Sheepdog Tip of the Day, After Combat tip 65
A "suck it up and drive on" ethos has great survival value in the heat of battle, but it has also kept us from seeking helpful treatment after the battle. One veteran police officer who survived a shooting experience told me, "Colonel, you tell all these young guys, 'Don't try to be a macho man.' Tell 'em to get help if they need it. I tried to macho it out after my shooting and didn't get help when I needed it, and it damned near killed me." No sane person would turn down antibiotics if the doctor prescribed them, and no reasonable warrior should turn away from psychological help if it is available and needed. Totti Karpela, the head instructor of the Helsinki, Finland Police Department says it well: "It's a sign of strength to admit that you're not always strong enough." The presence of new tactics and new medicines saves lives in modern combat, but lives are still lost. Doing a better job in the area of psychological debriefings and bulletproofing the mind will reduce psychiatric casualties, but it is no guarantee. Do you see how we can walk that middle road between the mindless macho man on one side, and the pity party on the other?
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, On Combat
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Additional Resources
For PTSD, Shepherd Resource Group.