What a stunning span of days the past week and half has been for the exploration of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]. A veritable `perfect storm’ of events lined up to push the plight of our returning veterans squarely in the forefront of national debate and discussion. The increased visibility is definitely welcomed, and long overdue.

We all have a role to play, and I think our efforts are beginning to pay off. If you happened to have missed out on any of the positive PTSD news events of this week, follow me for a brief run down…

First, a word of thanks. So many have been working on getting this issue the attention that it deserves. A tip of the hat to those who’ve pitched in by:

  • writing diaries and articles on PTSD (don’t miss Blaming the Veteran: The Politics of PTSD)
  • sharing related info you’ve found online
  • emailing ePluribus Media with additions to the PTSD Timeline
  • calling/writing your elected officials to demand the VA be fully funded
  • calling/writing your media outlets thanking them or asking them for more coverage
  • sharing your personal stories (helping others to learn more about PTSD)
  • comforting those who bared their souls
  • recommending and supporting PTSD diaries/commentaries
  • broadcasting and sharing what you’ve learned outside of the blogosphere

Thank you…and please keep it coming.

Zogby Poll/JAMA Article: the One, Two Punch

Released mid-week last week, first the Zogby poll delivered the incredible news that:

Only 23 percent [of US troops currently in Iraq] backed Mr. Bush’s position that they should stay as long as necessary. In contrast, 72 percent said that U.S. troops should be pulled out within one year. Of those, 29 percent said they should withdraw “immediately.“

Then, right on its heels, we found out that a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) article had been published. The Washington Post carried the news on its front page, revealing:

More than one in three soldiers and Marines who have served in Iraq [during the first year of the invasion] later sought help for mental health problems. …Those returning from Iraq consistently reported more psychic distress than those returning from Afghanistan and other conflicts, such as those in Bosnia or Kosovo. …

In questionnaires filled out after their deployment, more than half of all soldiers and Marines returning from Iraq reported that they had “felt in great danger of being killed” there, and 2,411 reported having thoughts of killing themselves, the report said. It did not have comparable data from earlier conflicts.

Earlier research has suggested that 12 to 20 percent of combat veterans develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which produces flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts that disrupt work and home life. The new study found that Iraq veterans are being diagnosed with mental disorders at the rate of 12 percent per year.

The repurcussions were felt far and wide. A selection of the coverage:

The Response

Nashville’s Tennessean editors gave a swift and sure response to the JAMA study:

The good news in a study of soldiers returning from active duty is that they seem to be more willing than ever to seek evaluation for their mental and emotional state.

The discouraging news is that one in every eight soldiers coming back from service in the first year of the Iraq war has been diagnosed with a mental illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Just as soldiers often have trouble adjusting after harrowing experiences in war, the military has come to grips with the fact that such problems should be expected and addressed. It remains a compelling obligation for government to help those veterans when the need arises. Sometimes, the problems may come much later than anticipated after the return home. …

Mental problems from war experience are not new. The illnesses were once called names such as shell shock or combat fatigue. What has changed over the years is that society has begun to understand the problem better and that the stigma associated with such ailments is subsiding. Soldiers should be no more hesitant to ask for help in coping after battle than they are in seeking medical help when physically wounded. Tragically, this nation did not embrace such understanding when soldiers returned from the Vietnam War. Some lessons have been learned, as evident in utilizing soldiers’ contacts with families through the Internet or telephone when away.

Veterans have a wide array of needs far after their battle experience. It is important that the nation stand at the ready to meet those needs long after their service is over. That’s a way to truly support the troops, whenever they need it, not just in the heat of battle.

If you’d like to thank The Tennessean via email, please do.

The Little Town That Could

Last month, the little town of Cloquet, MN – population 11,201 – welcomed home their 120 National Guard troops from service in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. But it was two weeks ago that the magic really began. Community leaders and residents met to decide how they could best support their troops.

Event facilitator Chaplain John Morris, himself a two-time combat veteran, referred to the session as a “nation-leading effort” because it was one of the first in the entire country to extensively deal with the re-integration of National Guard soldiers back into the community. In fact, the event was considered so ground-breaking that a television crew from ABC News was on hand to record it.

“The adjutant general of the state of Minnesota has committed the state’s resources to helping our combat veterans reintegrate,” said Morris. “I am here to ask for your help, because there is no way they can make a healthy integration without your help and support. We’re in this as a community, and everyone has a role to play. You have a chance to be a part of something no other state has done.” The program is part of a series of reintegration sessions designed to help the 120 soldiers from the local Guard unit make the necessary psychological and emotional adjustments after returning to the United States last month.

Last weekend, the Pine Journal of little Cloquet ran the first installment “in a series about how community members can play a key role in helping returning combat veterans reintegrate into society.” They introduced the community to the mission everyone was asked to embrace.

This past weekend, the second article in the series arrived. It offered the community a well-written exploration of the adjustment hurdles their guard members were facing now that they’d returned home:

Morris said combat soldiers become accustomed to a certain sense of “kinetic” energy that causes them to believe that when they’re in charge, they’re in charge, and they tend to apply that to whatever segment of society they are in at the time. That’s just one of the tendencies of returning soldiers that is easily misunderstood. Morris said there are many more, and that is why the entire community needs to understand and support them.

Morris added the National Guard Reserve units tend to have a tougher time making the transition back into society following an active combat assignment because, after their return, the unit splits up and its members go back into civilian life. “They are no longer with their comrades, their `battle buddies,'” said Morris, pointing out how the unit has become a support system that is often sorely lacking out in the community. “What they really need,” he said, “are employers, pastors, social workers and others who will take the time to try to understand them and support them.” In doing so, he stressed that community members must understand the challenges the soldiers face in that reintegration process.

First, they must strive to overcome alienation – from family, friends, co-workers and the community. He asked audience members to visualize going on a five-star vacation somewhere in the Caribbean where all they do is eat, drink, sleep and experience fun and excitement for an entire week, free from stress and responsibility. “When you get home and go back to the office, the sudden return to routine, stress, and responsibility is hard enough to cope with,” he said. “And chances are, you’re also brimming over with stories to tell and photos to show off, but you can just about imagine how long your co-workers are going to be interested – about a minute and a half! You begin to realize that you have had an experience that you can’t share with anyone except those you were there with.“

Both articles are highly, highly recommended – as is this type of community program. If you’d like, feel free to thank the Pine Journal for devoting the resources to this series.

The Little Show That Did

We’ll cap off all the good coverage with The Diane Rehm Show. Yesterday, the NPR show devoted one full hour of programming to the topic of Mental Health and Military Service in Iraq. Well worth taking the time to listen to. Guests included:

  • Charles Sheehan-Miles, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense and a veteran of the first Gulf War
  • Col. Dr. Charles Hoge, director of the division of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and author of a ground-breaking study on troop health released last week to front-page headlines  
  • Chaplain John Morris, chaplain for the Minnesota National Guard
  • Craig Smith, served as a Specialist in Operation Iraqi Freedom from April to November 2003

Listen to the full program [Real Audio – Windows Media], and then send your thanks to Ms. Rehm for devoting such a large portion of her program to this important topic yesterday.

Special Thanks

A big thanks goes out to jimstaro for giving me the heads-up on the Rehm Show and so many other great finds, including the following Kathie Costos video made to help educate others on Veterans and PTSD.

Thanks to everyone else, too. Let’s keep the pressure up!

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