Iraq Affecting Mental Health of Troops

[mopaul]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050728/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_us_military_health

WASHINGTON - Thirty percent of U.S. troops surveyed have developed stress-related mental health problems three to four months after coming home from the Iraq war, the Army's surgeon general said Thursday.

The survey of 1,000 troops found problems including anxiety, depression, nightmares, anger and an inability to concentrate, said Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and other military medical officials. A smaller number of troops, often with more severe symptoms, were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, a serious mental illness.

The 30 percent figure is in contrast to the 3 percent to 5 percent diagnosed with a significant mental health issues immediately after they leave the war theater, according to Col. Elspeth Ritchie, a military psychiatrist on Kiley's staff. A study of troops who were still in the combat zone in 2004 found 13 percent experienced significant mental health problems.

Screenings of 1,000 U.S. soldiers who returned from Iraq to their home bases in Italy last year found that three to four months later, 30 percent of them had some mental health difficulties — a much greater incidence than expected. Kiley attributed that to post-combat stress problems taking time to develop once the danger has passed.

[Daphne08]

1. Does this remind any other "oldies" out there of

Vietnam?

Hell, my father NEVER recovered from his problems after WWII, and we won that one!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. but does Bush care?

As much as he cared for the Viet Nam vets who went over there in his place while he played with outdated airplanes and took extended leaves of absense.

[ClintonTyree]

3. Just great...........

another generation of men and women who will never be able to put the horror of war behind them.
There's a difference in this war though. It was a preconceived war based on an old grudge the bushies have carried with them since Desert Storm. The neo-cons, who were over-ruled at that time when they wanted to march into Baghdad, never forget that they were told, NO! NO, is a word that does not compute with these rabid ideologues, and they wanted their "victory" by any means necessary. That included ginning up false "intelligence" and lying to the American people and the World about the impending attack sure to come from Iraq if we didn't act immediately.
I pity these poor folks and their families. Some scars, emotional and physical, will never heal. Meanwhile, bush will be at his ranch for another "well deserved" vacation, clearing brush and eating barbecue, having the time of his life.
This vile, arrogant, conscienceless man-child has no clue as to what he's done to these people. And for what? So he can have won the Oedipal contest between he and his father.
I so want to see bush and his entire administration go down in flames. He deserves so much more, but I'd settle for that.

[mopaul]

4. sociopaths & psychopaths don't feel remorse or guilt at all

never has a president had such utter disregard for human life.