Military Searches for Early PTSD Detection Options
August 23rd, 2009 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Headline
Though Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, has been associated with warfare and military personnel for many decades, recent years have shown that United States soldiers return from active duty overseas with worryingly high rates of the mental health concern as well as other symptoms. Rising rates of soldier suicide, which were reported at just under 130 between the beginning of the year and July (a higher number of fatalities than were reported during actual combat), along with other complications have led the military to begin soliciting ideas for mental health programs and diagnostic devices to aid in the early detection and, hopefully, prevention of the disorder.
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Do you think that there are some cues from earlier in life which may signal which soldiers may be more susceptible to developng PTSD than others are? Maybe higher rates of depression in the past, or family relationships that are not that stable? I know that you could not discriminate against someone for these indicators being present but it could maybe point out those who might need more help in the future and from there you could start with more preventive actions rather than those which are always reaction based to events that have already occured.
Wouldn’t “using pharmacology to short-circuit the brain’s stress response” be masking the problem instead of helping PTSD?
That’s not solving the problem. That’s ducking the responsibility of why it occurred and aiding recovery. Shame on them.
If you put a man under anesthetic and amputate a limb, just because he doesn’t feel it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
I think soldiers go through a lot of stress. It takes a lot of courage to fight a war but in my opinion it takes a lot more to take one’s life.