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The IDF Battles PTSD Before It Occurs
(Ha'aretz) Ido Efrati - Every day, dozens of Israeli soldiers are pulled out of the heart of fighting in Gaza and brought to recovery centers in Israel. Soldiers tend to spend a few hours at a center, where they get checked by teams of psychiatrists and officers specializing in mental health. Some 80-90% return to their units in Gaza within a matter of hours. "We know that the most effective way to prevent PTSD is for them to start functioning again as quickly as possible. We have no magic pill for treating trauma. The best thing is to get back the feeling of control, coherence and continuity," said a senior mental health officer in the military. Health care professionals in the army say that most soldiers express normal and natural responses to battle, but don't suffer from PTSD. The officer noted, "When you can't sleep, feel tense, terrified and 'on edge,' this is a consequence of a rational and normal survival reaction to what we find on the battlefield."