Sharing an experience from a soldier that relays an impact that may help others understand our soldiers. It's not just being shot or bombed that traumatize, some of the worst difficulties facing returneed is living with killing.

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"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke

"Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true. " Demosthenes

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"StillDizzy", was with 3rd Mar Div. ...pjwky

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"bluedog", its thought that troops in action have several major differences from "high risk" professionals. The troops age is generally considerably younger then that of the "high risk" professionals that experience trauma: also the "high risk" professions generally have received much more training designed to minimize post-traumatic stress & immedicate counselling directly after trauma: and the "high risk" professions also live & work at home where they have the support of family & close friends to help during traumatic times.

Many "experts" believe that the younger age is one of the major factors that differ between today's troops & WWII/Korea troops: Vietnam erea troops moore closely reflected the general age of today's troops. Many of those same "experts" also believe that the WWII/Korea troops came from an American society that was completely unified & dedicated to fighting a war, and was also very much themselves involved in at-home war efforts: it is thought that this provided those troops a "continuity of being with the at home community," which decreased their feelings of being alone & isolated from their families & home community.

All of these are thought to be a factor in explaining why todays troops appear to suffer more post traumatic stress, and its other associated mental health problems. ......pjwky

You hit the nail on the head with the "semantical" expression....APPEARS. I for one know all about PTSD and false diagnosis and about just who is the best support for any soldier in the filed, and indeed it is another soldier that has EMPATHY produced not from some "text book" by but the actual experience of having their ASS IN THE GRASS instead of in the rear with the gear. It's not the actual happenstance of PTSD that has been altered but the ever changing defining characteristics of such mental stress. What we all know to be a "normal" period of readjustment required from coming directly out of an adrenal induced state of hyper awareness to the so called normal condition of society is just that NORMAL....many pompous text book quacks are quick to label someone as suffering from PTSD when in fact they are coming down from the fact of being an "Adrenal Junkie", and need help not with mind altering drugs that permanently effects the cognation of the rational thought process. They need the help of "experienced" combat field tested "brothers" that have shared the common experience and themselves have worked through the hardships of readjustment into the the norms of society. I have "personally" seen quite a few GOOD MEN fall to the method of being "over medicated" and have actually taken their own life, not because of some imagined happenstance of the COMBAT EXPERIENCE but form having their mind altered by the drastic "side effects" of the all to quickly prescribed meds, that are dished out like candy. BD

Wartime PTSD cases jumped roughly 50 pct. in 2007


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May 27, 8:02 PM (ET)

By PAULINE JELINEK

WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of troops with new cases of post-traumatic stress disorder jumped by roughly 50 percent in 2007 amid the military buildup in Iraq and increased violence there and in Afghanistan.

Records show roughly 40,000 troops have been diagnosed with the illness, also known as PTSD, since 2003. Officials believe that many more are likely keeping their illness a secret.

"I don't think right now we ... have good numbers," Army Surgeon General Eric Schoomaker said Tuesday.

Defense officials had not previously disclosed the number of PTSD cases from Iraq and Afghanistan.


Army statistics showed there were nearly 14,000 newly diagnosed cases across the services in 2007 compared with more than 9,500 new cases the previous year and 1,632 in 2003.

Schoomaker attributed the big rise over the years partly to the fact that officials started an electronic record system in 2004 that captures more information, and to the fact that as time goes on the people keeping records are more knowledgeable about the illness.

He also blamed increased exposure of troops to combat.

Factors increasing troop exposure to combat in 2007 included President Bush's troop buildup and the fact that 2007 was the most violent year in both conflicts.

More troops also were serving their second, third or fourth tours of duty - a factor mental health experts say dramatically increases stress. And in order to supply enough forces for the buildup, officials also extended tour lengths to 15 months from 12, another factor that caused extra emotional strain.

Excite News - Wartime PTSD cases jumped roughly 50 pct. in 2007

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“One of the things that I learned in the school yard was: the folks that are talking tough all the time, they’re not always that tough. If you’re really tough, you’re not always looking to try to start a fight. If you’re really tough, sometimes you just walk away. If you’re really tough, you just save it for when you really need it,� Obama said.

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“One of the things that I learned in the school yard was: the folks that are talking tough all the time, they’re not always that tough. If you’re really tough, you’re not always looking to try to start a fight. If you’re really tough, sometimes you just walk away. If you’re really tough, you just save it for when you really need it,� Obama said.

IThe true realitys of war make these pussys squeamish. They go insane when presented with teh aftermath of their bloodthirst.

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Cussing out low class inbreds isnt uninteligent, its honest

Good typing is not inteligent its dexiteritous.

Everything you just said is total bullshit

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V8Ek...eature=related

So you're saying the suicide rate among today's soldiers is probably the same as that of those who fought 50 to 60 years ago?

Actually, your suicide numbers are taken completely out of context. It is true that the suicide rate is up among vets...but it's still lower than the general populations. Also, the numbers you using for suicides among veterans includes all veteran--WWII, Korea and Nam. You could look it up...but I bet you won't.

Yeah,,,sometimes a clean kill is missed by a few inches... I'm not Perfect.

But I'll keep trying to excell.

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A Liberal is a Man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel (Robert Frost 1874-1963).

I think the problem lies with how our soldiers are treated by the media and the Democrat politicians.
The media and Democrats makes up lies slandering our troops.

Solution:
Each time the media or Democrats slanders a soldier, they must pay this soldier $100 million.

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President-elect Clinton fooled the American people