Iraq's Mental Cost

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November 2008
- 4-Star General Confesses to Post-Traumatic Stress
  
  USA Today | Nov 25, 08 10:45 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - The trauma associated with combat is a hushed topic among troops returned from Iraq—but a four-star general’s fight off the battlefield could help usher in a new attitude, USA Today reports. After witnessing the scene of a suicide bomb in an American mess hall at a base near Mosul, Carter Ham came home a different man, his wife said. But a psychological screening and talks with a chaplain put him on the road to recovery. More »
- 18 Killed in Baghdad Blasts
  
  Al Jazeera | Nov 24, 08 4:47 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - A female suicide bomber killed at least five people at the entrance of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, and a second bomb killed 13 women traveling on a bus to their government jobs, reports Al Jazeera. The attacks came as Iraqi legislators prepare to vote this week on a security agreement with the US allowing American troops to remain in Iraq for up to three more years. More »
October 2008
- Joint Chiefs Head Calls for Wider PTSD Screening
  
  USA Today | Oct 13, 08 4:03 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Every member of the US military should undergo screening for post-traumatic stress disorder upon returning from combat in Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has recommended. As many as 1 of every 5 returning combat vets suffers from mental health problems, USA Today reports. "I think it's a bigger problem than we know," said Michael Mullen, an admiral whose post gives him authority over all four service branches. More »
August 2008
- Troop Brain Injuries Often Overlooked
  
  New York Times | Aug 26, 08 2:29 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - An alarming number of US veterans are returning home from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffering long-term effects from concussions, the New York Time s reports. Half of those who have suffered concussions quickly recover, but others have symptoms—including memory loss and mood swings—that can resurface months after the injury. More »
- Saddam's Palace Is Tourist Hotspot for US Troops
  
  Wall Street Journal | Aug 4, 08 12:21 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - It’s impractical—not to mention dangerous—for US troops to do much sightseeing in Baghdad, but Saddam Hussein’s ruined presidential complex is one exception. As one of the few places off-duty service members can go, the palace has become a magnet for military tourists, the Wall Street Journal reports. One sergeant has even starting giving tours; so far, he’s shown 3,000 Americans through the ruins. More »
July 2008
- UK Hostage in Iraq Kills Himself: Kidnappers
  
  Times (UK) | Jul 20, 08 3:03 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - One of five British hostages seized in Baghdad last year has killed himself, according to a video made by his Shi'ite captors. Seeking the release of comrades in US captivity, they blame the British government for failing to negotiate: "Foot-dragging" has hastened the captives' "psychological deterioration, pushing one of them, Jason, to commit suicide," the videotaped statement says. More »
- Did Iconic Photo Drive Soldier's Death?
  
  Washington Post | Jul 13, 08 9:48 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A photo turned an American medic in Iraq into a hero, showing him carrying an Iraqi child to safety. But the photographer, Warren Zinn, wonders whether it also contributed to his suicide. Joseph Dwyer suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from Iraq; Zinn worries, in the Washington Post , whether his fame exacerbated his pain. More »
- Vets Slipping Into the Bottle
  
  New York Times | Jul 8, 08 5:36 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A rise in alcohol abuse among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is worrying military officials, the New York Times reports. Counseling services for vets suffering post-traumatic stress disorder are stretched to the limit and many tormented former soldiers are turning instead to the bottle. The increase in binge drinking, and a smaller rise in illegal drug use, is blamed for a rise in crimes and other misconduct involving veterans. More »
June 2008
- Vets Used to Test Drugs Linked to Suicide
  
  ABC News | Jun 17, 08 2:33 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Combat veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder were recruited for clinical trials of drugs linked to suicide and mental disorders, ABC reports. In a trial involving the smoking-cessation drug Chantix, the VA did not warn patients of the drug's serious potential side effects until 3 months after the FDA and the drug's maker had issued warnings. More »
- War Spending Strategy: Soak the Grandkids
  
  Washington Post | Jun 11, 08 11:47 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - As Congress tackles the latest "emergency" spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the total to more than $860 billion, Ruth Marcus notes in the Washington Post: "For the first time in American history, every penny of that amount will have been borrowed. For the first time, billions more will have been borrowed to finance tax cuts in the midst of war. " More »
- Post-Saddam, Bodybuilders Let 'Er Ripple
  
  Washington Post | Jun 10, 08 12:21 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Iraqi bodybuilders have long needed nerves of steel to pump iron. Under Saddam, only officially connected Iraqis could join gyms, and the average weightlifter was forced to use makeshift equipment. But after Saddam, a flood of Iraqis seeking lucrative security jobs hit the gyms. The result? Extremists began targeting bulging biceps for working for Americans. More »
- Combat Troops Turn to Prozac
  
  Time | Jun 6, 08 3:53 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A growing number of American troops serving abroad are taking Prozac and other antidepressants, Time reports. A survey last year found 12% of troops in Iraq are using the drugs, with 17% relying on them in Afghanistan. The drugs help the military keep stressed combat troops in the field—but the use of the "quick-fix" for mental health is causing concern. More »
May 2008
- Stress Disorder Surges Among US Troops
  
  Reuters | May 27, 08 5:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Post-traumatic stress disorder is surging among US troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. New cases rose by more than 46% to nearly 14,000 in 2007, reports Reuters. In the last five years, about 40,000 cases have been diagnosed, most of them in the Army. More »
- How Buffy Saved a Baghdad Reporter
  
  NPR | May 21, 08 10:55 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - NPR correspondent Jamie Tarabay says that watching DVDs of the cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer series saved her life—psychologically—while reporting from Baghdad. “It can be a very lonesome gig,” Tarabay recalls, and watching the series’ vampire-fighting star “deal with her private war zone helped me deal with mine.” More »

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Stories

4-Star General Confesses to Post-Traumatic Stress

18 Killed in Baghdad Blasts

Joint Chiefs Head Calls for Wider PTSD Screening

Troop Brain Injuries Often Overlooked

Saddam's Palace Is Tourist Hotspot for US Troops

UK Hostage in Iraq Kills Himself: Kidnappers

Did Iconic Photo Drive Soldier's Death?

Vets Slipping Into the Bottle

Vets Used to Test Drugs Linked to Suicide

War Spending Strategy: Soak the Grandkids

Post-Saddam, Bodybuilders Let 'Er Ripple

Combat Troops Turn to Prozac

Stress Disorder Surges Among US Troops

How Buffy Saved a Baghdad Reporter