Connections

Why many soldiers face a challenge when they come back home

This post is going to be about a special occupational group: about soldiers.
At the moment, four major wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa (Boko Haram) and Syria cost thousand of lives. According to the Syrian Center for Policy research, the number of fatalities is estimated to be half a million, which is approximately the number of inhabitants of Utrecht and Tilburg TOGETHER!

After the terrorist attacks in Europe, the stream of refugees coming from war zones and my stay in Israel, I finally decided to read more about the challenges soldiers are facing.
I realized, that Israelis, who are mandatorily requested to go to the army, are looking forward to fighting for their home country, but they also enjoy their time being back home. They like to share the experiences they have made and most of them do not feel ashamed or guilty, even if they killed people.
The rate of Israeli soldiers who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) amounts approximately one percent.
People experiencing PTSD describe themselves as shiftless, they lose interest in hobbies they used to like; they feel numbness and believe that they are out of controle of what is happening around them.

It is shocking to hear, that more than 40% of American veterans (numbers for Euoprean soldiers are not available) have not been traumatized during their services in warzones, but they experience a severe state of depression after their arrival back home.
The suicide rate of American veterans is even 50% higher compared to citizens with similar demographic characteritics who did not serve in the military, according to a comprehensive survey of the LA Times.

After 9/11 many veterans reported, that their health condition improved. Their symptoms went down, just like the general suicide rate of American citizens: the number of self-inflicted deaths decreased significantly in 2001.

But why do American veterans face such a mental challenge when they return after they survived in  warzones?
Why did the suicide rate go down after the horrible attack of 9/11, although one might expect that this awful act rather intensifies depression?

The well-being of soldiers is obviously not only determined by what is happening outside!
During their serivices, the physical closeness to their comrades and their trust in each other is essential for them to bear dangerous combat missions. They live in "tribal communities", where they share a lot and they show understanding for one another.
When they come back home, they quickly experience, that life in modern society is often lonely.
After terror attacks, nations stick together and stand up against the enemy. This feeling of being unified and connected can release powers and feelings of happiness, therefore it prevents people from sinking into depression.

The German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen was the first politician in that position who made effort to give soldiers the possibility to combine their family life with their job.
I am convinced, that this was a first essential step, because it enables soldiers to be more integrated into the society, so that a "culture shock" when they come back home, can be mitigated, although it does not help us to overcome the phenomenon of increasing individualism, selfishness and loneliness.

I noticed, that many people, especially women, feel connected when they talk and express their feelings and fear, which can surely help them a lot.
But maybe we are in a time, where remaining silent and being a good listener is as valuable as being a good talker.
Deep connection cannot be put in words anyway and a smile or a warm gesture can be worth a thousand words.