I recently reviewed the history of the Psychiatry Handbook or Bible, DSM. Up to the 5th edition now. It has some indistinct roots that go back to the 1800’s, a bit after the Civil War. It became a serious guide after WW11 and was published in the 1950s with a lot of medical information from the Veterans Administration as a basis for Mental Health.
It might be a bit of a stretch but not much I think to realize that much of our modern understanding of Mental Health in this country has come from the case studies of veterans. Now that is very interesting to me.
We talked with a veteran recently with PTSD and he shared candidly his experience of losing his teammates in an ambush as they were trying to rescue downed aviators. I felt a mix of emotions for him, admiration, sorrow, hopeful for his future and others. He was not complaining or bemoaning in any fashion, just recounting his experience. And for our brief encounter, he seemed pretty well adjusted to me. But I know that he like many other vets have some traumatic injuries to body and mind that very few people will ever experience and fewer will understand.
We send people from all parts of society and all parts of our country to go somewhere over seas and mountains and we ask them to carry a lethal weapon and be prepared to use it and go through experiences that may threaten their lives. Some actually do kill the enemy that they have learned about and some learn to kill without much remorse.
I wonder how we can help these men and women have a healthy mind again. I’ve worked with many, many veterans as a chaplain and I can tell you they are different by virtue of their service in these war conditions or even in the training conditions before war. I’ve grown very thoughtful in how to approach veterans and avoid the general comments like Thank You for your Service or Did You go into Combat?
These are intimate questions and comments that most of us have no knowledge of and we would do well to educate ourselves on. Veterans did not sign up to become Guinea Pigs for us to learn how to practice mental health.
So many comments are made to veterans out of appreciation or even just something to say to a veteran when you learn of their service. Happened to me just the other day, Thank You For Your Service. I usually respond well enough, Of Course or I was Glad to Serve, something like that. But I can’t help but think that this person has no idea what I did or what I went through. I don’t hold that against them personally, I just wish we had a chance to expand on what it means to serve your country when you feel called to do your duty in the military.
Over half of those that went to Iraq or Afghanistan are likely to have PTSD. That’s a staggering percentage I think. A lot of Mental Health help is needed there. The history of PTSD itself and how difficult it was for our VA to recognize it and officially care for those affected in Vietnam is riddled with it’s own strife and conflict, as if the veterans that came back could not stop fighting even though they left Vietnam. They now had to fight with their own government to get good mental health care.
I just think we can do a lot better for these folks. What can you do? Thank them, sure. But find a way to listen to them as well. Start with a few basic questions, like, where did you serve, what kind of unit, and other questions. Don’t interrogate them, just a few questions and they will take it from there. If they don’t want to talk about it, you’ll know quickly. But the longer I associate with vets, the more I see them talking.
They are good people, productive and protective of their friends and their country. Your kindness and friendship to them can make them better and healthier. Genuine care and listening is the place to start. The DSM is interesting to me, but the Vet that is willing to share is a far greater source of wisdom and health when we understand something about them.