PTSD

With the soldiers returning home, I've heard seemingly non-stop questions/statements about PTSD. Before I go to piss somebody off, let me just say that yes I believe that PTSD is REAL.

Now with that being said, I believe it is extremely over used as an excuse. Yes, these men and women have experienced traumatic life altering events. They will have issues that most of us could never begin to imagine. However..So has most of the world.

Our nation in particular has pushed the believe that only Combat Veterans are subject to Post Traumatic Stress. Therefore, they should be privy to certain acts that the rest of the world is not. Since the beginning of the war(s), I have heard countless stories of soldiers beating their wives, in some cases even committing murder and claiming PTSD was to blame. I have heard of soldiers beating their infant children and saying well its ok because I have PTSD. Drug addiction, alcoholism, theft. NONE OF THIS IS OK, EVEN WITH PTSD.

In our country alone it is estimated that nearly 40 percent of CHILDREN have been diagnosed with PTSD. Our biggest contributor the PTSD in this country is Rape. But do these children or raped women get to go around and make excuses for their behavior by saying its ok "I have PTSD". Perhaps the best example of PTSD that comes to my mind, is Aileen Wuornos. She was still executed for her crimes.

Being a solider does not get you off the hook. You signed the paperwork to enlist freely. Knowing what you would see. The other victims didn't have a choice.

Soldiers are and should be held to a higher standard. You don't get to claim PTSD and do what you want. It just doesn't work that way. You still know what you are doing, when you do it. If you can't see the difference then do us all a favor and leave the US Army. Our country doesn't need people who can't take responsibility for their own actions.