Traumatized Soldiers are Being Redeployed to War

The United States redeploys traumatized American soldiers and marines to Iraq and Afghanistan, giving a rise to the suicide rate among service members, says a peace activist.

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(TEHRAN Press TV) - "Today, soldiers and Marines are doing multiple tours of duty with very little break time in between each deployment. Even though they are suffering from mental trauma, from PTSD, they are often redeployed to Iraq or Afghanistan without treatment," Dr. Dahlia Wasfi said in a Sunday interview with Press TV's US Desk.

This is while according to a US Defense Department report, suicide rates among American soldiers and Marines, particularly those serving overseas, is on the rise.

Meanwhile the Defense Department's Pharmacoeconomic Center at Fort Sam Houston, said last year that 20 percent of active-duty troops were taking prescribed psychotropic drugs, including antidepressants, antipsychotics and sedative hypnotics.

It added that nearly 20 percent of homebound military personnel are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), CBN reported.

The major cause of the suicide epidemic can be linked to the effects of PTSD. Symptoms range from mild to severe, including sleep problems, nightmares, anger, anxiety, depression, and psychosis.

Many of these drug prescriptions reflect deeper underlying problems, with many soldiers often declining beneficial medications altogether.

"Just the act of requesting support for mental health problems is discouraged by their commanding officers …as being a demonstration of weakness," Wasfi said.

"US veterans from all wars since the Vietnam era and those before…all of them are attempting suicide today at an alarming rate. And the rate of suicide today is the highest that it has been since the Vietnam era in the United States," Wasfi said.

Original Report on Press TV

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