Pace: Psychological Wounds Need Same Attention As Physical Wounds

A Soldier's Mind


“The program has done a lot for me and my family,” said a Marine veteran of the second battle for Fallujah. “I didn’t believe there was anything wrong with me when I came back to Kaneohe Baby. By the time I did, I didn’t want to do anything because of the stigma attached.”
Stigma….. that’s been a battle for the Troops who find themselves having difficulty coping with day to day life, due to PTSD. For so many years, our Troops have been told to “suck it up” and led to believe that if they sought psychological help, that they would be ostracized by their peers, or in some way punished. That stigma is something that the Department of Defense and the branches of the Military are fighting hard to overcome. They’re working non-stop to let servicemembers know that it’s alright to ask for help and by doing so, it won’t mean the end of their career. One active duty soldier involved in the program went to Camp Zama, Japan following an especially tough tour for him in Baghdad. He says that he spiraled very quickly, began abusing alcohol and continually making mistakes.
“I just didn’t care anymore,” he said. “I had hit rock bottom and I didn’t like to think about what could have happened.”

http://soldiersmind.com/2007/08/21/pace-psychological-wounds-need-same-attention-as-physical-wounds/