Can someone fill in the gaps in the story

[Culpeper]

I don't understand this story. It's from the associated press. I just don't get it.

http://www.military.com/news/article...ar-stress.html

[Danny]

It's a story about PTSD (of which there are levels). I am sorry, and I am not being coy here, but what about this story is causing you problems? Five deployments - and he had some issues that needed addressing. And?

My uncle saw approximately a year of duty in the South Pacific in WWII as a Marine (and follows my son today), and had to be medicated for a while after return to the states. They jumped on their circumstances fairly rapidly upon return (he was one of VERY MANY LIKE HIM). After WWII there was no stigma associated with PTSD. No time to drift into trouble. Medication and observation immediately. This is coming from a WWII veteran who has seen more combat than most put together on this forum.

It's just a story to make us think about how we are dealing with PTSD among our warriors.

Again, I don't see the problem. It may be a poorly written story, I'll grant you that. I would have done it differently.

[Culpeper]

It's a story about PTSD (of which there are levels). I am sorry, and I am not being coy here, but what about this story is causing you problems? Five deployments - and he had some issues that needed addressing. And?

My uncle saw approximately a year of duty in the South Pacific in WWII as a Marine (and follows my son today), and had to be medicated for a while after return to the states. They jumped on their circumstances fairly rapidly upon return (he was one of VERY MANY LIKE HIM). After WWII there was no stigma associated with PTSD. No time to drift into trouble. Medication and observation immediately. This is coming from a WWII veteran who has seen more combat than most put together on this forum.

It's just a story to make us think about how we are dealing with PTSD among our warriors.

Again, I don't see the problem. It may be a poorly written story, I'll grant you that. I would have done it differently.

The guy tried to drive his car off the Grand Canyon with his brother in the car. Later he shot his brother and then himself. This is more than PTSD. Number of tours don't = driving off the Grand Canyon. Come on. There is more to this story.

[Danny]

Who knows why he was suicidal? If that kind of psychological detail of a deceased is what you're after, then obviously you won't get it. Perhaps PTSD contributed some to his mental state (probably), but perhaps there are other contributing causes (that as you point out are not mentioned in the article). As I said, I would have written the story differently.

[Culpeper]

I agree. Poorly written news story. This guy had multiple problems not addressed in the story.

[Rank amateur]

I believe that 100% of people who kill themselves are depressed; with the possible exception of the terminally ill. (But I'm not an expert. I'll concede to medical evidence that indicates otherwise.) Some people think the country isn't doing enough to look after wounded soldiers: especially if they're mentally ill. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, it should be fixed.

[Ron Humphrey]

I believe that 100% of people who kill themselves are depressed; with the possible exception of the terminally ill. (But I'm not an expert. I'll concede to medical evidence that indicates otherwise.) Some people think the country isn't doing enough to look after wounded soldiers: especially if they're mentally ill. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, it should be fixed.

there may be added strain of reintegrating into American society where there are considerably more grey areas when it comes to how things work. That's probably not as easy as many may think. This could partly explain the sense of the PTSD recurring only while here but not while on the mission. Yeah they may be too busy focusing on the mission to think about it, but somehow I think theres probably more too it.

Could be wrong but might be right, probably worth looking into.

[Culpeper]

Dysthymia and depression are illnesses but I don't think they are considered mental illnesses but treatable just the same. In the case of this young man I can't imagine a concoction of twelve different meds for PTSD. Also, I find it hard to believe that the USMC would leave this man on active duty, based on the facts as well as the alleged behavior before going AWOL, rather than have him on a medical discharge and being treated as an in-patient in a VA psychiatric ward for multiple symptoms from depression, alcohol abuse, and schizophrenic like behavior. Disregarding his own final acts, anything less is an exhibition of gross ineptitude from the military, his family, or both. This story is not a good story to promote treatment for PTSD. It is just not the average person suffering from PTSD. It is an extreme case that even goes beyond PTSD. The main problem I see with this sort of thing is that it isn't Audy Murphy on a tank, firing a machine gun, taking out a whole company of the enemy. Even scholars on the subject of war shy away from this topic like the plague. I have a brother that came home after serving in the USMC 1963-1967, last year in Vietnam, that never did adjust well. Whether he died an untimely death as a result of something like PTSD or not is something we will never know. One thing this story has done is make me think about this subject and how it pertains to something like the topic of small wars. It is definitely a part of it in this day and age but where does it fit?

[Adam L]

I believe that 100% of people who kill themselves are depressed; with the possible exception of the terminally ill. (But I'm not an expert. I'll concede to medical evidence that indicates otherwise.) Some people think the country isn't doing enough to look after wounded soldiers: especially if they're mentally ill. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, it should be fixed.

A lot of people do feel this way but half the time for the wrong reasons, and quite often they have the wrong ideas for fixing it. First of all, I don't know if we have enough psychiatrists to treat everybody. There is a huge shortage of psychiatrists just generally. I am very skeptical of letting anyone outside of this profession (and I believe we are) see patients with such serious issues. What frightens me is that too many Americans are getting the impression that treatment can "fix" people. This is a very dangerous impression. Maybe this is too much of a blanket statement, but I'm running into a lot of people who feel that way. Sorry about the rant, but I'm really concerned about this.

Adam L