Mental Illness In The Military On The Rise

Troops Returning From Iraq And Afghanistan Tours With Post-Traumatic Stress

(CBS)  Mental health disorders are snowballing as more and more soldiers and Marines are sent back for repeat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports.

According to the Pentagon's latest mental health survey, 31 percent of Marines, 38 percent of soldiers and 49 percent of the National Guard reported psychological symptoms such as anger, depression or alcohol abuse after returning home. As the director of the survey said, combat stress is not something you just get over.

"It may manifest and change their lives forever. These are men and women who have undergone experiences that are unlike anything else in humankind," Vice Adm. Donald Arthur said.

For wounded soldiers like Staff Sgt. Daniel Shannon, post-traumatic stress disorder adds insult to their injuries.

"I started smashing furniture, very rapidly; so fast I didn't know what I was doing 'til it happened. I'd get mad so fast, so angry, and just lash out," Shannon said.

Shannon is at least willing to talk about it.

The survey says the stigma attached to mental illness in the military "remains pervasive and often prevents service members from seeking needed care."

The stigma is one barrier to treatment. Another is that the military doesn't have enough mental health professionals — not even for peacetime, much less war.

According to the survey, there have been "dramatic decreases in the number of military health professionals" since the war started.

And perhaps the most damning finding: The Pentagon "currently lacks both funding and personnel to adequately support the psychological health of service members and their families."

"We concentrate a great deal on physical health; that is, how fast can you run a mile, how many sit-ups and push-ups can you do. But we don't often concentrate on the psychological health of the service member," Arthur said.

The Army now has about 500 health professionals and plans to hire another 100. But there are about 1 million men and women who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

[tantrim]

Only the Americans have mental illness fighting in Iraq? What about the insurgents are they mentally better able to withstand the elements of fighting in the hot desert conditions. Everytime we have to fight in a conflict we have a bunch of soldiers with an assortment of ills.

[dchupp1]

Our elected leaders could have better oversight on present and future military decisions if the american citizen came first. The majority have always looked out for their "JOB"( getting election) first. Second is loyality to their own polical party. The concern for the average citizen is last unless it is an election year.

I have always said pay attention to whom you elect to congress since congress has the power of overriding almost anything the president wants to do. It is easier to blame the president than to accept responsibility.

[gunownerdan]

Just wait until millions of Mexicans are given amnesty so they can be recruited into the military. Then we won't have to worry about our troops so much anymore, right Bushtards?

[grammawhamma]

sandy19731 How dare you tell me or anyone to remove "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" signs etc!! No one likes war...do you you see signs in people's yards saying "support our war"?? NO you don't. You better be *** grateful to the troops that are there...because if they wouldn't have volunteered to be in the military your sorry butt might have been drafted.

[cattlekate]

It would be nice if the FIVE straping, healthy Romney boys and the Bush twins signed up to give these soldiers a rest.

[gdod25]

US out of Iraq.

[sayfud-deen]

let me make a few observations about lifiswhtumak! you have never been in a war, you would never send your children to war(if you have any), if i gave you a m-16 and some bullets to send you to iraq or afganistan, you would go awol,and you believe everything you hear and see on the zionist controlled news media. which means you don't have a brain in your head. because anyone with half a brain knows that iraq did'nt have weapons of mass destruction and even is they did, they still did not have the technical capacity to harm the u.s.. it is fools like you that run with this rhetoric and lies that come from the current administration no matter how contradictory or stupid it sounds. and i'll bet you can't remember how many different lies you have been told as to why we invaded iraq because cowards like you never go to fight! you just talk stupid!

[photogeezer]

The Bush administration is guilty of extreme political cowardice. To claim this "war on terror" is tantamount to WWII in importance and not institute the draft is cowardly, typical of chicken hawks.

It seems that they bet right that they would get little to no opposition to going to war as long as it was other people's kids who had to bear the burden. They bet that the antics of the latest celebrity trollop would get more attention than the mess into which we have put these decent, trusting young people.

Of course, they're angry. If anything, this war is worse. No one ever told me I'd have to go back to 'Nam once I served my one year.

The men of military age (they're taking them as old as 42) are not signing up. The kids of Senators and fat cat Repubs are not signing up. They don't believe their own rhetoric. How do they expect us to?

[justrains]

This has been going on since George W. Bush was allowed to take the oath to become an Officer and again when he took oath to become President. Bush won't allow more money for mental health. He's afraid that his mental health problems will become public.

[formrusmcsgt]

We all know war is horrible but I am really dissapointed in Americans that say we should not have gone to war. We should never allow other countries to terrorize us, if we did not fight back we would be considered a WEAK country and give them the balls to attack us again.
Posted by Lifiswhtumak at 11:50 AM : Jun 16, 2007

Would you be kind enough to post the place(s) and date(s)of Iraq's attacks on the US?

Unless you can offer something along those lines, your post is absolutely senseless.

