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Originally Posted by Raellus
That's true. Sociopaths don't seem to suffer from PTSD. And I wasn't claiming that all returning vets would be suffering from psychological trauma. Most long-serving combat vets (see StainlessSteelCynic's reiteration of an earlier point), however, very likely would. See my next point for scholarly support.
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I am saying that I think it would be a small amount, but I am see (maybe I am missing something) most saying it is going to be the majority, and that is what I am saying I do not think would be the case. Some yes, large percentage no.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raellus
First off, serious military historians have documented the prevalence of Shell Shock/Combat Fatigue/PTSD. Read Ambrose's Citizen Soldiers (WWII) and Grossman's On Killing (Vietnam) for just a couple of well-respected authors' reserach on its prevalence.
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I have read those and other of Grossman's books as well as attended his lectures and talked with him in person some about this issue, and I am coming up with very different results in what I am reading. Now maybe it is because Shell Shock/Combat Fatigue/PTSD are used today interchangeably when not all think that they are the same thing. Some see it like heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Related but not the exact same thing and there is not a defined term for each level, someone who has been in combat for any length of time will be exhausted, but that is not the same as combat fatigue. Some one who has been in battle every day for some time, and/or has been under fire will likely have some combat fatigue/shell shock, but if they are taken out of that situation for a bit of time they go back to normal, if keep there it may (but not always) become permanent, to have full blown PTSD they have to experience something traumatic and here is the problem what is traumatic to one, is not to the next. There are people who get it from seeing an auto accident, and others watching a close friend/family member do not, and then there again is the level of impact it has on the person varies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raellus
Second, statistically speaking, 1000 is a very small sample size. Did you know each one of those 1000 vets personally? Did you conduct a longitudinal study (over time) on all 1000 of those vets? Are you a trained counselor or psychologist? If you can honestly answer yes to all three questions, then your observations may have scientific merit. With all due respect, your personal experience is not conclusive evidence of an media-orchestrated exaggeration in the impact of Combat Fatigue/PTSD in long-serving combat vets.
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And I did not say that it was conclusive evidence, I did say that to me it suggests. Yes I did know all of them personally, most were from a guard unit I was in for several years before/after we deployed and I have some training in counseling, but no I did not do a case study of them, that is one of the reasons I was willing to admit it could be higher. I have seen some media reports saying that every vet has PTSD and so can not be trusted, so once again I am just saying I do believe some will have it, but I believe it is a small percentage I would guess (and it is just that a guess) it would be 10% or less, but would not say maybe a high as 25%, not the 50% to 100% that I have seen in different things from the media.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raellus
Um, most GI's didn't speak French, or Dutch, or German, so yeah, there was a big cultural barrier. Again, I would encourage you to read The Deserters, by Glass, if you're interested in learning about this topic.
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Two things here and then I am done with the topic, first maybe I am the outlier but almost every person of that age and almost every WWII Vet that I have had the opportunity to spend much time around did speak at least some of their ancestral language. Second when I was in Germany (and I do not speak German) I was able to get around OK, as it was amazing to me how much I understood because English is descended from German.
And with that I am out, it is your game play how you want, I may be the outlier, or I may not. It is a game lets all just have fun and enjoy it.