Blind Devotion: Survival on the Front Lines of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Addiction - Softcover

Psych Central- This will appeal to every reader, regardless of their experiences with PTSD.

"This is a story of survival, with protagonists who are determined to conquer their personal demons and triumph, no matter what. Prinsen's writing constantly draws you deeper into the book, and her narration of the story is so engaging and thought-provoking that this will appeal to every reader, regardless of their experiences with PTSD. An inspirational book by an exciting new author: both Sharlene and Sean have much to be proud of."
"When trauma strikes, it leaves many in its wake. Sharlene Prinsen tells her family's heart-wrenching story with raw courage and stunning honesty, in a way that will resonate with everyone, especially those touched by PTSD and addiction. She shows how messy and imperfect life can become for a PTSD family, and offers useful tips for those who are also struggling to adjust to a 'new normal.' This remarkable book is filled with ongoing healing, fierce hope, wisdom, and grace."
--Cynthia Orange, author of Shock Waves: A Practical Guide to Living with a Loved One's PTSD
"Blind Devotion is a testimony to faith and commitment. At some point, the reader becomes aware that this story isn't just about living with someone who suffers with PTSD and addiction, but instead portrays the author's emerging PTSD and addiction."
--Tracy Stecker, PhD, psychologist at the Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center and author of 5 Survivors: Personal Stories of Healing from PTSD and Traumatic Events

One woman’s startling firsthand account of her struggle to protect her children while facing the man she married, a combat veteran plagued by addiction, rage, and depression born from PTSD.

Sharlene peered out the window into the blackness that enveloped her yard. She couldn’t see them, but she knew they were out there--police officers and a SWAT team holding their positions in the wood line out her front door, their weapons trained with deadly precision pointing at her home.Don’t let them shoot at my kids!” she shouted into the phone to the dispatcher as her drunk, enraged, and armed husband picked up the other line, Go on, get the hell out of here then!”

When she first met Sean seven years earlier, Sharlene never imagined that he’d someday be the catalyst to this terrifying scene. Sean was handsome in his camouflage fatigues, looking proud and just a little cocky. Unlike any other man she had ever met, he was an easy, charming conversationalist and his sincerity was unmistakable. The two married and started a family.

But Sean’s drinking soon took over, and signs of depression and his raging outbursts amplified. Something was seriously wrong. He never talked about his tours overseas, including his seven-month peacekeeping mission in the aftermath of Slobodan Milosevic’s ethnic cleansing campaign, but there were signs that what he experienced in Bosnia left him reeling at his core. As Sean’s behavior grew increasingly worse, Sharlene’s obsessive worry for his wellbeing trumped her basic needs. She knew that her husband was suffering from tremendous inner turmoil--which she later learned was PTSD--and she hoped, more than anything, to nurse him back to the loving partner and father she knew he could be.

A powerful story of pain and forgiveness, horror and hope, Blind Devotion gives voice to the thousands of families who are struggling to heal and to achieve a sense of normalcy stolen by the trauma in their lives.