Skip to main content

The Systematic Undermining of Treatment for Individual Trauma in Militaries

Priyamvada Mohta

43% of the American war veterans who served in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars have been diagnosed with at least one mental disorder (True et al., 2014). Studies have shown that the prevalence estimates of post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses in these veterans ranges between 13.5% to 30% (Reisman, 2016). Yet less than 50% of the veterans requiring treatment for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder receive mental healthcare and less than one third of these veterans receive evidence-based care (Reisman, 2016). It is evident that a stark disparity exists between those veterans requiring mental healthcare and those receiving appropriate care. A variety of factors play a role in creating this treatment gap, including the stigma associated with mental disorders as well as the image associated with military forces.

Military forces inspire an image of power, resolve and courage. It is this idea of unwavering strength that inspires confidence in the masses and instils a sense of security in the citizens of the nation. However, the projection of this image of the military as a whole, onto individual members of military forces leads to the creation and maintenance of a facade of strength and resolve, even in times of personal distress or suffering. In forcing this facade onto soldiers through military cultural norms and training, military organizations compromise the mental well-being of their personnel. 

The fundamental way in which the military is organized and functions disregards individual experiences and the vulnerability of human nature. Mental health is undermined by the military culture that promotes traits like ‘Battlemind’ (constant mental toughness and fortitude), self-reliance, stoicism and the prioritization of group needs over individual well-being (True et al., 2014). While these may be necessary survival strategies in conditions of danger or war, these values prevail post-deployment as well, impeding rehabilitation. For instance, the trait of self-reliance, while valuable in dangerous conditions, prevents help-seeking behaviour post-deployment as the requirement of external help is perceived to be a sign of weakness. Additionally, the constant dismissal of personal health as exemplified by the principle of prioritizing the needs of the group over individual well-being, conditions veterans into disregarding their own mental health (True et al., 2014).

Military organizations not only lack in their efforts to ensure successful reintegration of their veterans into society through the unlearning of traits required only in threatening climates, but also actively encourage soldiers to leave mental health services for ‘those who actually need it’ (True et al., 2014). This implies that a hierarchy exists in the experiencing of trauma, pain, and suffering, making some veterans ‘more deserving’ of help than others. Additionally, in situations like these seeking mental healthcare services is perceived to be a sign of weakness which discourages treatment. Thus, militaries undermine individual experiences of trauma. In endorsing techniques of coping, like compartmentalization, which is the complete segregation of the experiences undergone during deployment and post-deployment life, militaries further ignore the pain and trauma of their personnel (True et al., 2014). The internalization of such strategies can prevent catharsis and lead to the repression of trauma which could manifest more severely later. Hence, the disallowing of experience sharing, through the motto of ‘whatever happened over there stays over there ’, prevents healing (True et al., 2014, p. 1447)

Besides the way in which the militaries are organized and active discouragement of treatment seeking, military practices can also create conditions of distress and trauma. For example, the authorized distribution of illegal prescription medications to improve efficiency and to keep soldiers constantly hyper-vigilant and battle-ready in warzones has enormous side-effects on the body, the most debilitating one being addiction. Post-deployment, a lack of access to these medications forces conditions of withdrawal and distress. (True et al., 2014)

Military personnel thus become victims of an exploitative system that utilizes their productivity while disregarding their personal well-being. However, it is important to note that this systemic undermining of trauma by militaries has not developed in isolation. It is fuelled by a society that stigmatizes not only mental disorders but also treatment seeking. This stigma arises in part from the stereotype that those with mental disorders are dangerous and incapable of functioning in personal or work environments. In addition, the perception of having a mental disorder as of being weak or inefficient and incapable, makes veterans fear for their future career prospects and career advancement (True et al., 2014). Seeking healthcare is not a sign of weakness and neither is the presence of disorder due to the traumatic experiences of these veterans.

The facade society imposes on military personnel, combined with the stigma around mental health, often makes veterans feel that the idea of seeking treatment is incompatible with the idea of being a soldier. This could cause cognitive dissonance, for treatment-seeking comes to be at odds with their self-image of belonging in the military. Thus, the way society perceives mental disorders has negative consequences on not only the way individuals approach seeking help but also the way in which the mental healthcare structure is organized in institutions like the military. 

