Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

“I stand behind Shauna Springer and her work. She understands the importance of tribe and has valuable insights to share.”
-- Sebastian Junger, Author of Tribe and War

“You expose yourself to a Doctor. You reveal yourself to a ‘Doc.’ ‘Doc’ Shauna Springer is a civilian psychologist who warfighters embrace as a part of the tribe.”
-- Former Green Beret Magnus Johnson

Common Myths:

-- Suicide in the military community is primarily caused by trauma resulting from the things warriors see and do in war
-- Suicide prevention approaches that work for civilians will work for warriors, first responders, and their families
-- Those who are suicidal will show up in the healthcare system eventually; if we build a big enough team of qualified mental health providers, they will come

Hard Truths:

-- Developing awareness by sharing sobering statistics about suicide loss may increase suicide risk
-- Teaching people how to “recognize the signs of risk” can increase risk if this is not done in the right way, at the right time
-- Many who die by suicide do not have (and have not ever had) a mental health diagnosis

Mental Health Battles Are Not a “Veterans’ Issue” But an American Issue
People across the nation are suffering in silence without the insights and support they need to stay in the fight. Suicide is an insurgency of the mind. Conventional strategies will not work. For too long, we have felt collectively helpless in the face of mental warfare and the loss of irreplaceable people due to suicide -- within both our military and civilian circles. Dr. Shauna Springer’s WARRIOR is a seminal work that offers new insights and actionable solutions.

From a Trusted Doc to Our Nation’s Military Warfighters and First Responders Comes a Book That Touches, Changes, and Even Saves Lives
Shauna ‘Doc’ Springer is a licensed psychologist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker, and is one of the world's leading experts on psychological trauma, military transition, suicide prevention, and close relationships. She is a Harvard graduate and a senior advisor to several prominent organizations. In WARRIOR: How to Support Those Who Protect Us -- now in its second, expanded edition -- Doc Springer shines new light on things that many of us thought we understood:
-- Trust
-- Stigma
-- Firearms
-- Self-Destruction
-- Human Connection.

WARRIOR offers us an intimate, truthful account of how our bravest citizens may struggle, and provides actionable insights and real solutions for mental crises. The author draws from her deep understanding of the hearts and minds of warriors to help us understand true courage and the bonds of love that keep us in the fight.

WARRIOR has broad implications for all Americans and can help us develop insights about how to heal from trauma and overcome universal human challenges. WARRIOR brings new lines of thinking and new strategies for confronting our most important and most personal challenges, including suicidal thoughts, relationship problems, and grief and loss. This is a book that develops insight about human suffering, and how the power of connection is critical for helping us achieve post-traumatic growth despite trauma and disruptive life changes.

This expanded second edition of WARRIOR is loaded with additional content to bridge the insights in the 1st edition of WARRIOR to all who suffer from trauma -- whether civilian or military, and to help healers forge relationships of deep trust with those they serve. Doc Springer, through the insights she offers in this remarkable book, equips us to get up and fight. WARRIOR is a book that calls to the warrior spirit in all of us, as we emerge from decades of war and a year of global trauma.