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Most people suffering trauma never develop lasting and disabling psychological abnormalities. And most people who DO develop such problems, does not become aggressive towards other people as a result of them.
But some people who have suffered humiliating and shame inducing experiences – either as one being deprived of dignity, someone depriving someone else, or simply watching it happening - do develop problems which, if not treated, lead to aggressive and violent outbursts against others when some inner or outer circumstance triggers re-experiencing. Mostly people observing or being targeted by such outbursts, can not see any reason for them as the response is both excessive and misplaced considering the external event that preceded it.
This is enough to make it imperative to ask Senator McCain about how well he has dealt with his experiences as Prisoner of War and torture victim while serving in the US Military. Certainly there are pressing reasons for it, since he is competing for the presidency.
Furthermore, the many accounts of public outbursts of what appears as unprovoked and dysfunctional aggression makes it even more justified being concerned.
Many US Military service members and veterans have to fight a growing social stigma as reports about PTSD paints an unjustified picture of PTSD as both more disabling, wide spread and chronic than what is the case.
If we elect a president which has not dealt with his traumatic experience and its’ psychological consequences, would that not send the wrong signals to these warriors at the same time as we ask them to show courage to admit to and deal with such psychological effects that the military community needs?
