Cambridge Psychologist Emphasizes Need for Frank Look at Mental Health
November 24th, 2009
The recent events at Ft. Hood involving the deaths of several service members at the hands of an army mental health professional have created a great deal of buzz in the community, in a large part focused on the need for professionals to seek their own care. Creating less of an “us and them” mentality is also a crucial part of encouraging a healthier caregiver system and society at large, argues Katy Aisenberg in a recently-published editorial expressing concern over the state of modern services. Aisenberg suggests that accepting the ability of mental health difficulties to affect anyone, and to cross fabricated boundaries without prejudice, should factor largely in the understanding of issues that arise while Ft. Hood and other violent episodes are in the spotlight.
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Comments
A problem can affect anybody…yes! Its not like doctors never fall ill…! The recent incident must remind each one of us that spewing prejudice and hatred is nothing but a cowardly act and we should refrain from such things as it might affect the receiver heavily and make him/her act in a very violent manner.
There is no doubt that whatever is happening around the world today, with all the wars and other acts of violence, are taking a toll on almost everybody, and especially so on people serving in armed forces of countries involved in such wars/conflicts. What is needed is not more arms or personnel, but a hard look at what we are doing, what we are aiming for and in what best way it can be achieved with least violence and hence hatred between people.
Like so many other Americans I was shocked that someone with a track record like this guy’s was allowed to stay in the army and that he was not immediately red flagged as adanger to our country. I mean he was emailing with someone who is a known supporter of terrorism against the US. Did that not send any smoke signals to any higher ups? Apparently not or if it did then they were just too slack to do anything about it. And now look at how many lives have been adversely affected because of that. Things like this make me sick. I know there are people in all walks of life with problems and that they deserve help just like the next guy but you would hope that the military would be better able to recognize people like this who so obviously need help and are such a danger to the welfare of others. Looking the other way from mental illness has cost us dearly in this case as I am sure it has in dozens off others in the past.
Yes, what the person did was extremely wrong and killing anybody is a grave sin…but let us look at it this way- we need to find out why he did that…what were the factors that played a role…there have been reports of prejudice and taunting towards him by others… maybe this prejudice and taunting led him to being isolated and prone to negative and ill-thinking…? We really need to find out!
past history of employees is maintained even in small companies and it is quite unbelievable that a person in the armed forces with questionable history was not stopped.
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