Stress Disorder Isn’t Real Disease

M.D. Drysdale’s article, "Return-ing Vets Need Their Space" (12/22/05) was a horrifying view pushing that we should label returning soldiers with a mental disorder that would stigmatize them and inevitably lead to drugging them with powerful anti-depressants.

The Article made a false claim that the stress of returning soldiers is a medical condition, when in fact, it is merely a very understandable behavior. Like all mental disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is diagnosed merely by looking at behavior. There are no medical, blood or lab tests that can be done to detect it or any other mental health disorder. There are no "chemical imbalances of the brain" being addressed, as there has never been a test or determination of what correct brain chemical balance should be.

Psychiatry’s drugs, just like alcohol and street drugs, merely cover up undersirable behavior and have very dangerous side effects. It’s merely phony baloney psychiatric drug marketing. Just as it’s wrong to diagnose and drug active children when ADHD has never been a real disease, it is just as bad to hook soldiers on antidepressants after they have risked their lives for our country. As the title of this article states, returning vets need their space.

Dale Sherlock

Tunbridge