Moral Injury

 Moral Injury is a traumatic or unusually stressful circumstances, people may perpetrate, fail to prevent, or witness events that contradict deeply held moral beliefs and expectations . 

When someone does something that goes against their beliefs this is often referred to as an act of commission and when they fail to do something in line w

 Moral Injury is a traumatic or unusually stressful circumstances, people may perpetrate, fail to prevent, or witness events that contradict deeply held moral beliefs and expectations . 

When someone does something that goes against their beliefs this is often referred to as an act of commission and when they fail to do something in line with their beliefs that is often referred to as an act of omission. Individuals may also experience betrayal from leadership, others in positions of power or peers that can result in adverse outcomes.

 Moral injury is the distressing psychological, behavioral, social, and sometimes spiritual aftermath of exposure to such events.

 A moral injury can occur in response to acting or witnessing behaviors that go against an individual's values and moral beliefs.  

 In order for moral injury to occur, the individual must feel like a transgression occurred and that they or someone else crossed a line with respect to their moral beliefs. 

Guilt, shame, disgust and anger are some of the hallmark reactions of moral injury. 

 In order for moral injury to occur, the individual must feel like a transgression occurred and that they or someone else crossed a line with respect to their moral beliefs. 

Guilt, shame, disgust and anger are some of the hallmark reactions of moral injury. 

~Guilt involves feeling distress and remorse regarding the morally injurious event

 (e.g., "I did something bad."). 

~Shame is when the belief about the event generalizes to the whole self 

(e.g. "I am bad because of what I did.") 

Disgust may occur as a response to memories of an act of perpetration, and anger may occur in response to a loss or feeling betrayed.

 Another hallmark reaction to moral injury is an inability to self-forgive, and consequently engaging in self-sabotaging behaviors

 (e.g., feeling like you don't deserve to succeed at work or relationships).  

Moral injury also typically has an impact on an individual's spirituality For example, an individual with moral injury may have difficulty understanding how one's beliefs and relationship with a Higher Power can be true given the horrific event the person experienced, leading to uncertainty about previously held spiritual beliefs. 

We provide educational resources to empower individuals and families. At Together for the Good, we believe that knowledge is key to healing . If you or someone you know is struggling to understand what a moral injury is, click  on the links provided to learn more. 

Want to speak in person drop in or make an appointment. We are here for you

We provide educational resources to empower individuals and families. At Together for the Good, we believe that knowledge is key to healing . If you or someone you know is struggling to understand what a moral injury is, click  on the links provided to learn more. 

Want to speak in person drop in or make an appointment. We are here for you.

 Department Of Veterans Affairs https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/cooccurring/moral_injury.asp

DAV

https://www.dav.org/get-help-now/veteran-topics-resources/moral-injury/

NIH

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9207252/