PTSD Treatment in the Military A National Dishonour
Following from my piece on PTSD in younger people, I now turn my attention to the national disgrace of mental health services for our military, most especially the treatment of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). The House of Commons Defence Committee has been investigating the provision of mental health services to the military and have concluded that the care falls well below what it ought to be. Indeed, there is no specific mental health service at all for the military and families of the military.
Whilst this country has many hurdles to leap over when it comes to mental health provision, this should be a national priority. We ask so much of our service men and women who we are more than prepared to send all over the world to aid in the cause of freedom. We should, no we must, ensure that when they return that we give them the very best care. Not only physical care, but also mental health care too. These people have seen things most of us cannot even imagine, we owe it to them to help those who are broken be made whole again. Not forgetting the challenges families of service people face when their loved ones come home from harms way.
The US lost a generation of young men to the scars of Vietnam, surely we must learn from this and do whatever necessary to aid those who serve our country with honour and distinction. It is time for all the stakeholders to get around the table and do something about this national disgrace before it becomes a national crisis.
