Chapter 1 Mission Brief p. 7 --
There's More Than One Kind of Pain p. 8 --
Why Do We Hurt at All? p. 11 --
Pain Is Both a Function and a Feeling p. 11 --
How Do You Describe Pain? p. 12 --
Pain Affects Our Perception p. 14 --
Trauma Complicates the Mission p. 16 --
Defense Mechanisms and Disordered Coping p. 17 --
Tangible Next Steps p. 27 --
Chapter 2 What Makes Veteran Pain Different? p. 31 --
Military Culture and Pain p. 32 --
Stigma Keeps Us Silent p. 35 --
Asking for Help (Don't Roll Your Eyes) p. 38 --
Toward a New Veteran Pain Culture p. 41 --
Tangible Next Steps p. 44 --
Chapter 3 Physical Pain p. 49 --
What Is Pain, Actually? p. 53 --
Physical Pain and Trauma p. 55 --
Dealing with Pain p. 59 --
What Makes Physical Pain Worse? p. 62 --
What Reduces Physical Pain? p. 66 --
Linking Physical and Emotional Pain p. 70 --
Physical and Social Pain Connections p. 72 --
Tangible Next Steps p. 74 --
Chapter 4 Emotional Pain p. 85 --
Loss of Identity p. 91 --
Loss of Spirituality p. 94 --
Loss of a Battle Buddy after the Military p. 102 --
Trauma and Emotional Pain p. 104 --
It's Time for New Emotional Gear p. 106 --
Tangible Next Steps p. 107 --
Chapter 5 Social Pain p. 115 --
Comparing Social Experiences before, during, and after the Military p. 118 --
Managing Expectations p. 120 --
Your Identity as a Veteran p. 122 --
Divide between Veterans and Non-Veterans p. 123 --
Some People Just Don't Care-or Do They? p. 125 --
Dealing with Assumptions and Ignorance p. 127 --
Choosing Our Responses p. 129 --
Crisis and Conflict-Where the Trauma Response Shows Up p. 131 --
Concealment Is a Social Strategy p. 133 --
Trusting a Significant Other p. 135 --
Our Military Family p. 137 --
Tangible Next Steps p. 139 --
Chapter 6 Pain and Addiction p. 145 --
Substances and the Military p. 146 --
Gear You Brought with You p. 149 --
Addiction-How Optional Gear Becomes Essential p. 151 --
Veterans and Substance Use p. 153 --
What Veterans Use p. 154 --
Mental Health and Addiction p. 159 --
Do You Have a Problem? p. 161 --
Tangible Next Steps p. 164 --
Chapter 7 Pain and Trauma before and after the Military p. 169 --
Adverse Childhood Experiences p. 171 --
Trauma Stays with Us p. 172 --
Pain, Trauma, and Addiction after the Military p. 174 --
Tangible Next Steps p. 179 --
Chapter 8 New Mission p. 183 --
New Gear for a New Time p. 191.