An article published in a British newspaper today, entitled, "I'm Still Haunted by Pub Bombing," details the struggle of a British Army medic who witnessed, and then pitched in to help out with the victims from, a pub bombing by the IRA many years ago. He tells the story that he lived for years without being aware of the effects of PTSD, which today he knows he suffers from. The article is a human interest story which makes the point about how weak the PTSD available care is for veterans in England, such as this man; but it also points out the charitable work by an organization known as Combat Stress, whose website is linked here.
One of the more interesting comments in the article was this, by Robert Marsh, the director of fundraising at Combat Stress (UK): “A new report from the States has shown that 35 per cent of people coming back from Iraq are needing some form of psychological care, so it is a big problem. In the military there is a culture of self-help rather than talking about issues in the open, but I think this is changing. The military has a duty of care, both physically and mentally, for its veterans. However, there is not enough awareness about the mental problems that are caused.”
Salient points to consider are these: Combat trauma is a worldwide problem. The UK has experienced its own with the IRA bombings over the years, as well as participation in foreign wars, such as Iraq, presently. People can experience PTSD symptoms many years after the fact. Treatment is not always what it could be. And there's the need for the military, both in the UK and here in the US, to adapt from "self-help" to greater openness about these issues. It's also great to conceive of the military understanding it does have a duty of care that extends past deployment for its servicemembers and their families.
