3 ms·

Excellent read. Original perspectives too - just drop the D from PTSD and get with the idea that this is normal and the hardest people are soft on the inside.

carapace 2y ago
Have you seen Carlin's bit about shell shock? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpVtJNv4ZNM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpVtJNv4ZNM We're doing abnormal things (technologically-intensified war), the effects of those things are "normal" in the sense that we should expect trauma from experiencing traumatic events. What we put our soldiers through is hell. "Hardness" is scar tissue.
- nonrandomstring 2y ago
  "language that takes the life out of life" Carlin never fails to deliver. Thanks for sharing that one.
bbor 2y ago
Well, clinical psychology is oriented pretty much exclusively towards preventing “disruption” or “distress” or other synonyms for “bad”, which they call “pathological behavior”. PTSD is, obviously, very bad when compared to people who don’t have it, thus “disorder”. I do think some education around that could help, tho! You’re right that it absolutely shouldn’t imply a moral failing. I just think that’s a bigger conversation than “this one disorder is normal if you’re in traumatic environments”; it needs to be something more like “people aren’t responsible for their mental failings”. Obviously, that’s still a controversial one in and out of the military.
- nonrandomstring 2y ago
  What you say sounds sensible. There is definitely a danger that while we try to remove stigma that can also normalise things. In turn that leads to a higher societal acceptance and a counterproductive effect on protecting people. We go full circle back to "just suck it up because it's normal". By recognising the feelings as normal I didn't mean to imply treating it any less seriously.

3 ms·

Excellent read. Original perspectives too - just drop the D from PTSD and get with the idea that this is normal and the hardest people are soft on the inside.

by nonrandomstring 2y ago

carapace 2y ago
Have you seen Carlin's bit about shell shock? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpVtJNv4ZNM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpVtJNv4ZNM We're doing abnormal things (technologically-intensified war), the effects of those things are "normal" in the sense that we should expect trauma from experiencing traumatic events. What we put our soldiers through is hell. "Hardness" is scar tissue.
- nonrandomstring 2y ago
  "language that takes the life out of life" Carlin never fails to deliver. Thanks for sharing that one.
bbor 2y ago
Well, clinical psychology is oriented pretty much exclusively towards preventing “disruption” or “distress” or other synonyms for “bad”, which they call “pathological behavior”. PTSD is, obviously, very bad when compared to people who don’t have it, thus “disorder”. I do think some education around that could help, tho! You’re right that it absolutely shouldn’t imply a moral failing. I just think that’s a bigger conversation than “this one disorder is normal if you’re in traumatic environments”; it needs to be something more like “people aren’t responsible for their mental failings”. Obviously, that’s still a controversial one in and out of the military.
- nonrandomstring 2y ago
  What you say sounds sensible. There is definitely a danger that while we try to remove stigma that can also normalise things. In turn that leads to a higher societal acceptance and a counterproductive effect on protecting people. We go full circle back to "just suck it up because it's normal". By recognising the feelings as normal I didn't mean to imply treating it any less seriously.