(US Army Maj.) General bucks culture of silence on mental health

[sabra]

Source: AP

Associated Press Writer= WASHINGTON (AP) - It takes a brave soldier to do what Army Maj. Gen. David Blackledge did in Iraq.

It takes as much bravery to do what he did when he got home.

Blackledge got psychiatric counseling to deal with wartime trauma, and now he is defying the military's culture of silence on the subject of mental health problems and treatment.

"It's part of our profession ... nobody wants to admit that they've got a weakness in this area," Blackledge said of mental health problems among troops returning from America's two wars.

...

Officials across the service branches have taken steps over the last year to make getting help easier and more discreet, such as embedding mental health teams into units.

They see signs that stigma has been slowly easing. But it's likely a change that will take generations.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8014951

[cliffordu]

1. Good for him. Way past time for this.

[JimDandy]

2. The military is NUTS

for thinking soldiers shouldn't need mental health care. IMHO every soldier in a war zone should be REQUIRED to see a chaplain or mental health professional every 2 weeks. If in a non-war zone, every 4-6 months, without exception. That means Generals, too. In fact, the military should discharge soldiers in a war zone who AREN'T mentally affected, because there's something seriously wrong with those people.