2010/06/28 New York
PTSD
A year
A well-written article in today’s Times by James Dao about the employment of the First Battalion, 87th Infantry of the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, N.Y. to Afghanistan:
"Capt. Adrian Bonenberger took a drive through the farmland of northern New York to absorb one last view of the St. Lawrence River. To drink one last cup of coffee at the Lyric Bistro in Clayton. To savor one last moment of real peace and quiet before heading to Afghanistan. For a year.
Sgt. Tamara Sullivan pulled out her cellphone charger and braced for a night of tears. She called her children in North Carolina, ages 3 and 1, and told them she would soon be going to work in a place called Afghanistan. For a year. She reminded her husband to send her their artwork. She cried, hung up, called him back and cried some more."
I wonder if the children of Sgt. Sullivan will experience PTSD because of their mother being in a war zone for more than a year.
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48 comments 
I do not think so. But that will depend largely on many other factors in their lives. Their past, their surroundings, etcetera
http://www.medicinenet.com/posttraumatic_stress_disorder/article.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/posttraumatic_stress_disorder/article.htm
I suffer from separation anxiety since the age of three. My father, mother , sisters and brother went on a holiday and left me behind. I just couldn't understand why, since then I think I'm not worthy enough to share someones company.Irrational?
Mieke
I don't think that's irrational. If your family took a holiday without you, they must have really hated your company. And if even your family would rather have you not around, why would anybody else?I do believe PTSS has in it's genealogy a very sudden component. So if the mother would be torn away of the kids all of a sudden, leaving them all alone in a hostile environment, PTSS could be waiting around the corner. If they are well prepared, in a friendly environment surrounded by other people they trust, and the departure is taken in steps, a lot of psychological damage can be averted.
Folly
It seems that many Americans are beginning to view Afghanistan (or AfPak as the conflict zone is now known) in the same way they once viewed Vietman.There's no way the US can win the war, so every casualty, every family separation, is ultimately for nothing. Well not quite for nothing: for the sake of saving face.
Carlos
Don't underestimate the sake of saving face. I think the moment there won't be any face to save anymore, or face will be saved by leaving Afghanistan, the war will be over.Jesus is coming, look busy.
Arnon: What a beautiful picture!
Mieke: If you've ever experienced the stress a 3-year old can produce for its parents, you'll probably understand that it was nothing personal... (Rationally, at least)
Mieke: If you've ever experienced the stress a 3-year old can produce for its parents, you'll probably understand that it was nothing personal... (Rationally, at least)
sander
And what about the stress the parents can provoke in a three year old? 'Unheimlich', that's the word that comes to mind if I think of my mothers upbringing.I am happy because I never had to raise a child. I know I made the right choice.
The children might first get SAD. Then the parents come back with PTSD leading to the children's ADHD or DD , later followed by CD.
Freud
It is only because of the lack of thinking that today the idea of seperating a child for going too fight a religious warfare will be harmfull for the youngster. The neurotic religious mother can do nothing better as too leaving the kids immediately and long., giving them still a slight chance to recover out of this ongoing anal state.Mieke
As long as you are happy...Sander
I am a whiner.@Mieke
If you constantly feel like that, I think you must have endured more than an occasional separation.
If you constantly feel like that, I think you must have endured more than an occasional separation.
Milan / Freud
Are you suggesting the mother and the child are involved in an anal-sadistic collusion?Freud
@JanIndeed it looks like this is the case.
anal, oral
I'm not so sure. It seems to me that Sgt. Sullivan's personality rather has an oral structure.Milan/Jan
Your analysis lacks sophistication and probably also a bit of empathy.Why does Sgt. Sullivan make you angry?
M. Hordijk
Somehow your conclusion that they must have really hated her (Mieke's parents) seems a bit harsch or inhumane to me. Not so much if it's true or not. Just that you tell her so.Mieke
You are definitely not worth my company. To paraphrase Randy Newman: Time I spend with you is time I lose.Hope this makes you feel better.
War
Wait, those people have chosen war as their profession. So why do we have to listen to the stories of how difficult it is for them? Nobody forced them to. It's different from people/children in Afghanistan who didn't have any choice.Arnon
I think Sasha has a point. Anyways i would feel different if the sergeant is at least non-religious. Is she?nobody forced them. they did it to themselves, yes.
feels a bit too easy, using words like 'free will and choice" though. in any sentence!
feels a bit too easy, using words like 'free will and choice" though. in any sentence!
Reasons?
