Our troops brains are shrinking in size.

I think its time for our troops to come home. They have suffered long enough in this dum war.

A physiological component to PTS. No wonder soldiers can't come back in country without having some kind of debriefind and downtime. It's a wonder to me that any come back sane at all.

I think even ONE day in that kind of stress would make for a bit of insanity to overtake you let alone living in those conditions day in and day out.
War is not pretty.
Never has been.
Never will be.
Won't ever change.

Oh thats awful! Its soo sad what them people go through. I wish it could just all end!

I find this to be highly suspicious. Do you really believe the powers that be would allow the filming of this type of behavior? I think you were the victim of some clever film editing wherein film of this type was used to try to prove the point of the show.
I am not disputing that there is extreme stress involved in combat situations, but do you really believe that those in command would allow these men to continue to serve when they begin to act like animals. I highly doubt it.

Poor people - both sides.

Thank God it's at least becoming viewable to the public. Now it needs to go totally mainstream, to reach the idiots, but of course corporate owned media will not be allowed to do it. I get sicker and sicker thinking about things like this.

Katie Scarlett - You are so wrong. That's what "they" want.

Vietnam - study that war and talk to the veteran's. I've held many of those guys while they weeped in my arms.

Also, war is not pretty. If they were breaking into a home and on duty, I am quite sure it was on orders and there was a reason. The cab driver, very sad, but would you have preferred that he was a suicide bomber and killed our troops instead?

I'm married to one of those veterans Sharon. I also knew many of them in my lifetime who told me their stories. It's not pleasant, but don't knock these heroic men and women who are living it and say something like 'their brains are shrinking'.

The cab driver thing and breaking into the old lady's home was all "official" ... but that doesn't mean it doesn't take a toll on the troops' nerves - who are actually REAL PEOPLE WITH FEELINGS AND INTELLEGENCE !!!

Their brains are shrinking - it's a medical fact known since WWII.

Give me a medical link to prove this.
And I never said that they don't suffer stress, they do but your title and is quite inflamatory. If this has happened since WWII as you say, that means many many fathers and grandfathers are around today who have suffered no ill effects from this 'shrinking'.

I bet the entire story is right there at the PBS website. Let me go look.

This is a forum discussion they have to talk about it now that the episode had aired.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/military/july-dec07/stressed_08-31.html

(I will now go see if you can download the actual episode)

It mentions it here in this article on the episode:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/july-dec07/stress_08-31.html

This is so sad. It makes me want to cry. Now what are we really there for? What was the purpose that we would be willing to put people there to go through this? Does anyone really know? Or can only rhetoric be spouted? Somehow sending some other woman's son to get shot at is patriotic, oh, that's right. Just as long as it isn't my son. This gives the poor people a job and a leg up provided they get home with their legs still attached. And somehow our God approves of this. How many politicians sons and daughters are in this war? How many of these evangelical sons and daughters are in this war? Or is this a way to reduce the minority populations in America? God knows we watched and are watching that happen in New Orleans.

Here's some of it clip-and-paste if you don't want to go there and read the whole thing (but it is fascinating so you should):

There's a portion of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. And it is responsible for a lot of executive functions, things that you think about. It kind of is our logic center, if you will, to an extent. Research studies have shown that under prolonged, chronic trauma and stress, the blood flow to the prefrontal cortex is diminished.

There's another portion of the brain called the hippocampus, which other research studies have shown actually could possibly be shrinking in relation to the long-term chronic exposure to trauma, particularly in soldiers. So there's a concern with the impact on brain structure and function that chronic long-term exposure is causing.

And in the short term, absolutely, in World War II and in Vietnam, they frequently would pull whole units out of the front line and give them, oh, easily, a week, sometimes even more, to kind of refit, process what they've gone through, grieve the loss of their friends and their comrades, and then kind of go back in after they've had a chance to calm down and relax.

And I'm sure those Ugly uniforms dont help either, lol. Isnt that right Peter.
I wish we didnt have this war but ending it soon is the best we can hope for now.

"could possibly be shrinking". That tells me it is theory. Not proven fact.

thanks for sharing

I think that if I'd put the word "theory" in the title it would be almost as shocking as it is now.

Wow, Peter thanks for sharing this. This is a side of what the troops go through that I hadn't given much thought to.

Sounds like the damage of PTSD at its finest! How sad.

From the title of this article one would not really get that you are showing concern for the troops. I just also saw a PBS documentary on a logistical crew that was working in Afghanistan. It was very interesting, and I was really surprised at the brightness, intelligence, and dedication of these people. It is the Commander in Chief that does not know how to use the military and whose brain may be having problems ... that is, if you ever listen to him talk.

