result, many will self-sabotage in therapy sessions and their life in general.
Treatment for moral injury includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Trauma-informed guilt reduction (TrIGR) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).
Importance of creative outlets
In treatment, I found the emphasis on social connection and group therapy especially interesting.
After my first Guitars for Veterans session, I spoke with the facilitator, Rev. Dr. Tommy Goode, and asked him: “Why guitars?” He explained that creativity of any sort has been shown to aid in the processing of moral injury. Teaching veterans how to play guitar in a group session does a few things:
- Gives veterans the opportunity to come together with other veterans in a positive, safe environment.
- Each session is cofacilitated by a licensed music therapist who can help guide discussion.
- Teaching a veteran how to play guitar gives them something they can do when they are alone to help process emotions.
Creative outlets, such as playing a musical instrument, art and writing, provide a non-verbal way for veterans to express intense emotions such as grief, guilt and shame.
I attended the Guitars for Veterans sessions every Wednesday for over a year. While I never became Eric Clapton or Slash, I did learn how to play a few songs. More importantly, I shared connections with other veterans working to process various emotions.
You can learn more about the Guitars for Veterans group by following the Moral Injury Institutes page on Facebook.
Finding help
You may not know if you are suffering from a moral injury, but you may know the feelings of guilt or shame stemming from a specific moment. You may think nobody can possibly understand or relate. I am confident in saying you are not the only person to have felt this way. Throughout history, military men and women have struggled to reconcile conflicts brought about during time in service and their own moral or spiritual beliefs.
If you are unsure where to start, check out the Springfield Vet Center.