Comments on: Pentagon Documents Reveal Concern Over Military Children’s Mental Health http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/military-childrens-mental-health/ Exploring Healthy Psychotherapy Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:06:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Betsy Davenport, PhD http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/military-childrens-mental-health/#comment-20387 Betsy Davenport, PhD Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:46:24 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=2904#comment-20387 There is a body of evidence that childhood abuse leads nations to aggression and violence; grown up children are reenacting their youthful experiences, endlessly. It might be informative to see how nations with low rates of child abuse (I include spanking and any corporal punishment) behave in the wider world – a couple of generations on. The children of soldiers are victims of our nation's primitive form of relating with others. Dominating others diminishes on the playground – demonstrating how early kids develop past trying to solve everything by way of who can overpower the other. Some may learn to "behave" when in the sight of adults who require them not to fight; this might explain how competitive tendencies across the country seem so nearly universal and entrenched. Do we know what the effect on children is when a parent is simple gone for an extended time? Gone, and maybe hurt? Gone, and injured? Dead, or maybe dead? I think this constitutes trauma, and I wonder whether a strong policy against traumatizing of children would include the exposure to ongoing, profound anxiety. There is a body of evidence that childhood abuse leads nations to aggression and violence; grown up children are reenacting their youthful experiences, endlessly. It might be informative to see how nations with low rates of child abuse (I include spanking and any corporal punishment) behave in the wider world – a couple of generations on.

The children of soldiers are victims of our nation’s primitive form of relating with others. Dominating others diminishes on the playground – demonstrating how early kids develop past trying to solve everything by way of who can overpower the other. Some may learn to “behave” when in the sight of adults who require them not to fight; this might explain how competitive tendencies across the country seem so nearly universal and entrenched.

Do we know what the effect on children is when a parent is simple gone for an extended time? Gone, and maybe hurt? Gone, and injured? Dead, or maybe dead? I think this constitutes trauma, and I wonder whether a strong policy against traumatizing of children would include the exposure to ongoing, profound anxiety.

]]> By: Trevor http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/military-childrens-mental-health/#comment-19966 Trevor Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:54:14 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=2904#comment-19966 How many years does it take for those in senior appointments to realize that there are those who stand firm behind the soldier. We here in Australia have the same problem albeit not as big. It started off in Vietnam (TV war) and we have been fighting ever since to make those senior persons realize that those at home suffered too and plus the kids that were born later. We are still having Vietnam Family studies 40 plus years later. We (Viet Vets) will all be dead shortly and one hopes that those senior people will NOT let the same thing happen to these soldiers who have and are still serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It might also help to curb the divorce rate TH How many years does it take for those in senior appointments to realize that there are those who stand firm behind the soldier.
We here in Australia have the same problem albeit not as big.
It started off in Vietnam (TV war) and we have been fighting ever since to make those senior persons realize that those at home suffered too and plus the kids that were born later. We are still having Vietnam Family studies 40 plus years later.
We (Viet Vets) will all be dead shortly and one hopes that those senior people will NOT let the same thing happen to these soldiers who have and are still serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It might also help to curb the divorce rate

TH

]]> By: Rose http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/military-childrens-mental-health/#comment-19920 Rose Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:29:24 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=2904#comment-19920 Hopefully the children of military personnel who have to seek mental health care will not be scrutinized and ostracized like their soldier parents could be for seeking the same treatment. Unfortunately I have heard many stories about soldiers coming home from their tours, needing real medical and mental health, but they are deathly afraid of what that could do to their long term military careers. And will they pass up that same care to their kids because they are likeiwse afriad that it will diminish their chance for advancement in the armed services? I would hope this would never be the case but you hear too many things to even think that this could easily be dismissed as rumor. Hopefully the children of military personnel who have to seek mental health care will not be scrutinized and ostracized like their soldier parents could be for seeking the same treatment. Unfortunately I have heard many stories about soldiers coming home from their tours, needing real medical and mental health, but they are deathly afraid of what that could do to their long term military careers. And will they pass up that same care to their kids because they are likeiwse afriad that it will diminish their chance for advancement in the armed services? I would hope this would never be the case but you hear too many things to even think that this could easily be dismissed as rumor.

]]> By: ninabe werness sandot- yoga therapist http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/military-childrens-mental-health/#comment-19912 ninabe werness sandot- yoga therapist Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:20:25 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=2904#comment-19912 Schools and teachers have become more and more a haven for our children. Military children are always moving and the new kids in the classroom, which is not always a situation that teachers and schools are able to tend to....the social fabric of the public schools, being what it is. In the end we all hold responsibility for the choices made in this country around war and we get to take into consideration the repercussions these choices have on children...our legacy. Schools and teachers have become more and more a haven for our children.
Military children are always moving and the new kids in the classroom, which is not always a situation that teachers and schools are able to tend to….the social fabric of the public schools, being what it is. In the end we all hold responsibility for the choices made in this country around war and we get to take into consideration the repercussions these choices have on children…our legacy.

]]> By: Teach http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/military-childrens-mental-health/#comment-19893 Teach Sun, 12 Jul 2009 01:42:22 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=2904#comment-19893 I have a niece whose father and stepmother are both in the Army. There is always one of them in Iraq. You can see the strain on the child's face every time news of soldiers being killed comes on TV. It would be a disgrace for the issue not to be addressed as a priority. The least this nation can do for these military families who give so much of themselves, even their lives, is allow them the peace of mind of knowing their children's mental health as well as physical is being cared for properly. I have a niece whose father and stepmother are both in the Army. There is always one of them in Iraq. You can see the strain on the child’s face every time news of soldiers being killed comes on TV.

It would be a disgrace for the issue not to be addressed as a priority. The least this nation can do for these military families who give so much of themselves, even their lives, is allow them the peace of mind of knowing their children’s mental health as well as physical is being cared for properly.

]]> By: dee dee http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/military-childrens-mental-health/#comment-19858 dee dee Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:32:50 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=2904#comment-19858 It's just terribly sad to think about how many children in military fams ar suffering as a result of what their parents go through. I'm glad at least that more attention is being paid to this. It’s just terribly sad to think about how many children in military fams ar suffering as a result of what their parents go through. I’m glad at least that more attention is being paid to this.

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