A combination of societal perceptions about mental health and military practices create a system which systematically undermines mental health. Individuals are not and cannot be defined by their disorder. The tendency to define people by their mental disorder, leads to the negation of other aspects of their personality. This also leads to discriminatory practices, one of the main caveats to seeking mental healthcare. It is important to challenge and change the misconceptions surrounding mental disorders and treatment-seeking, for they serve to exacerbate the conditions of those already dealing with mental disorders. Just like physical distress and dysfunction does not define a person, neither does mental distress. This awareness is important to change societal perceptions that those with mental disorders and those who seek treatment are weak or incapable. A possible solution to by-pass the stigma around treatment could be the institution of mandatory debriefings with mental health professionals post-deployment. Ultimately, only when there is a large-scale change in attitudes and perceptions towards mental disorder, will institutions like the military be forced to change their practices to create a more supportive and sustainable system for soldiers.






References:


True, G., Rigg, K.K., & Butler, A. (2014). Understanding barriers to mental health care for recent war veterans through Photovoice. Qualitative Health Research, 25(10). 1443-1455. htpps://doi.org/10.1177/1049732314562894

Reisman, M. (2016). PTSD treatment for veterans: What's working, what's new, and what's next. PMC: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5047000/ 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hardin's trauma

“After”, is a 2019 teen romantic drama directed by jenny gage that revolves around the love of  Tessa, an inexperienced teenage girl, with Hardin, a mysterious ‘bad boy’ . Hardin, the main male character, never had a secure relationship with his father. When Hardin was young, his father used to be an alcoholic with a lot of debt. When he was just eight years old, intruders broke into his home looking for his father for money, however, there was only Hardin and his mother. The intruders forced themselves on Hardin’s mother, and Hardin, who was sleeping then, came downstairs to see what was wrong. To Hardin’s shock, his mother was being raped by three men, one by one. Hardin’s mother told him to leave, however, one man forced him to watch everything.  I would assume that Hardin has PTSD as a result of this incident, and in this paper I will try to prove it. Symptoms of PTSD and scenes that prove Hardin had it: The person subsequently re-experiences the event through both intrusive memori

Disorderly Delvian: A Deep Dive into "Anna Delvey" through the Lens of NPD

       A markedly thick accent, a mop of blonde hair, a magical array of unimaginably expensive clothing, and an air of calculated mystery mesh uncomfortably together to invent Anna Delvey, the centre of Netflix’s appropriately named documentary/drama series, “Inventing Anna”. This series tells or rather retells the fascinating story of how one woman deceived the creme de la creme of New York society as well as some prestigious financial institutions under the guise that she was a wealthy heiress from Germany. The series follows a journalist, Vivian Kent, as she tries to uncover the carefully constructed web of lies Anna spun around high society after her arrest, heavily interspersed by flashbacks, present-day court hearings, and interviews with the enigma herself (Shondaland, 2022). Anna as a character, infused with a troubling reality and a dramatised narrative, presents an interesting scope to study the symptomatology of Narcissistic Personality Disorder as presented in her behaviou

The Psychological Depth of Good Will Hunting

Shorya Sehgal Good Will Hunting revolves around the interaction of two rebellious characters, Sean Maguire and Will Hunting, who, to a certain extent, help each other to conform slightly. Will is a brilliant but troubled, young adult. He suffers from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), inferiority complex, defence mechanisms and attachment disorder. A mathematical genius, Will had a complete disrespect for authority and for his own considerable talents. As the story progressed, I was able to see Will’s personal growth as he developed an extremely strong relationship with his therapist, Sean. Sean had fought his own battles in life which had made him tough. This significantly helped Will and Sean to connect to each other on a deep, emotional level. What struck me the most in the movie is how coherently Will's journey is tied together. His transition from an inexpressive, troubled young guy to a mature and responsible one is shown very exquisitely. By the end, he was able to be