The New War on Terror

[Robert Rath]

The New War on Terror

Some war vets are seeking solace from their emotional trauma - and finding it - in videogames.

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[Baresark]

Queue laundry list of people saying this is why videogames are the best thing ever!

OT: For real though, this makes perfect sense. I'm not surprised the tailored ultra realistic military simulations these days would be helpful. If it was the 1990's, they would be proper fucked and forced to live with it. Good for them. Anything that helps them move on is better for everyone, especially them and their families.

 

[Thaluikhain]

"for those that complete the program, Virtual Iraq has around an 80% success rate for eliminating all symptoms of PTSD within six weeks"

I have a hard time believing that. That's a massive success rate and a tiny amount of time for repeatedly triggering people to cure PTSD.

 

[BabyRaptor]

"for those that complete the program, Virtual Iraq has around an 80% success rate for eliminating all symptoms of PTSD within six weeks"

I have a hard time believing that. That's a massive success rate and a tiny amount of time for repeatedly triggering people to cure PTSD.

Yeah, that jumped out at me too. As someone whose suffered from PTSD for almost 11 years, I find it hard to believe that 6 weeks of forcibly reliving what happened over and over could entirely remove that.

 

[StrixMaxima]

As with most things military, these numbers and rates are very, very fishy. War vets are notoriously difficult to treat, and governments usually do a very poor job doing so.

Color me a skeptic.

 

[General BrEeZy]

oh are you kidding. video games are one HELL of a stress-relief! makes sense to me.

 

[Bradeck]

As a vet who brought back his own issues from The Big Sandy BOHICA, I think this article is false and misleading. You can't cure PTSD in six weeks. Playing FPSs sounds like a sure fire way to REIGNITE my inner demons, not cure them. I had to literally turn off my PS3 in the Vietnam portion of BlOps, because it disturbed me too much.

In other words, this type of mental state cannot be cured by witnessing more violence. Also, it takes YEARS to get "around" it. You never "get over" what you bring back, you never forget. You're only able to better cope with it, to better control the anger or sadness.

This article actually makes me kinda upset, because it references NOTHING that can be disproved. Pvt. Hawker sounds like a name randomly picked from any recent space marine video game, and they use generalizations, "a number of veterans", or "to a certain degree, it's working".

Believe 50% of what you see, and none of what you read.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Pvt. Hawker sounds like a name randomly picked from any recent space marine video game,

The names of those involved were changed to protect their identities. Neither they nor their families need any undue attention. The original draft of the article had the original info, including locations and dates, which were removed during the editing process.

 

[Alon Shechter]

Six weeks?
PTSD doesn't go in six weeks, man.
It maybe calms down, but I'm pretty sure that it stays for much longer than that, maybe even forever.
I needed 6 months to help mine, but it's far from cured. It's everyday tasks that help overcome it.
But Then again, I am no war veteran.

 

[Bradeck]

Pvt. Hawker sounds like a name randomly picked from any recent space marine video game,

The names of those involved were changed to protect their identities. Neither they nor their families need any undue attention. The original draft of the article had the original info, including locations and dates, which were removed during the editing process.

Thank you for clarifying that, I apologize for the mistake.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Pvt. Hawker sounds like a name randomly picked from any recent space marine video game,

The names of those involved were changed to protect their identities. Neither they nor their families need any undue attention. The original draft of the article had the original info, including locations and dates, which were removed during the editing process.

Thank you for clarifying that, I apologize for the mistake.

No worries. "Pvt. Hawker" does sound like something out of Call of Duty.

 

[Tiger Sora]

Soon as I saw this I was like "What are those cheeky Americans up to now". Than I read it. It may help some, but it's not a cure all.

 

[The Great JT]

Now if only they'd look into RTS games to get senility to piss off... [http://www.cracked.com/article/104_6-ways-video-games-are-saving-mankind_p2/]

 

[illmuri]

Look at all these mental health experts chiming in with their opinions on the effectiveness of PTSD treatment...

Im sure a certain biased news service would state "veterans receive treatment by desensitizing them through video games." However, it is good to read about people being able to get over their issues. It might not work for the skeptics in this thread, but it worked for "Pvt. Hawker."

One issue I see is the allocation of resources. For example, my unit experienced over a hundred mortar or IED attacks. We had a number of fatalities and I know a few of the guys were rather bothered by this. Not one of my unit sought treatment for PTSD.

