Tag Archives: PTSD

Spin Zhira

Brave Call

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chris-morris-post

Chris Morris is a pretty boy. He is also rather opinionated and not a little brave to post his views about war and PTSD on social media. His comments have caused outrage and attracted over 82,000 views – coincidentally the same size as the British Army he has managed to offend.

But he does have a point. War is traumatic and there are consequences. One of which is that Chris is able to share his opinions and describe those who suffer with PTSD as “losers” without fear of retribution. Of course, Chris already knows this because he works for the UK Parliament. The same parliament that voted to send British troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thanks to the courage of rough men standing ready to do violence on his behalf, Chris doesn’t have to do press ups for dead soldiers if he doesn’t want to.

SPIN ZHIRA: Old Man in Helmand is the unauthorised, unvarnished and irreverent story of one man’s midlife crisis on the front line of the most dangerous district in Afghanistan where the locals haven’t forgiven the British for the occupation of 1842 or for the Russian Invasion of 1979. Of course, all infidels look the same so you can’t really tell them apart.

 

 

Spin Zhira

Push ups don’t help PTSD

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Writing in Observer, Pete Ross tells us that ‘doing 22 pushups and posting it on Facebook, doesn’t help veterans.’

Pete ‘deconstructs the psychology and philosophy of the business world, careers and every day life’ (whatever that actually means) and you can follow him on Twitter @prometheandrive.

I don’t know Pete but, if his Twitter handle is anything to go by, I’m guessing that modesty and humility are not his greatest attributes. According to Greek mythology, Prometheus is the creator of mankind and its greatest benefactor.

Pete is uniquely qualified to tell us why we’re not helping veterans because he is himself an ex-serviceman. As he freely admits, he spent six years in military intelligence in an airconditioned office in a peaceful, developed country 20,000 kilometers away from anywhere hostile and dangerous.

However, he has watched the Rambo movie, First Blood, and is able to draw on this to explain to civilians why veterans struggle to readjust after leaving the military:
‘How can you relate to someone whose most difficult day of the past year was spent in a peaceful, developed country in an air conditioned office, when yours was 20,000 kilometers away from your country in 50 degree heat, under heavy fire with backup still a ways off, your friend getting hit 5 metres away from you with maybe a few hours sleep and no shelter?’

Pete also chronicles his own struggle to find civilian employment on leaving the army.  It seems he was unable to find a job worthy of his prodigious talent and had to take a worthless job in a camping store when he was supposed to be saving mankind and deconstructing everyday life.

Pete, you may be a veteran but you are not a combat veteran. It’s an important distinction. Your comments do nothing to help veterans suffering from combat stress – literally nothing – and your experiences finding a job to suit your seemingly massive ego are not relevant to this debate.

SPIN ZHIRA: Old Man in Helmand is the unauthorised, unvarnished and irreverent story of one man’s midlife crisis on the front line of the most dangerous district in Afghanistan where the locals haven’t forgiven the British for the occupation of 1842 or for the Russian Invasion of 1979. Of course, all infidels look the same so you can’t really tell them apart.

 

 

Spin Zhira

#22 Kill #22 Pushups

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Everyone is joining in the 22 pushup challenge to raise awareness of PTSD amongst veterans, 22 being the number of American service veterans who commit suicide each day. As with all things viral it has its detractors and there is some scepticism about the accuracy of the statistics involved.

In the United Kingdom the Ministry of Defence maintains that mental health problems amongst its servicemen are in line with the general population – but the MoD does not have a particularly good track record for honesty when it comes to bad news.

Given the extensive and prolonged use of Lariam as the MoD’s anti-malarial of choice, long after the manufacturer identified it may induce potentially serious neuropsychiatric disorders, I’m personally inclined to disbelieve them.

Recent studies in the USA indicate that Lariam amplifies the effects of PTSD and some experts have suggested that the British Army now faces a mental health catastrophe.

Whatever the rights or wrongs of the statistics, servicemen suffering from PTSD deserve our support.

22 pushups is not a lot to ask.

Press up challenge

SPIN ZHIRA: Old Man in Helmand is the unauthorised, unvarnished and irreverent story of one man’s midlife crisis on the front line of the most dangerous district in Afghanistan where the locals haven’t forgiven the British for the occupation of 1842 or for the Russian Invasion of 1979. Of course, all infidels look the same so you can’t really tell them apart.