This links to an article on a study done in Denmark. The study was carried out on Danish soldiers who served in Afghanistan.
The main thrust of the article lines up with my own experience and gut feelings on PTSD.
Michael Yon brought it to my attention with this post.
I’ve done no actual research into the matter and, as I said, only post this because it lines up with my own gut feelings on the matter. I’d be interested in your thoughts on PTSD. Please, comment freely.
“We cannot rule out the possibility that they were exposed to different experiences than the robust group of soldiers in Afghanistan.” – Sounds like a pretty big loose end.
So, should soldiers have to pass some sort of mental health test prior to being deployed? Don’t you think war is a major catalyst to what pushes an already mentally compromised person over the edge?
I tend to agree that the article’s assertions are true in some (if not most) cases, but across the board I think it would be impossible to prove. Regardless, PTSD it is a significant problem. Isn’t this just a way for the military to evade accepting any responsibility? I would hate to see that happen. We already screw our veterans over in so many ways.
“The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
― Maya Angelou
PTSD is, in fact, a problem. I didn’t mean to give the impression that I thought it wasn’t.
And yes, I do think war is a major catalyst that pushes already mentally compromised persons over the edge, resulting in things like PTSD. That’s why I said that the article reinforced my own already extant ideas.
Unfortunately, thinking that all soldiers who have been to war are compromised by that experience is a very easy trap to fall into. It’s a trap that many people in the media and in my personal experiential circle have fallen into.
The study the article references brings out some nuggets of truth on the matter. It points out with some authority that while war breaks some soldiers it does not break all or even most of them. And those it breaks likely were already prone to breakage.
As for the solution. All soldiers should expect (and be expected) to go to war. If we’re going to try and detect and protect soldiers who cannot handle that experience it needs to happen before they sign up, not after.