It has been called shell shock, battle fatigue, soldier’s heart and, most recently, post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Now, military officers and psychiatrists are embroiled in a heated debate over whether to change the name of a condition as old as combat. The potential new moniker: post traumatic stress injury. Military officers and some psychiatrists say dropping the word “disorder’’ in favor of “injury’’ will reduce the stigma that stops troops from seeking treatment.
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Changing a word on a diagnosis won't reduce stigma. After all, soldiers won't be seeing a regular doctor but a "shrink" and they will be taking psychotropics -not regular meds. On top of taking psychotropics, they could also be referred to a psychologist or psychotherapist. Shortcuts won't solve the main problem: double standards. It's apparently acceptable to be physically sick (diabetes, etc.) but not to be behaviorally sick (depression, anxiety, substance abuse, etc.) As a society we need to continuously educate the public in order to change their understanding of health.
How about just Post traumatic stress?