UK:Veterans Suffering From 'Hidden' Mental Trauma

When you read this keep the fact that the US has sent a lot more men and women into Iraq and Afghanistan, just as we have during other wars. The truth is, everyone seems to be trying to deal with a flood but cannot see the tsunami just offshore.

We haven't reached all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with PTSD but the most troubling fact is, we still haven't reached all the Vietnam, Korean or WWII veterans either.

As numbers are released from the DOD, they are not part of what the VA releases. Lost in between discharge from the military and getting into the VA system, there are more not being counted by anyone other than their own families.

Veterans Suffering From 'Hidden' Mental Trauma
8:49am UK, Friday February 05, 2010

Geoff Meade, defence correspondent

The former head of the British Army has warned of hundreds of undiagnosed victims of mental trauma from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sir Richard Dannatt spoke as he helped launch a new charity aimed at mentally ill service veterans.

Speaking at the inauguration of PTSD-Resolution, he said cases of post traumatic stress diagnosed so far were only the tip of the iceberg.

"These are hidden injuries," he said.

He welcomed that serving soldiers were now trained to spot the symptoms of battle stress in comrades and contrasted that with his experience as a young officer, decorated for bravery in Northern Ireland.

"In South Armagh, where a company commander was blown up in front of us, we called in all patrols, opened the bar and got smashed. There has to be a better way," he said.
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Veterans Suffering From Hidden Mental Trauma