Our Brigade Headquarters, on the other hand, spent the entire year in the Green Zone. Not one of them went outside, the wire. Their most difficult day was when the air conditioning broke for a few hours. Otherwise, it was movie theaters and Burger King every day. One year after deployment, 50% of the unit (they were Reserve) was in counseling for PTSD. The main reason being they still received an Army paycheck as long as they were 'suffering.'

Who knows how many of the "80% success rate" in the article come from the latter group.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Look at all these mental health experts chiming in with their opinions on the effectiveness of PTSD treatment...

Im sure a certain biased news service would state "veterans receive treatment by desensitizing them through video games." However, it is good to read about people being able to get over their issues. It might not work for the skeptics in this thread, but it worked for "Pvt. Hawker."

One issue I see is the allocation of resources. For example, my unit experienced over a hundred mortar or IED attacks. We had a number of fatalities and I know a few of the guys were rather bothered by this. Not one of my unit sought treatment for PTSD.

Our Brigade Headquarters, on the other hand, spent the entire year in the Green Zone. Not one of them went outside, the wire. Their most difficult day was when the air conditioning broke for a few hours. Otherwise, it was movie theaters and Burger King every day. One year after deployment, 50% of the unit (they were Reserve) was in counseling for PTSD. The main reason being they still received an Army paycheck as long as they were 'suffering.'

Who knows how many of the "80% success rate" in the article come from the latter group.

That's a very interesting perspective. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Bradeck]

So,

Look at all these mental health experts chiming in with their opinions on the effectiveness of PTSD treatment...

Im sure a certain biased news service would state "veterans receive treatment by desensitizing them through video games." However, it is good to read about people being able to get over their issues. It might not work for the skeptics in this thread, but it worked for "Pvt. Hawker."

One issue I see is the allocation of resources. For example, my unit experienced over a hundred mortar or IED attacks. We had a number of fatalities and I know a few of the guys were rather bothered by this. Not one of my unit sought treatment for PTSD.

Our Brigade Headquarters, on the other hand, spent the entire year in the Green Zone. Not one of them went outside, the wire. Their most difficult day was when the air conditioning broke for a few hours. Otherwise, it was movie theaters and Burger King every day. One year after deployment, 50% of the unit (they were Reserve) was in counseling for PTSD. The main reason being they still received an Army paycheck as long as they were 'suffering.'

Who knows how many of the "80% success rate" in the article come from the latter group.

Look man,

All I'm saying is that the people who get it, can't be "cured" by seeing more of it. Whats next, fatties find solice in cheese burgers? PTSD isn't even 50% understood. People are claiming PTSD for rough childhoods and shit. Playing violent video games, to cure lack of sleep brought on by violent imagery sounds back asswards.

 

[Draconalis]

I wonder if it's more his will, than the video game itself.

 

[TerribleAssassin]

Pvt. Hawker sounds like a name randomly picked from any recent space marine video game,

The names of those involved were changed to protect their identities. Neither they nor their families need any undue attention. The original draft of the article had the original info, including locations and dates, which were removed during the editing process.

Thank you for clarifying that, I apologize for the mistake.

No worries. "Pvt. Hawker" does sound like something out of Call of Duty.

I remember once I saw Sgt. Pepper, it made me laugh because he had a Beatles mophead and rose tinted glasses.

But though video games helped him, I feel it was more his ability to face the event in a controlled simulation. But still, we always knew video games are good! But Fox News will find a way to bring us down.. :-(

 

[Susan Arendt]

Pvt. Hawker sounds like a name randomly picked from any recent space marine video game,

The names of those involved were changed to protect their identities. Neither they nor their families need any undue attention. The original draft of the article had the original info, including locations and dates, which were removed during the editing process.

Thank you for clarifying that, I apologize for the mistake.

No worries. "Pvt. Hawker" does sound like something out of Call of Duty.

I remember once I saw Sgt. Pepper, it made me laugh because he had a Beatles mophead and rose tinted glasses.

But though video games helped him, I feel it was more his ability to face the event in a controlled simulation. But still, we always knew video games are good! But Fox News will find a way to bring us down.. :-(

I agree. The willingness to admit that something is wrong is key to treatment, and it's not a step that comes easily for everyone. Hopefully, if more stories like this get out, others will find it easier to step up and say they need help.