Peace: The Best Prevention for PTSD

Source: Stefan Ruenzel, used with permission

Source: Photo by Alice LoCicero

The APA website [1] recently featured the work of psychologists treating veterans who have the burdensome condition we call PTSD—with the symptoms of intense emotional pain and distress, lack of happiness or joy, jumpiness, terrible inability to relax, and major life disruption. Indeed, the suffering caused by PTSD is so great, it can precipitate suicide. The article cites a current statistic: twenty veterans per day take their own lives. Our many colleagues who work ethically, creatively, and tirelessly to mitigate the suffering of those with this condition deserve respect and gratitude.

Like many other disabling conditions, however, many instances of PTSD are preventable, and prevention is easier, more effective, and more humane than waiting for a condition to occur and then treating it. In the case of military and veterans, as well as many civilians, prevention for PTSD will result from creating a peaceful, humane, sustainable, and just society.

Some theorists have claimed that there is a fatal flaw in our human genetic makeup that causes war. That theory has been debunked by a variety of scholars[2]. But even if there were something to be said for human frailty—or even gullibility-- as a contributing factor to war, support for our present, 21st century wars is largely intentionally created by those who stand to gain from war. War is lucrative. Among the beneficiaries are investors in weapons, fossil fuels, and other systems and paraphernalia that go along with deployment. The young people deployed, by and large, believe in the mission, but too often they have not been told the full story. Psychologists are in a position to understand, educate, and liberate the American people from wars fought for profit. Indeed, some of us have been working to do so, and I invite others to join us.

The place of greed and profit in the creation and continuation of war has been described effectively by multiple peace psychologists, notably Marc Pilisuk, with Jennifer Rountree in The Hidden Structure of Violence: Who Benefits from Global Violence and War.[3] As I have learned in my discussions with multiple other psychologists over recent years, many agree with the findings that Dr. Pilisuk puts forward. Among the beneficiaries of war are those who profit financially. But others—especially military personnel and their families, and civilian victims on all sides--pay a hefty price. All of us who agree that war for profit is harming society should get together and demand that psychological ethics include a mandate to take a stand against war and for a just and peaceful society. If we did so in unison, we would be a force to be reckoned with. We should all meet one another.

I would like to invite all readers—psychologists and non-psychologists—to join Division 48 (peacepsychology.org) as we study and advocate for the creation of a peaceful and just society. You do not have to be a member of APA. Come and introduce yourself to peace psychologists at the Division 48 Social Hour, in the Marriott Marquis Hotel (suite numbers are always announced just before the convention) in Washington DC during APA. The social hour is on Friday, August 4, from 6-9 PM.

If you cannot come to the social hour, join our list serve, at peacepsychology.org.

Or just write to me by answering this blog, or through the Peace Psychology website, or through my website at dralicelocicero.com.