The United States Military has been involved in all of the major wars and conflicts in the world and built up a reputation as one of the most skilled and advanced military forces in the world. The particular jobs and specialities that are involved in battlefield and military combat are often seen as macho or filled with machismo, and those Servicemembers who show weakness can be perceived as soft, or a liability.
This is not true, but it is sometimes how the intensely competitive issues are viewed by fellow members of the military community. So, when a member of the military suffers from battle fatigue, or stress they can sometimes avoid counseling, because they don’t want to be perceived as a weakling. Sometimes Military readiness and the ability of our military to perform are affected by Servicemembers that are suffering from delayed stress syndrome, or other battle fatigue related situations. There are some different options, but they both involve an element of risk. The first one is more risky than the other however. One option is to go to a TriCare Facility that is off the beaten path so to speak. Many Servicemembers are not comfortable with seeing medical or counseling personnel on their own base because of being seen as weak. Facilities within a reasonable travel distance that is not directly associated with your unit, base or location can be more discrete and safe from the perspective of the Servicemember. The stigma that is self-imposed in many of these situations can be pretty harsh. They do not want to be perceived by their peers as weak or as anything less than a strong, vibrant member of their unit. This is one method to get help but a method of keeping your private counseling out of the limelight.
Another option that can be utilized is the “Give an Hour” organization. Getting counseling is not a weakness, but a positive, pro-active action that helps with unit readiness and personal health by sharing and working through stress and crisis related issues.
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The advantages of Give An Hour is that the Servicemember is able to receive professional, accessible counseling that gives them perspective and an ability to solve their mental health concerns without being labeled, or being identified as weak. It is a group of therapy and counseling professionals in a network nationwide, who provide at no cost for the patient an hour of counseling at a time.
