Interesting stuff on the radio...

[arib]

I was listening to NPR today, and they were discussing combat psychiatry, and how the military treats soldiers for things like depression and PTSD. Some of the treatment modalities seem like things that should probably be stressed more in civillian circles as well. One of the main focuses that the army MH workers use is to stress that everyone wants the soldier with depression, PTSD or whatever concern to come back to work and rejoin his/her company as soon as he/she can, and they've found that keeping a soldier as close to his/her squad as possible rather than shipping him/her back to a non-frontline military hospital speeds recovery. When possible, military MH workers use things like card games, lousy jokes or DVDs of movies to get soldiers to loosen up and confide in them, rather than work on a strictly chain-of-command system, so the soldier doesn't necessarily feel like he/she is being punished.

The psychiatrist they were trailing had issue with some practices he needed to do while in the military. In civillian circles, someone with major depression would be encouraged to pursue treatment until he/she was "cured." In the military, psychiatrists are encouraged to get the soldier "functional" and able to work again, even if he or she isn't completely free of depression. While I can understand why the military would act this way in times of combat, I definitely sympathize with the psychiatrist, stopping treatment before it's done can be difficult. While I hope never to have to enter the military, I'd gladly serve in a postion like that if I had to.

Comments

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

Lots of military personnel with depression do not seek help because it can be a career killer. On the other hand, I believe "functional" is a lot easier and quicker than a "cure," whatever the hell that might be.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I heard that story on NPR, too. And, lemme tell you: I'm 28. I've been dealing with major depression on and off for maybe fifteen years.

I'm REAL pleased on those occasions I get to "functional."

[ororo.livejournal.com]

I like functional.

Frankly, good days bother me as much as bad ones. When I've had a good day, I end it with a sense of dread. "Oh shit, I gotta do this again tomorrow."