Military fights stigma of mental health care

[BlueJessamine]

Source: MSNBC

BAGHDAD - A military culture that values strength and a "can do" spirit is discouraging thousands of soldiers from seeking help to heal the emotional scars of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, despite top-level efforts to overcome the stigma, commanders and veterans say.

Up to one-fifth of the more than 1.7 million military members who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan are believed to have symptoms of anxiety, depression and other emotional problems. Some studies show that about half of those who need help do not seek it.

"It's a reality that for some — certainly not all, but for some — there's a stigma to stepping forward for behavioral health," Maj. David Cabrera, who runs counseling services at a military hospital in Germany, told The Associated Press.

"Our goal is to eradicate the stigma," he said. "We're not there yet."



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30782778/

[Posteritatis]

1. Every little bit helps there

There's enough stigmatization of mental illness among the general public - hell, here - never mind in the military. Anyone who can put a dent in that attitude, especially in that kind of environment, is good people as far as I'm concerned.

[BeHereNow]

2. Amen.

As the mother of a BP, I could not agree more.
BHN

[Posteritatis]

3. Yep

One sister and the SO here; both are nowhere near the armed forces and get enough of that "think happy thoughts and it'll go away/put away those effective medications and use homeopathy/you're upset because of your sins/you shouldn't be allowed in society" bullshit from people who find out they're bipolar and think they get what that means. Both of them had prolonged attempts by 'peers' to get them committed or something because "mental illness = crazy axe murderer!!!"

I can only imagine how much worse people in, say, the Marines have it.

[BeHereNow]

6. Major battles here with "well -intentioned" peers

My daughter has many "friends" who continually tell her,
"Oh, you're strong, you don't need to take that medication..."
Truth is, she DOES. It get's real ugly, real fast when she doesn't.

The sad thing about those in the military who need help, support groups,
psychiatric care and other services is the shame they are subjected to
BY their peers. "Be a man, war is war, get over it."

Remember the movie "In the Valley of Elah?"

I greatly respect how the film maker included the indoctrination and brainwashing
inflicted on the men and women who serve, and the tragic results of such mind control.

Early in the film, there is a scene where a young woman, as a last resort after failing to
get help for husband from the VA, is trying to get the local police involved after
her husband has drowned their dog in the tub. She is ridiculed by fellow detectives
of the woman she is trying to file a report with- the young woman is fearful that
without help, much worse will happen.

Near the end of the movie, the soldiers wife is found drowned in the tub as well.

I am very fearful of the potential violence that will surely grow as our
troops return to a country that not only stigmatizes mental illness among
the civilian population, but especially those afflicted through their military service,
by their peers in service.

I have become acutely aware of more and more returning vets in my area.
There is some "off" about many of them and I exercise extreme caution when
in their presence. Some of them actually exude an energy I would call
"a time bomb waiting to go off."

I will not be surprised if we see more and more senseless acts of
violence, homicides and suicides as these troops return to the country
that claimed to "support" them.
So many of them need help and can not get it.

Hell, I've had a hard enough time getting help for my kid and I can pay!

BHN

[Posteritatis]

10. That sounds familiar

My daughter has many "friends" who continually tell her,
"Oh, you're strong, you don't need to take that medication..."

My sister got that for a couple of years at her school (which, rather hypocritically, romanticises the crap out of recreational pharmaceutical abuse and untreated mental illness - as she put it, "mental illness is social capital" there), but most of her peers either burned out or smartened up recently. It made for a rough couple of years when she was leading up to the diagnosis and starting to get treated for it. After the initial shock her attitude towards it has tended to be nothing short of amazing, and I'm really proud of her for it, but the stuff coming from some other people should have made my head explode by now.

(The fact that, to my knowledge, every instance of a mentally ill person making the news in a dramatic way lately seems to be an untreated bipolar really doesn't help.)

I haven't seen the movie - should I assume that's a recommendation?

I will not be surprised if we see more and more senseless acts of
violence, homicides and suicides as these troops return to the country
that claimed to "support" them.

Been seeing some of that in the news too. Less than I expected, and mostly aimed at the soldiers themselves - which is plenty bad enough! - but it's still awful. The mental health situation with the Canadian military and public is mostly better, but it's a "broken arm versus a broken neck" kind of better, and a few incidents in the news last year really made attitudes take a big step back.

I do wonder if there's room for attitudes to get better in the military sense, though, since the US (and Canada) got back into the protracted-war business for a bit in the last few years. It's easier to blow off someone who's traumatized - or "conventionally" mentally ill - if you don't see it happening to people all around you because of that kind of situation.

That picture probably gets a spot in the dictionary next to "mixed blessing," though.

[BeHereNow]

13. Yes, I highly recommend seeing "In the Valley of Elah."

I hope your sister is doing fine.
It's a constant worry in the back of my mind-
Having to live through another episode of manic in particular.
The depression that follows is always worse due to the damage to
the brain that occurs in manic episodes.
My kid is now living closer to home, she is in San Francisco
and I am in Los Angeles, so should a crisis arise, I can be there in an hour
by air. Thankfully, she has friends who are aware of her condition and know to call me
if they start seeing "off the meds" behavior.

BHN

[merwin]

4. Instead of fighting the stigma, why not try

allowing those with ptsd and other mental disorders access to the treatment they need, instead of their rushed "quick-fix and send them back" mentality.

[BeHereNow]

7. Well, that would make sense, wouldn't it- HOWEVER,

As I posted below- the stigma is rampant in the civilian population-
it is a thousand times worse for those in service, BY their peers.
BHN

[Posteritatis]

9. It's not one or the other

A lot of people have access to treatment, but won't pursue it because of the stigma. Lots of fun stuff out there, like schools with an auto-expel policy if students get a mental illness diagnosis while enrolled, and this thread's about the attitudes in the armed forces.

All the treatment options, effective and affordable both, in the world will only go so far if people are too ashamed/unconvinced/afraid/etc to take the step of making use of them. You've got to fight the stigma and provide the treatment.

[bemildred]

5. War is a mental illness. Eh? nt

[JonLP24]

8. Very true about the stigma

Even people on 'profile' for an injury gets blasted by peers and leaders. I'm not that far removed from the military myself and many people do not seek the treatment they need because the stigma is very true.

[Posteritatis]

11. What does 'on profile' mean? (nt)

[JonLP24]

12. A profile basically means an injury and restriction

It can range very depending on the injury or illness, for example a flu-like sickness will get you quarters for 24 hours meaning rest in your home, no duty. My profile during my deployment towards the end....

off topic quick story,
My platoon Sergeant angry about the # of people on profile during deployment figuratively asked, 'what would you do if you broke your right hand? Tell the doctor you're right handed and you're unable to wipe with your left hand? No. You would learn to wipe with your left hand.' 2 weeks later I broke my hand playing basketball at CSC Scania, flew out on a C-130(long story byitself but I'll spare you to make my point) at Baghdad International Airport.

My profile was broken right hand, no push-ups, sit-ups, run at own pace, no weapon(meaning no missions), etc. for 8-12 months, I was done in 7.

There are permanent profiles meaning no-push ups, sit-ups, run, etc but you can still advance rank on a permanent profile. Those who are active most pass the PT test consisting of 2-mile run depending on age, 2 minutes of sit-ups, 2 minutes of pushups.