Untouchable in Iraq Article – Effects of PTSD and Trauma
The article “Untouchable in Iraq. Ex-Sniper Dies in a Shooting Back Home” shines a light on how much individuals go through when they are deployed overseas. From training to real life experiences in areas someone has never dealt with before, weighs heavy on individuals and mental health sometimes goes unchecked or miss treated. The story of Chris Kyle was one that should of not happen, a war hero and decorated military individual comes home from experiencing the very same things the subject who killed him did, Chris was just trying to help those that needed that help. This situation as well as many others shine a light on the fact that we prepare these individuals for weeks, months on end to prepare for battle, but not for what they are going to witness, or be exposed to, and really not be able to handle it when they come back state side. We see this in other professions as well. It is nice to see many are putting mental health on the forefront of doing better, but I do not think we are nearly where we need to be on this topic and mass prescribing medications to people who need help is not the answer.
I think we need to have better treatment approaches as well as solutions to help these individuals who suffer from mental health that have been in traumatic experiences such as combat and law enforcement work. Providing more training and resources to help individuals who suffer from PTSD, from group therapy, to specialized therapies, but I would like to see less with the over medicating of individuals because the various medications that are out there may or may not treat the condition the person is going through, but also may cause additional health related concerns. We also see a lot of stigma and public perception when it comes to PTSD which makes it challenging for those who may be suffering from these types of conditions and may be afraid to come forward for the help they need because they do not want to be perceived as weak or one of the many other views.
Affording more assistance, and care for individuals suffering from PTSD as well as trauma could help prevent many of the mental health crisis we see today where they become so serve that individuals commit criminal behavior such as in the case of Chris Kyle. It could also help lower the suicide rate among individuals who suffer from these conditions.
Resources:
Fernandez, M., & Schwirtz, M. (2013, February 4). Untouchable in Iraq, Ex-Sniper Dies in a Shooting Back Home. New York Times, A1(L). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A317393855/AONE?u=mlin_b_bumml&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=83cac05c