Tom Ricks on PTSD
CNAS Author: Thomas E. Ricks
Original Post: Best Defense comment of the day: Jim Gourley on spelunking through PTSD
Type: Blog Post
July 29, 2010 — July 28, 2010 - Senior CNAS Senior Fellow Tom Ricks quotes Jim Gourley and a mother's story to address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on his blog The Best Defense.
This was posted yesterday by Jim Gourley in response to Blake Hall's guest column. Like Blake's terrific essay, this comment really struck me as thoughtful. I told my wife about the cave analogy over dinner.
Of lepers and caves
By Jim GourleyI'm going to say quite a few things that I can't immediately qualify, because the views build on each other. I wish I could give you a clear line of reasoning, but if I could then PTSD wouldn't be a problem. So I'm going to do this the only way I know how -- create the ball of twine and then unravel it. Bear with me.
I am an expert on PTSD. So is every other Soldier/Sailor/Marine/Airman (avoiding diatribes against the all-inclusive "warrior" here) who has felt and/or suffered (because feeling and suffering are distinct from each other) from PTSD. I know we are all experts because no one else does, or can, understand the condition without having gone through it. Army psychologists and counselors who have not felt it or suffered from it only scratch the surface of the problem.
PTSD is very difficult to deal with for two reasons. One reason is the misconception that it is a psychological condition. It's not. It's a spiritual condition. Yes, I know that you cannot anatomically identify the human spirit or sedate it with valium and that, for all its complexities and mysteries, we find the brain much easier to "treat", but I'm telling you right now that trying to understand PTSD under a psychological paradigm is like trying to conduct an ACL surgery at an auto-body shop. I've met David Grossman, and even he speaks about it in metaphysical terms on a frequent basis. If you don't believe me, I'll go dig up the quotes from all the shrinks-in-chief that declare the cause for spikes in suicides in 2008 and 2009 and 2010 was "due to the weather." I give all due respect to the shrinks and counselors. They're doing their best. But with all due respect, their best is nothing but best guesses. Because this isn't scientific. It's spiritual.
The second reason it's difficult is that, even when we acknowledge the spiritual nature of this condition, we are woefully inept at dealing with it. Blake Hall hits on all the things we do wrong -- ridicule, ostracize, and ignore those with the disease. Treat the guy like a leper.
You want to know why we do that? Because deep down underneath all that type-A, testosterone-driven, state-of-the-badass-art Spartan warrior bravado that we exude, we are scared to f---ing death that we'll catch it. PTSD in the Army is like cooties in a third-grade classroom.
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Topic(s): Iraq, Regional Security Challenges, Terrorism, Irregular Warfare and Crime, Development and Diplomacy, U.S. Military Forces & Operations, U.S. National Security and Defense Policy
Project(s): Afghanistan and Pakistan, Special Operations Forces, Iraq, Military Wellness
People: Thomas E. Ricks
