Page 98 - Firehouse Pond
P. 98
LOST SOULS
Quietly soldiers were talking of having lost their souls. Conversations of
having lost our souls were commonplace. It did not matter where you served;
“In-Country” or any place else, you were serving and experiencing through
your companions and worrying.
The psychological term PTSD was not out in the open. I don’t think we’d
even heard the word.
The military chain of command did little to help the terrified soldiers. In fact,
it became a stigma, a black mark on your record if you sought mental health
treatment. This stigma was apparent throughout my twenty-two-year career.
Counseling was not an accepted treatment. Who had time for counseling
while fighting a war? Commanders and doctors decided addicting
prescription medications were the fix.
Illegal drugs and alcohol became the soldier’s self-prescribed remedy for
relief. The stigma was too strong and career-ending. The silence was
expected.
