Massive numbers of troops have suffered serious physical injuries serving in the open-ended occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, but a new report provides some of the first insights into just how broad the mental harm of the war has been.
The study, by Veterans for Common Sense, shows that nearly 20% of the soldiers who have served in either Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from mental health conditions. For those unlucky enough to serve in both wars, the number grows considerably, with some 30% of them suffering from PTSD alone.
The group’s executive director said the government expected “50,000 new patients” for the VA in a 2003 report. The group projected that the figure would be over 1 million by the end of 2013.
The enormous ongoing costs of fighting the war cannot be underestimated, of course, but over the long-term it will likely be the costs of treating the casualties, both physical and mental, which will be the most expensive part of the past decade of adventurism.
What is not said about PTSD, I,m not a doctor, but I believe some of it comes not only from the direct stress of being directly in a war zone, but also in knowing they have done something wrong.
Our congressional war mongers have mental health problems too.
There is no doubt that american soldiers were already mentally sick to kill civilians in Irak and Afghanistan and is curse from God.
PTSD — GUILT
After taking 21 credits in psychiatry at UW Superior, my thought is, the corporate rich have a grand scheme of things to protect excessive wealth by keeping the public brainwashed, both psychiatry and psychology are brainwash, media is brainwash and everything the military taught me in the Vietnam War was surely brainwash.
For when you follow orders to break into peoples homes and murder the women and children, when ordered to kill every civilian in sight each and every time an IED explodes, guilt makes you feel like you deserve to die.
So, to undue the damage done, act repentant and you will be repentant. Join AntiWar.com for example, work full time on a worthy cause for example, that sort of thing.
The actual numbers are most likely twice what has been reported in regards troops suffering from PTSD.
only 20% eh?
that's what happens with multiple tours of killing civilians, kicking doors in at night like Nazis and an 'enemy' much weaker and ill-equipped than you are
I personally don't feel bad for 'em. You signed up for a tough job involving sporadic acts of violence and intense discomfort, where you get bossed around a lot and have to sometimes kill people who never did anything to you.
As a kid I was in love with the military but when I was a teenager I read too much about the Vietnam war and decided I'd take my chances with a less dangerous job.
The VA is not doing what needs to be done to normal people how come back regreting the horrors there country commited.The VA has been failing vetrans for 2 decades the VCS is doing everthing it can to get congress to give vets what is needed.This is a 2 sentence thing from the book JesseVenturads 63 DOCUMENTS THE GOVERNMENT DOESEN'T WANT YOU TO READ.-If VA does not immediatly take action,we urge Congress to continue holding hearings and passing legislation so the VA is held accountable for taking care of are vetertans.Our waiting must end now.Look how many active troops kill themselfs for different reasons but mostly due to following illegal orders to kill men women and children and they get to the p[oint were they can't do it anymore and can't live with the fact they did do it.Its not what any normal person applys to the military for.I'm going to look into how many vets kill themselfs they are for reasons that should have never happened but manny comanders order mass murder if you can't see it you must live undert a rock.Then there are the sickos that don't care.