Army reviewing traumatic stress diagnostic practices
General Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, said the Army wanted doctors and psychiatrists to have the attitude they were “patient advocates.”
“That’s the mindset that we’re going to work on changing - to make sure that everybody understands that,” Odierno said. “We are patient advocates. We are trying to get the best for what is right for our soldiers.”
But Murray said senior military leaders had been saying that since the start of the war a decade ago.
How does PTSD start?
PTSD can start after any traumatic event. A traumatic event is one where we can see that we are in danger, our life is threatened, or where we see other people dying or being injured. Some typical traumatic events would be:
- serious accidents
- military combat
- violent personal assault (sexual assault, physical attack, abuse, robbery, mugging)
- being taken hostage
- terrorist attack
- being a prisoner-of-war
- natural or man-made disasters
- being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.
Even hearing about an the unexpected injury or violent death of a family member or close friend can start PTSD.
“It’s really disconcerting after 10 years to find now that that has not been the case,” she said.
Why is PTSD often not recognised?
- None of us like to talk about upsetting events and feelings.
- We may not want to admit to having symptoms because we don’t want to be thought of as weak or mentally unstable.
- Doctors and other professionals are human. They may feel uncomfortable if we try to talk about gruesome or horrifying events.
- People with PTSD often find it easier to talk about the other problems that go along with it - headache, sleep problems, irritability, depression, tension, substance abuse, family or work-related problems.
Murray said it was important to focus on the issue system-wide to make clear that “it isn’t the cost of PTSD or any mental health evaluation that is of concern to the Army… It is making sure that those men and women get the care.”
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By David Alexander