[lifiswhtumak]

We all know war is horrible but I am really dissapointed in Americans that say we should not have gone to war. We should never allow other countries to terrorize us, if we did not fight back we would be considered a WEAK country and give them the balls to attack us again. Bush made a statement for all Americans to leave our Family and freinds alone, or we will fight back and I am proud of that. I don't agree with the lenght of the war but I still support Bush.

As for our Troops: They made the choice to join the Military (thank God for that), we didnt have a draft, no one was forced, yes it is very unfortunate that they are suffering mentally and some are physically, but that is not our Presidents fault, the soilders want to defend our country and are very proud to do so. Now to show our appreciation to all the soilders, we need to support them when they return and help them mentally as much as possible.

My Father was in the Vietnam War and he was very mentally and physically abusive, I have forgiven him because of his mental state, but I feel it is very important that we help the soilders so the abuse does not get taken out on their children. GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND THANK YOU!

[kenhamlett]

The first thing that should be noted is that it was government shrinks that said that extended tours of duty would be OK for the soldiers. Now the consensus is that mental problems are on the rise with some saying it is epidemic. Can we ignore the discrepancy?
Along a similar theme we have feelgood legislation in the works to give more power to the mental health community to undermine the constitution to a greater extent by reporting their dubious findings to the federal government on a more streamlined basis.
Unfortunately in both situations their findings and opinions are without value. In the first the end result is to guide more people into their mental health systems and make excessive military tours seem legitimate (no coincidence it seems), and in the second the opinions simply reinforces the false assumption that their opinions have some meaning or might make a difference. Silly notion.

The result is that more people end up as victims of the mental health system and no cures for either of the above situations are realized.
The result of this ongoing attack on the constitution and human rights , and yes the lives and health of citizens, is to entrap people in both government mismanagement and mental health abuse schemes.
Could someone wake up and actually look at the record of such silliness. Our rights, our health, and our lives are in jeopardy because self serving people try to manipulate the facts for their own goals and our citizens and soldiers suffer.

[prelgovisk]

Killing people should be upseting. In real life, cops that shoot criminals often break down and cry and are unlike the Dirty Harry or Charlies Angels characters who kill are are cool and clever about it.

When a person must kill and it does NOT bother them, that is true mental illness.

Sometimes killing must be done
But do it for duty
Not for fun

[grumpas]

What Bush has done to our troops is criminal! It can't be easy for these guys to go to war knowing they aren't there for an honorable reason but to line some rich f.... pocket! They aren't there to protect our freedoms but to enslave another country! These guys know why we are there. I don't know why the American people have allowed this to happen and won't put a stop to it!

[hypnotoad72]

I support the troops.

I wish Saddam had been taken out in 15 years ago instead of now.

I wish our own government wouldn't keep cutting troops' well deserved benefits.

http://www.thepropheticyears.com/cults/Apostasy%20in%20the%20Church%20and%20cult%20fiction.htm

http://www.thepropheticyears.com/comments/The%20Handwriting%20on%20the%20Wall%20Reads%20%20Prepare%20for%20the%20Apocalypse%20Now.htm

[johnshaft4]

The "mental illness" began with the "Mission Accomplished" Commander in Chief and was very contagious. Anybody who does not split to Canada until this blows over is nuts. There is no valor in dying, getting maimed or losing your mind for the benefir of Halliburton over a bogus invasion/occupation waged on lies.

[malomaboy06]

The military is only as good as its commanders. Following that logic, we can easily see the soldiers that are being sent know are in it deep.

This entire war has been a crock from the start. So, when you force your soldiers into a place to take away the rights of innocents (not to say they are all innocent), they are bound to have some mental trauma. The facts of life don't lie.

I personally place the blame for the entire situation at the feet of our most "estemeed" president. His incompetence is begining to have far reaching consequences. I can only hope that the American public will use this information to force some reform and accontablilty in washington.

[notsoshocked]

First up, I am a very lucky and fortunate mother, my son returned home from Iraq. My heart goes out to all the families that lost their child while serving. My son is not the same person. He spent about a year and a half *** near comatose from drinking. I say a blessing everyday that he has stopped that. He is always angry and cannot speak to me or his sister with any kindness or concern. He just seems angry all the time. It breaks my heart to realize that I don't even want to be around him. This is not my wonderful, happy, bright and loving child I sent off to war.

[gunownerdan]

Now that veterans will lose their constitutional right to keep and bear arms just because they seek help for mental illness, many would rather just keep everything inside and not seek help if it means a loss of their rights.
Gun control kills.

[formrusmcsgt]

War is, at best, pure hell. When one is asked to do what's right, there at least is that counter-balance going for you that killing is achieving a worthwhile goal.

When you are asked to do other then what's right, it's a whole different situation.

Viet Nam warped tens of thousands of Marines and soldiers for the same reasons Iraq is produsing mental degradation in our warriors - a misguided use of American military power.

Troops are told day after day that they're being asked to do the honorable thing but, deep down, most know it's a crock of $hit and these are the ramifications that we'll be dealing with for decades.