Posted on Dec 31, 2015
Why is Mental Health Stigma so ALIVE in the MIL still? Are we in the Dark Ages?
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Just wondering if anyone considers this today? I sit on a heap of sh=ttty memories,
jobless, broke on SSDI for anxiety disorder, PTSD diagnosed 15 years after the fact at a VET CENTER for events I finally talk about that happened on duty, just thinking the CO and XO of the ship had a lot more to worry about then the final outcome of a young courageous sailor who gave his all
jobless, broke on SSDI for anxiety disorder, PTSD diagnosed 15 years after the fact at a VET CENTER for events I finally talk about that happened on duty, just thinking the CO and XO of the ship had a lot more to worry about then the final outcome of a young courageous sailor who gave his all
Health
PTSD
Stress
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 6
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PO3 Aaron Hassay in my opinion, its leadership in the DOD, its been around for years and nobody really takes it serious until its too late. Now is the time for everyone to address this social issue to the chain of command and be heard. Feedback is necessary to make changes and get help for Veterans before its too late.
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PO3 Aaron Hassay
I think telling stories, not of just glory, will help. You can not just keep on demanding and therefore ordering young men and women into life threatening positions by the time they are 18, for very little money, very little benefits, and no mental health specialists in the command. That would be an answer. A directive, an instruction, a law to embed a mental health expert in every command especially operational combatant commands. But then the brass would say O SH-T look we are really screwing up a lot of kids ..I mean young men and women 18 years old here. How do we continue this they would ask at the PENTAGON. Then they would come up with the answer. Keep Mental Health PHDs etc as far away from Operational Units as possible. Well that is what I was exposed when I was 18 1994.
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Several reasons, and I believe it's going to get worse. First, revealing you are having psychological problems may result in being prescribed medication that makes you undeployable and may create a forced separation or retirement. Second, no one wants to be seen as the weak link. It's not just physically strong, it's mentally strong. In fact, mental strength is at least as important for survival. PTSD turns the flight/fight switch to permanently on, making people hypervigilent, unable to sleep (you have to sleep if you are going to stay strong) and easily startled in many cases. I believe it is going to get worse because of the recent discussions involving the possession and right to bear arms. Reveal you are having psychological problems and there go your guns. Or the right to legally obtain a gun. Just when we thought it was going to be strong enough to ask for help, people are going to go underground and silent to keep their weapons. It is the rare incident that is a tragedy considering how many military and non-military, for that matter, own weapons and never have a problem or shoot up a crowd even though they experience depression, psychosis, addiction, bipolar disorder, PTSD or other diagnosable psychological conditions. But a few such incidents and the laws will be on the books.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
As others have said its been around for a while and I agree with you that its probably going to get worse. The fact that we can talk about it in this forum is a good thing though. I can offer an example of how the stigma affected military members in the olden days. It didn't even have to involve the service member. I was on a SAC aircrew and under the Personnel Reliability Program (PRP). During this time my wife and I went through a miscarriage and my wife sought help to get her through a bout of understandable depression. Her on-base doctor had several sessions with her but because of my PRP status these were never recorded in her records as mental health treatments. The wise doctor understood exactly what the stigma of a family member getting mental health treatment would do the career of a SAC aircrew member.
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Once a soldier is diagnosed with some type of mental health, it is not the same with your peers anymore. The most important thing is for you to work on you, your recovery. Within time, everything will work out for you.
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PO3 Aaron Hassay
SSG Michael Scott - Very interesting back and forth of emotions I can identify with. Veterans day does not have the same glamorous appeal anylonger when I see people shooting off fireworks as happy as can be and I am bummed out and alone and trying to forget things that happened in military uniform.
But you know what? We were the brave ones. We were the strong ones. We did throw ourselves into the dogs. We did sacrifice. We did more then the average human can consider. I think our breed is unique. I think our breed is rare to suffer to sacrifice for honor and glory of the ultimate ideals.
The money and comfort and social awareness that comes along with diving that deep into the emotional world of sacrifice selfless, is really lacking from those who celebrate veterans day so well.
Should i hate this? I think I should not hate this paradigm.
I hope to see all problems as a thing that needs solution.
