Both our military brass and legislators have been talking about the importance of getting rid of the stigma of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among troops and veterans for some time now. Last year, in a conversation with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, President Barack Obama said it was 'important to eliminate the stigma that may have historically existed when somebody is showing symptoms of (PTSD),' reported the Armed Forces Press Service.
Earlier this year, Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told New York Daily News war blogger Stephanie Gaskell that the greatest challenge for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan was the stigma of PTSD.
Does the stigma still exist? In Georgia, a new law that allows service members and veterans to have a notation on their driver's license that they've been diagnosed with PTSD, has people asking that question. According to the Augusta Chronicle, supporters say the law is a way to protect troops and veterans from harm. But critics say the law reinforces the stigma that veterans with PTSD are unstable and potentially dangerous.
One blogger at the Veteran Journal, identified simply as ashleigh, asks simply, 'With all the research being done on PTSD, why is there still a stigma surrounding this disorder?" Bill Rider, a decorated Vietnam veteran and co-founder of American Combat Veterans of War (ACVOW), which assists veterans with psychological issues, says the stigma of PTSD "certainly still exists. The branches of the military all say the incidence rate of PTSD is a lot lower than it actually is, and many service members are still reluctant to seek help."
