Troops
The Associated Press

U.S. soldiers salute a fallen comrade at Fort Riley.

Featured Topic | Posted 8 weeks 6 days ago

Is the U.S. paying proper attention to the mental health of Iraq and Afghanistan vets?

In an effort to encourage troops to seek psychiatric counseling for combat stress, the U.S. military announced Thursday it will no longer consider such treatment when issuing security clearances. The U.S. military's handling of mental health issues has come under increasing criticism, particularly as soldiers and Marines serve multiple extended tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. Army studies have found a growing number of troops committing suicide or suffering from mental health ailments like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The most important thing for us now is to get the word out as far as we can to every man and woman in uniform to let them know about this change, to let them know the efforts that are under way to remove the stigma and to encourage them to seek help when they are in the theater or when they return from the theater," Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters here as he announced the change.

Is the U.S. doing enough to help troops who have seen combat?

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Ben likes: Veterans mental health care

Castle Argghhh!

Jules wanted to know where the reports are the show all of the veterans who either do not suffer the after effects or that go on to cope with their symptoms, living productive, fairly normal lives. Well, if we reverse this study information on the fact sheet, if 18% develop PTS or the more chronic PTSD, that means at least 82% of all troops come home to healthy, productive lives. With over 1 million already having served in Iraq and Afghanistan, that's approximately 820,000 troops. With 11% of the 18% that goes on to have the more chronic "disorder", that means another 70,000 who have the "acute", short term PTS and go on to live fairly healthy lives.

That is good news. Especially for our troops who may be concerned that they will be part of some overwhelming number of troops who will not be able to return to "normal". However, that's really not the point. These troops, by and far, do not need our "defense". They know they are fine and going on with their lives.

There are still 11%, over 110, 000 troops, who will struggle with PTSD. Some of the 70,000 with the "acute" variety, will not receive treatment, will stop treatment or will refuse treatment and may go on to develop the chronic disorder. Then, there are the unknown numbers who will not report any symptoms, not seek treatment and be below the radar, with both soldier and family suffering. These are the people that we need to worry about, that we need to "defend".

 

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Joel likes: War is hell

Peter Rothberg/The Nation

Last year, some 67,000 soldiers returned from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan were treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Eighty-nine of them committed suicide. Perhaps even more than physical injuries, mental trauma incurred by servicemen tends to have an insidious ripple effect on the affected families and communities. Numerous studies suggest that domestic violence, child abuse, drug and alcohol abuse and other destructive behavior is a regular byproduct of untreated PTSD.

Making matters worse, as Joshua Kors reported in an award-winning Nation expose published in March of 2007, there have been numerous cases in which soldiers wounded in Iraq were suspiciously diagnosed by the military as having a personality disorder, then prevented from collecting benefits which made it virtually impossible for them to treat their PTSD. (As Kors noted, the conditions of their discharge have infuriated many in the military community, including the injured soldiers and their families, veterans' rights groups, even military officials required to process these dismissals.)

The Veterans' Mental Health Outreach and Access Act of 2007, S. 38, headed soon to the Senate floor for a vote, would seek to address the metastasizing problems of returning vet's PTSD.

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Thoughts

Yes and no

Submitted on May 4th, 2008 by Pablo

The problems with vets and those who have seen hard combat is based on two things.

Support system of the country and support system from the military to help vets.

It took me about 3 years to not be stressed out and not have bad dreams. But then when I was wounded, I did not have to read and listen to AntiAmerican statements made by the leaders of this nation.

When you have irresponsible leaders telling our troops that your no good, that the work you have done, bled and died for is for nothing makes small problems grow out of proportion.

For example, WWII and Korean vets were extremely welcomed and supported by the people and the government. The amount of mental health issues from vets was less than 2%

Vietnam where you had both the people of the country and politicians telling the troops that they are bad and that all that they did was either wrong or for not, you have a rise in the number of mental health to 16% of those that served.

Fast forward to Iraq, the amount of the general population being reported against the war is 42 to 48%. This same number says troops did all their hard work and sacrifice for nothing has caused a greater number than what we have seen from even vietnam. In Vietnam, the percentage was 38% of the population was against the war. Now its almost 50% against war.

So those who face death daily are being harmed by politicians and news organizations who promote that they the soldiers are worthless, doing a bad job, and everything they have fought and died for will be for nothing.

That harms the mental status more than the actual stress of battle.

It hurts me more personally to be told I am a failure and all the work I have done is for not and will be destroyed than the actual work I did.

I have been through combat and been wounded. I jumped for a few months everytime I heard certain sounds and it effected how I did things.

But I had family and friends who were suportive and had people tell me that it would go away as long as I wanted to put it behind me.

My father won a broze star with cluster in WWII. He saw about the same about of Combat I did. He went through a simular time of adjustment that I did.

It actually help me to talk to my father who was a vet to listen to him tell me that he too was jumpy and uneasy for a few years after he returned home.

Time heals. But having your leaders and ungreatful populace spew hatred and other junk at you just makes it worse and will make the problem greater than it has to be.