When Johnny and Jane Come Marching Home ― How All of Us Can Help Veterans

Why are those devastated by war or other military experiences called mentally ill? The standard treatment of therapy and drugs can actually be harmful, and huge numbers of suffering veterans from earlier eras demonstrate its inadequacy.
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Most of us are both war-illiterate and military-illiterate. Caplan proposes that we welcome veterans back into our communities and listen to their stories, one-on-one. Begin a long overdue national discussion about the realities of war and the military and we can help bridge the dangerous chasms between veterans and nonveterans.

Paula J. Caplan is an award-winning nonfiction author, playwright, and filmmaker; advocate for veterans, women, and psychiatric survivors; activist for various social justice issues; and affiliate of Harvard University’s DuBois Institute and Harvard Chan School of Public Health. Her awards include the Lifetime Achievement in Advocacy Award, Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma; the Friend of the Veteran Award, Veterans for Peace (Inland Empire chapter); Distinguished Career Award, Association for Women in Psychology; the Veteran Feminist Writers of America Medal; the Woman of Distinction Award, Toronto YWCA; Eminent Woman Psychologist, American Psychological Association, Division 35; and numerous teaching awards. She created Welcome Johnny and Jane Home, which pairs any veteran with a nonveteran to simply listen to what the veteran wants to say. Visit listen2veterans.org for more information. She produced the documentary film, “Is Anybody Listening?” about the divide between veterans and nonveterans and what can be done about it (isanybodylisteningmovie.org), as well as a dozen Public Service Announcements with the message, “Listen to a Veteran!” She blogs at paulajcaplan.net, whenjohnnyandjanecomemarching.weebly.com, and on psychologytoday.com.
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