What can be learned from the tragedy at Ft. Hood?

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Nov. 6, 2009

Apparently after hearing dozens, if not hundreds, of horror stories from soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan went on a violent rampage at Ft. Hood in Texas, killing 13 people. Even though he had not served on the front lines himself, associates close to Hasan believed he suffered from a kind of vicarious post-traumatic stress disorder—and was particularly unnerved by the news that he was about to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Is there anything to be learned by the horrible tragedy at Ft. Hood about the broader state of mental health in the armed services?

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Ft. Hood transformed into THE Hood

Also on this episode

Guests:

Patrick Campbell, Chief Legislative Counsel for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

Marc
2 weeks ago

Re: people who think that WWII vets didn't suffer PTSD - have these people ever read JD Salinger, Kurt Vonnegut, Joseph Heller et al? Practically all post-WWII American literature seems to be tinged with PTSD, either acknowledged or not.

Tricia Whittemore on behalf of CAMFT
2 weeks ago

The need for therapists to treat service members is definitely on the rise. This year, the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists held workshops to train more than 500 therapists about military culture and the unique mental health issues facing service members, so they can more effectively serve these men and women. Service members and their families can find information and search for a California-based Marriage and Family Therapist at TherapistFinder.com -- it's a free service.

Mehran
2 weeks ago

Psychiatry is very demanding medical discipline and has its own impact upon the mentality of the psychiatrist. Being a psychiatristgdoes not necessarily imply that the person does not have personality flaws of his own. I have heard that in the UK psychiatrists-in-training undergo psycho-analysis themselves because only a person with stable and normal personality is able to provide sound treatment for the patients. The army needs similar screening procedures. I am so sorry for the incident

Charlotte
1 week, 4 days ago

Only psychiatrists or psychologists who become analysts (those who practice
classical Freudian analysis or any one of the many variations practiced by Freud's disciples must themselves be analyzed and are known as analysands.` The duration can be 5 + years, with usually daily sessions, Mon thru Friday. There aren't many analysts practicing these days - due to economics for both the analysand and any future patients they may have,. Insurance does not cover analysis. Classical analysis is not covered by insurance. Once a diagnosis is determined modern psychiatry focuses on choosing the appropriate medication in addition to therapy provided by nay one of several professional disciplines. e.g., psychologist, Clinical Psych Social Worker l, Physician Assistant specializing in psych, Psych Nurse Practitioner etc.
One would hope psych testing is included when considering a candidate for military service-including medical personnel.. Some in psych have chosen this specialty to find answers to their own long unresolved issues.
Some psychiatrists are just plain weird.

I would speculate the reasons for the Major's violence were extremely complicated a & unresolvable in his distorted mind. The tragedy is that that he has killed and maimed innocents and left families and loved ones are heart broken.
This must be a heads up for the military services and V. A. and Congress to act. .

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