Stigma

Getting Help when you hurt

Throughout the ages there has been a stigma associated with getting help for psychological or mental health problems.  At the heart of the RWRP was to explore and explain how warriors cope positively with combat stress exposure.  During my research I explored the stigma associated with getting help for combat stress related injuries.

Check out the detailed "DanTALK" I developed and presented to chaplains I worked with in Iraq in 2006-07.  The talk is entitled  Ameliorating the Stigma of Getting Help: Combat Stress Injury the New Paradigm.  In this detailed presentation I demonstrated that the stigma for getting help for psychological war injuries dates back to antiquity and it is time we empower individuals, families and institutions to overcome the stigma by making it a noble virtue to get help.  If you are suffering from a stress injury regardless of the source you need to seek professional help; it is critical to your total health and well-being.   Check out this helpful link to the National Alliance on Mental Health regarding why you should get help and who to call.  Finally, for a deep deep dive check out this RAND study on Mental Health Stigma in the Military.