Stigma Remains Difficult to Overcome

European and Pacific Stars & Stripes
Friday, August 12 Edition

Previous articles addressed the issue of a significant barrier that soldiers experience or perceive when considering seeking treatment for symptoms of PTSD. This article further examines the issue, and points out that the military needs to do a better job in helping with the problem.

"The barrier, according to a study of more than 6,100 soldiers and Marines who'd deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, was the belief that seeking counseling would harm military careers and stigmatize armed forces members as weak. Fifty percent of troops in that study showing symptoms of mental-health problems said it would be bad for their career to see a counselor; 65 percent said they'd be perceived as weak; and 63 percent said commanders would treat them differently."

The article concludes:

"According to Trylch and two soldiers under his command, all who saw difficult duty, the absolute worst experience is easy to identify and very hard to forget: the deaths of three soldiers in their unit killed in action — among 10 soldiers and one civilian the squadron lost in its year in Iraq.

"Trylch credits his equanimity to the support of family and friends, and time spent thinking.

"'Introspection - who I am and what I've seen and how I want to deal with that,' Trylch said. 'I've tried to reconcile them the best that I can so that I can live with it.

"'But do I look at the world through a little different set of eyes? Yeah, I do.'"