Well, i read she went to the army for money, to get a job from a difficult situation and without children. O.c. i can symphatize with her. It's hard to get another job for her i guess nowadays in de US?(mostly i think the soldiers are religious, at least the staff is, and the lowest do it for making some money being in a hopeless situation ?)
Anyways, itys funny its written "they are going to end the war" !!
religious or not.
Sasja
This is a non sequitur. Nobody forces you to live and therefore you are not entitled to empathy.Why do we have to listen to people’s stories about suffering and grief when suicide isn’t that difficult?
maybe they will.
warfare has undergone a metaphose before. look at WOII. will there ever be a WOIII as we've known WOI and III. now its war on terrorism; one big difference is that you can't recognize the different parties. its a waar against an invisible enemy. your neighbour might be an extremist. who says warfare won't undergo other form changes. war against nature (nature disasters) war fought out on economic ground, and therefor technological warfare. computercriminality f.e.
maybe on day ppl will fight wars from behind their laptop.
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ps: @Mieke: on writing silly messages : i feel I AM mMY WORST ENEMY and it sucks :(
warfare has undergone a metaphose before. look at WOII. will there ever be a WOIII as we've known WOI and III. now its war on terrorism; one big difference is that you can't recognize the different parties. its a waar against an invisible enemy. your neighbour might be an extremist. who says warfare won't undergo other form changes. war against nature (nature disasters) war fought out on economic ground, and therefor technological warfare. computercriminality f.e.
maybe on day ppl will fight wars from behind their laptop.
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ps: @Mieke: on writing silly messages : i feel I AM mMY WORST ENEMY and it sucks :(
Milan
I would feel different if you would be less obnoxious.Arnon
But what makes you symphatize with her soo much?ps: well i have to admit that most religious people are obnoxious too me, now i think of it, sorry, was born with that i believe;)
This story gives me Pre TSD.
Arnon
I feared that you might feel it like that. No, it doesn't make me feel better.Sorry for the intrusion.
@Hordijk & Hille
My parents didn't hate, they just thought me to young to take the trip.The moment they arrived in Austria, they realised that they had made a mistake. But I was at that time to young to realise it, to relativate it.So by the time they returned home I was lying in bed with fever caused by the distress.Arnon
I always realised very sharply that I am not worthy of you, so this doesn't come as a surprise.Evolution
Ape mothers don't abandon their babies for a moment. Human mothers do. Babies learn fast. They glom onto the babysitter. They charm the granny. They cultivate the new one. It's birth of a salesman. The origin of charm.***************************************************
"Mother. You left me. I never left you. "
- -John Lennon ("Mother")
Seriously
Well, PTSD can only be diagnosed for adults so to take the initial question seriously is hard if you have studied psychology. The starting of a Seperation Axiety Disorder is indeed something that might relevant in this case.Correction: thats not even true about PTSD diagnosis only for adults. Well, not for this blog to discuss this further but in my opinion the diagnosis of disorders for children should be more limited then whats happening nowadays (coming from the US this phenomenon).....
Birth
Maybe soon they will diagnose PTSD on the baby just after birth has taken place;)Arnon
Being a middle-aged, overweighed schizophrenic, I find your remark very hurtful and unnecessary.Mieke
Please, always feel welcome with me. You're a great middle-aged, schizophrenic woman. And you're NOT overweighed. You just need some height. xIndeed, very harsh of Mr. 'not so' Amis Grunberg. *Delete of list*
Hille L.
The comment about Mieke's parents was to show that the response Mieke has doesn't lack rationality. I don't mean to suggest Mieke's parents actually hate her, they probably don't, but I do think that a child of three can interpret the situation as such (leaving her to go on holiday without her), hence the strong feelings Mieke has of being worth somebodies company today, be it Mr Grunbergs or anybody else.Mieke
You could appreciate my honesty.In the fall of 2007 you sat on top of me. If you behave well you can sit on top of me in the fall of 2017 again.
In the meantime you have my books and I kindly give you permission to buy a dog and name him Arnon.
Arnon
Sometimes silence seems the better option.@ my beloved's
Apparently this is the end. We'll keep in touch.Mieke
The end of what?The end of your career as a drama queen?
Mr. Grunberg
Let's end where it began: respect.Misschien won je het respect van de wereld, je verloor dat van mij.
Mieke's respect
One of the more interresting debates is i think if you should earn respect or if your entitled to get respect in advance. But Mieke seems to talk about earning en losing it....Hate you for that picture, Mr Grunberg! I've been home last weekend but had no true possibility to go and see the water. I can't even remember the last time I dipped my feet into the baltic sea.
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