Maybe our stories are not shared well enough?
Maybe reality of the real deal is not shared well enough.
To most this world seems to be a happy go lucky video game of constant aloofness, parties, holidays, consumption, self serving ways and other things that are individually serving.
I wish for us that never ran in fear when asked the most that we will be welcomed for the bravery we have in our heart.
I try to move with this bravery every day.
Even the politicians I see, most 99.99999% will never know 1 order in there life, that will put them in harms way, for their own country and the ideals of a better world.
But if this system is truly this disjointed to leave us the brave in the fields alone after this is done on our end, then we do need to be brave and also strong and also wise and also open to how to create a winning better situation that does not leave us holding this bag that is full of emptiness.
The emptiness is my only loving life that I know. But I tread lightly knowing that there is more.
But you know what? We were the brave ones. We were the strong ones. We did throw ourselves into the dogs. We did sacrifice. We did more then the average human can consider. I think our breed is unique. I think our breed is rare to suffer to sacrifice for honor and glory of the ultimate ideals.
The money and comfort and social awareness that comes along with diving that deep into the emotional world of sacrifice selfless, is really lacking from those who celebrate veterans day so well.
Should i hate this? I think I should not hate this paradigm.
I hope to see all problems as a thing that needs solution.
Maybe our stories are not shared well enough?
Maybe reality of the real deal is not shared well enough.
To most this world seems to be a happy go lucky video game of constant aloofness, parties, holidays, consumption, self serving ways and other things that are individually serving.
I wish for us that never ran in fear when asked the most that we will be welcomed for the bravery we have in our heart.
I try to move with this bravery every day.
Even the politicians I see, most 99.99999% will never know 1 order in there life, that will put them in harms way, for their own country and the ideals of a better world.
But if this system is truly this disjointed to leave us the brave in the fields alone after this is done on our end, then we do need to be brave and also strong and also wise and also open to how to create a winning better situation that does not leave us holding this bag that is full of emptiness.
The emptiness is my only loving life that I know. But I tread lightly knowing that there is more.
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PO3 Aaron Hassay
SSG Michael Scott - The more I go down that rabbit hole I meet guys and girls like us. We are not alone. I just want to make it better now that I know what is going on. It is similar to Platos Allegory of the Cave.
Here is something I wrote to a friend recently.
My "Allegory of the Cave" moment recently happened, as presented by the Greek philosopher Plato in his work the Republic (514a–520a).
Imprisonment in the cave
Plato begins by asking Glaucon to imagine a cave where people have been imprisoned from childhood.
(((My first duty assignment 18-22 where after an meritorious award winning recruit experience in regular Navy Great Lakes Chicago Bootcamp was unknowingly Assigned to Navy Combat Ships actually documented to Congress as ""TEST"" )))
Plato then supposes that one prisoner is freed.
(((( Recently because the internet allows for Congressional and DOD archive searches and I know the acronyms to search for I discovered such "TEST" documentation)))
Here is something I wrote to a friend recently.
My "Allegory of the Cave" moment recently happened, as presented by the Greek philosopher Plato in his work the Republic (514a–520a).
Imprisonment in the cave
Plato begins by asking Glaucon to imagine a cave where people have been imprisoned from childhood.
(((My first duty assignment 18-22 where after an meritorious award winning recruit experience in regular Navy Great Lakes Chicago Bootcamp was unknowingly Assigned to Navy Combat Ships actually documented to Congress as ""TEST"" )))
Plato then supposes that one prisoner is freed.
(((( Recently because the internet allows for Congressional and DOD archive searches and I know the acronyms to search for I discovered such "TEST" documentation)))
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Maj Kim Patterson
SSG Michael Scott what a wonderful thread and so, so very important. We officers are supposed to be the shining light, the inspiration and ponder: do I speak aloud about my dark time so others can learn that everyone is human and shares a bleak time somewhere. Or do I perpetuate the myth that officers/leaders are too strong and life so good that this doesn't happen? I have had some hard times that I wanted to end so great was my distress. It made me practically fearless and broken. Others have provided a flashlight and even held in during the darkness and I am thankful I lived to see today and read your post.
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