Soldiers With PTSD Are Not Getting Treatment
US Soldiers from Iraq with PTSD are not Getting Treatment
[Original article published in the New England Journal of Medicine]
The basic conclusion of this article, which is a review of a study of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, is that: "... among the study groups there was a significant risk of mental health problems and that the subjects reported important barriers to receiving mental health services, particularly the perception of stigma among those most in need of such care."
This has appeared many times in the literature. It is "not acceptable" for soldiers to experience trauma, much less to seek help for it. Soldiers are expected to be hard as nails and innately able to tolerate the stresses of war. Superhuman, in fact.
The study also found that "the prevalence of PTSD (according to the strict definition) increased in a linear manner with the number of firefights during deployment: 4.5 percent for no firefights, 9.3 percent for one to two firefights, 12.7 percent for three to five firefights, and 19.3 percent for more than five firefights." Because of this, soldiers serving in Iraq are more likely to experience PTSD than those serving in Afghanistan.
Not surprisingly, there was a strong reported relation between combat experiences, such as being shot at, handling dead bodies, knowing someone who was killed, or killing enemy combatants, and the prevalence of PTSD. And having been injured or wounded also increased the rates of PTSD.
The military recognizes the reality of PTSD, however it is systemically unable to address it properly.
5 Comments:
Army mom has high concerns for lack of Psych treatment my son is receiving from the Army in active duty status since his return from Iraq. My son went threw 10 days of debreifing the first 10 days home from Iraq, and that was it. He had reinlisted shortly after they got to Iraq. He is now at Ft. Drum N.Y. They was going to send him to Iraq with the new unit in August that would have been 5 months after he came home from Iraq. So why is the militairy stateing they are evaluating, and helping the soldiers 3-5 months after their return??? that just is not happening, not true, false information to the public. My son was diognosed with PTSD, Alcoholisum,Sueiside,Anger,& Insomnia. He has seen one medical Dr. that is who gave him his diognoses, and seen councler after councler. Finaly after he had a crises one night I came to work all upset not knowing who to contact for help for my son my Supervisor got on her computer and looked up the VA center in Syracuse NY. The lady at the VA center was very nice and acted responsible and helped set my son up to see a Psych. Dr. In Syracues at the VA hospital got him some medication thow it only worked for him a few days he had gone to the clinic on post to see the on call Psych. Dr. there and had to complain fearsly to get to see the Dr. They gave him new medication. This is the most terrible thing I have ever had to deal with is to see my son in this most horrible state of mind due to what he had been subject to in Iraq. The Army does not want the public to know how bad the soldiers are from fear they wont get any new soldiers to sign up, and they will go bankrupt paying out disability. I had always stood behind my son in supporting him with his choice to be in the Army but where is the Army Psych. Dr.'s when these soldiers need them? And why dont They stop lying about all the evaluation and help they offer because they just are not helping these soldiers at all.!! The Militairy needs to set up councling centers with MD. Psychiatric Dr.s on staff at all times all hours of the day and night I mean Dr. that served in the war. So they can relate to the problems of the soldiers.
Army mom has high concerns for lack of Psych treatment my son is receiving from the Army in active duty status since his return from Iraq. My son went threw 10 days of debreifing the first 10 days home from Iraq, and that was it. He had reinlisted shortly after they got to Iraq. He is now at Ft. Drum N.Y. They was going to send him to Iraq with the new unit in August that would have been 5 months after he came home from Iraq. So why is the militairy stateing they are evaluating, and helping the soldiers 3-5 months after their return??? that just is not happening, not true, false information to the public. My son was diognosed with PTSD, Alcoholisum,Sueiside,Anger,& Insomnia. He has seen one medical Dr. that is who gave him his diognoses, and seen councler after councler. Finaly after he had a crises one night I came to work all upset not knowing who to contact for help for my son my Supervisor got on her computer and looked up the VA center in Syracuse NY. The lady at the VA center was very nice and acted responsible and helped set my son up to see a Psych. Dr. In Syracues at the VA hospital got him some medication thow it only worked for him a few days he had gone to the clinic on post to see the on call Psych. Dr. there and had to complain fearsly to get to see the Dr. They gave him new medication. This is the most terrible thing I have ever had to deal with is to see my son in this most horrible state of mind due to what he had been subject to in Iraq. The Army does not want the public to know how bad the soldiers are from fear they wont get any new soldiers to sign up, and they will go bankrupt paying out disability. I had always stood behind my son in supporting him with his choice to be in the Army but where is the Army Psych. Dr.'s when these soldiers need them? And why dont They stop lying about all the evaluation and help they offer because they just are not helping these soldiers at all.!! The Militairy needs to set up councling centers with MD. Psychiatric Dr.s on staff at all times all hours of the day and night I mean Dr. that served in the war. So they can relate to the problems of the soldiers.
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Militairy Not Spending Enough Money To Help Our Soldiers Recuperate From War Tramma.The goverment should spend the money on our soldiers to help them get recouperated from the tramatic distress from the war instead of sending billions of our money to rebuild the country. It is obvious they dont plan to stop distroying their own country and they dont want our help.
Mom of Army vet (Bosnia and Iraq) desperately seeking treatment programs for PTSD NOT involving heavy pharmaceuticals and psychotrfopic drugs, but use of EMDR, tapping, NLP, hypnotherapy, brain nutrients, brain mapping, and other non-invasive, life-supporting treatments. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Glenda in Virginia
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