I find a close relationship established between military life and mental disorders. Various military medical reports suggest a significant manifestation of mental disorders among military officers and servicemen since World War I. Besides, a considerable number of military officers use hard drugs as an orthodox approach of handling mental distress. I strongly feel that the combination of hard drug usage and persistent stress causes mental illnesses among a significant number of military officers. The following work is a reflection of the findings that I gathered through research to establish the relationship between mental disorders and military life, the cause, and the potential interventions to the perennial menace.
My research on the problem of mental disorders among military members has shaped my previous perceptions regarding the stated problem. I now understand that the manifestation of mental illnesses in military troops started as early as the World War I period (Cancio, 2020). Initially, I had the perception that the problem was a new and emerging trend in the contemporary military setup. Before the research, I had a strong insight that the problem of mental illness in the military was a new medical concern. The research helped me to understand that the majority of the mental diseases manifesting among military officers are dominant in the military since World War I.
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The research has impacted on my interpretation to the easily noticeable withdrawn moods among many persons serving in the military. In the realm of the research, I established that a significant number of seemingly withdrawn military officers have bipolar disorder (Weir et al., 2019). I can now relate the extreme mood scenarios common among many serving and ex-military personnel. The research has shaped my interpretation of most of the extremely agitated moods and attitudes that are characteristic among numerous military officers.
Besides, the research process has exposed me to the knowledge that several mental illnesses among military officers share similar symptoms. In the realm of the study, certain signs and symptoms dominate among certain commonly occurring mental illnesses among the military officers (Elbogen, 2019). I have comprehended that post-traumatic stress, depression, and bipolar disorder manifest in similar versions among military officers. Low moods and quick agitations commonly indicate all three disorders. I strongly feel that the similarity in the manifestation of these mental disorders affects the effectiveness of the measures deployed in treating the disorders. I find a huge possibility of confusion and uncertainty in the diagnosis of such similarly occurring mental disorders.
Moreover, in the realm of the research, I have established that the manifestation of mental disorder among military officers is prevalent among the aged officers than the young officers. My initial perception was that mental illness among military officers did not consider the older officers as more vulnerable to mental disorders compared to the young military officers. From the research, I have understood that the possibility of developing mental illness increases as military officers continue with their service (Burns, 2020). I, therefore, settle on the fact that continued military services gradually piles pressure and stress on military officers and therefore leading to the development of mental illnesses.
The research process has improved my understanding of the role played by hard drugs in worsening the mental health of various military officers. I have understood that the majority of the mentally ill military officers are not aware that the feelings they have are caused by mental distress. The research has depicted to me that military officers engage in the usage of hard drugs as they seek a solution to the tormenting and disturbing feelings they experience (Reinhard et al., 2019). Before the research, I imagined that the high usage of hard drugs among military officers is caused by the huge affluence associated with military service. The study has pointed out to me that mental distress in the main account of high drug usage of hard drugs among various military persons.
Moreover, I have acknowledged the development of psychosis caused by the repetitive routine of military life as a significant cause of mental illnesses among the servicemen. Before the study, the notion of the development of psychosis towards certain tasks did not appear to me as a dangerous practice to the mental health of an individual (Stein et al., 2019). The study on the problem exposes me to the knowledge that the development of psychosis among military persons impairs the mental orientation of an officer towards specific activities or phenomenon
The research reveals to me that mental illnesses among military officers affect their performance. I find it relevant to associate the poor performance of military tasks to mental disorders. The study has enlightened me on the dangers of assigning mentally ill military officers to military duties. The findings that I establish from the study reveals that military officers with mental illnesses have reduced memory capacity and condensed concentration on the line duty, and the phenomenon affects their overall performance (Stein et al., 2019). Besides, I found out that engaging military officers who have mental illnesses to official military duties are dangerous because the officers are likely to cause accidents and unfortunate happenings such as suicide or killing of fellow officers.
My interaction with classmates has shaped my perception towards the exposure of military officers to violence as a significant factor in influencing mental instability. However, the study has exposed me to enough evidence revealing that the exposure of military officers to extreme violence alters the stability of the officers' mental health (Elbogen, 2019). The research has changed my thinking on the effect of exposure to violence and great destructions. Before the study, I thought that prolonged exposure of soldiers to violence hardens the psychological notions of the soldiers towards violence and great destructions. After the experiment, I discovered that exposure of soldiers to extreme violence causes certain mental disturbances that develop into mental disorders if not corrected in time.
Besides, the various sources of information that I deployed in the research emphasize the role of counseling in mitigating the manifestation of mental illnesses among the military officers. I have established that counseling sessions are important in preparing soldiers with sufficient techniques for managing stress. The study also reveals to me the importance of formulating orientation programs that will help in incorporating soldiers into society after the war (Cancio, 2020). The writing of this research has changed my initial perception towards the frequent diagnosis of mental illnesses among military officers as an abuse of privacy but as a credible caution of averting the development of mental disorders among soldiers.
Conclusively, my understanding of the prevalence of mental disorders among military officers will help me in the future interpretation of certain behaviors depicted by military officers. The information on the forms of manifestation of mental disorders will be helpful to me in the future analysis of actions and decisions taken by military officers who have a mental illness. I have learned that prolonged exposure to violence does not strengthen soldiers but only weakens the mental health of the soldiers. Mentally ill soldiers are not safe for deployment to military duties. I have discovered through the research that the use of hard drugs among military officers is not an ideal solution to the problem of mental distress among soldiers. The research on the problem of mental disorders in the military was worth an exploration. The justification for my claim is that the research has established reliable interventions for addressing the stated problem.
References
Burns, J. L. (2020). The Role of Military Skills and Strengths in Determining Successful Reintegration in Military Veterans (Doctoral dissertation, Alliant International University).
Cancio, R. (2020). Military Cohorts, Substance Use, and Male-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence. Violence Against Women, 1077801219893475.
Elbogen, E. B. (2019). Homelessness and money management in military Veterans.
Reinhard, M. J., Prisco, M. K., Lezama, N. G., & Ritchie, E. C. (2019). Military Environmental Exposures and Mental Health. In Veteran Psychiatry in the US (pp. 299-313). Springer, Cham.
Stein, M. B., Kessler, R. C., & Ursano, R. J. (2019). Reframing the suicide prevention message for military personnel. JAMA psychiatry, 76(5), 466-468.
Weir, B., Cunningham, M., Abraham, L., & Allanson-Oddy, C. (2019). Military veteran engagement with mental health and well-being services: a qualitative study of the role of the peer support worker. Journal of Mental Health, 28(6), 647-653.