Katie, as tiem ahs progressed so have the troops. My husband was in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm and cell phones were very expensive and not that good. So when he could which I never knew when it was he would call from a pay phone with a phone card. Now they have web cams right there, phones that shoot video and they are allowing the press and many many individuals to be embedded with the troops so yes I believe it would be allowed and I give PBS credit where credit is due. They report on facts. Also our other generations who saw combat anything like this did suffer. But when they came back from let's say WWII they didn't do these studies. They didn't even tell anyone about PTSD and I dont know they even had a name for it. But if you are under extreme stress physically and mentally for legnthy periods of time then you will suffer effects medically speaking. I really do understand the stress of having your husband there. I know that it might be easier for you if every word spoken, written and televised showed nothing but 100% support. I am sure you would rather if he was faced with the above situation err on the side of caution for him and his fellow soldiers. Yes it is an ugly fact that in wars innocent civilians die. But I am glad we can discuss this openly though. In WWII and such our forces were subjected to untold horrors also. But when they did come home it took a days at a minimum, the traveled (quiet often by ship) with fellow military personell. And even that was not always enough and they suffered without any psychological help. I had a great uncle who was a member of the Lost Batallion and had to dig his grave 7 times. This had a horrific effect on him that lasted until the late 80's. Just as you have every right to keep your home running, and your spirits up as much as possible and just be there for every call, every letter, every email, etc. I think it would be a dangerous thing to not express concern. I for one (and there are many like me) do not support this war, or the current President. But I also would not speak ill of our military men and women. I dont think this article really did that either. It discussed the physical medical side effects (some documented, some are listed as possible as they know it has this effect on other people under such stresses and I dont think they are really stopping men and women in the middle of a fire fight to ask them for a CAT scan) that is a result of the conditions which they are under. It is through this research that we hope to be able to find ways to improve their overall health. It is through this that we hope to find more understanding and treatments for those with PTSD.

K - Please remember not everyone who signed up did so during this administration. The recruiters have often been known to use questionable tactics to get the numbers up. Even before W was in office this was going on. We were lucky. My husband was over 25, practicle and smart. He knew what to not pay attention to when talking to the recruiter. But since we have been in Iraq their tactic have become much worse and thankfully that was exposed. I mean how many Vietnam vet, grandparents do they really want to recall 30 years after the fact? Not to mention by the time we went into Iraq a lot of people were desparate for jobs. When the economy is down recruitment rates go up. Been that way for a very long time. As far as your kids, love them, hug them, teach them your thoughts and views, teach them to always think through everything. And realize that when they turn 18 there isn't anything you can do, legally to stop them. If after all that, they still volunteer, love them, hug them, and let them know it every chance you get. You know what....that is good advice no matter where they end up working. My husband took his oath on my birthday. My mother, sister, aunt, myself and our daughter were all there to witness. His mother would not go. She did not go when her own husband did the same thing (drafted) and she was preggers with her first. It was not disrespectful in the least. It had to do with not wanting to cry in the presence of others.

I really do keep in mind all aspects of this war. I try to consider how I feel about it. How I feel about the circumstances that lead up to it. The military men and women who die, the ones who are maimed physically/mentally, the families that stay here anticipating their safe return, the individual non military who go over there for many different reasons who deaths are not included in the US Death toll, the innocent civilians who are killed, maimed, etc. There is no good solution to what is going on. It is not cut and run. It is being realistic and saying enough is enough. Sadam is gone, you have a new government, we have been here more than enough time, make it work! We dont need to loose anymore lives over there. Mission Accomplished was declared what right about 4 years ago. Enough is enough.

Hope you all have a happy labor day.

Excellent response Deborah

I am supporting the troops.

It is not supporting them to gloss them away in insipid propaganda.

The TV report spent real time with them and you got to see them as people, not toy soldiers.

The title of the article was to be sensational so I'd get lots of comments, but the point of it all is that they will come home changed.

It's a horrible thing to endure.

You are absolutely right Peter they will come home changed. I think it is a great thing that doctors are studying this. I hope it leads to more understanding and help. War is a horrible horrible thing. I think it is even worse under these circumstances.

K - I know you are referring to post war sign ups. But I can't even hold anything against them. The economy sucked, still does but not as much, the recruiters will lie, manipulate and even bully people to sign up. I do have conditions under which I cannot offer support no matter what the job is. My stomach turns flip flops whenever I encounter someone who is gung ho and goes and returns with the same bad attitude that no logic or reason applies. Even Toby Keith with his psot 9-11 Boot up your ....song has stated that was for the troops who were going to Afghanistan. Even he sees the light on Iraq.

My best friend told me that her mom (who was opposed to US "involvement" in Vietnam) registered all her children as Quakers when they were born. By family she is actually catholic, she is now Jewish, and she has said she might register her children (especially the son) as Quakers but raise them with some Buddhist philosophies. God I love this country!

If you set aside your preprogrammed emotional responses to topics and quiet your mind and breathe deeply, you can actually FEEL your brain getting smaller. I'm doing it right now. Feels good, tidy, manageable and compact. I wasn't using 90% of mine anyway.

Bring them home

Wow! I'd never heard of this!
War IS Hell and on so many levels...