Doing the research for this lecture is pretty depressing, I must admit. It saddens me to see people die because they were too proud or macho to admit that they are suffering from PTSD caused by the war.
We were never meant to endure modern warfare for sustained periods. Anyone could go mad if there were fighting for long enough. If only people were as alert to mental wounds as they are to physical ones.
At times, I think we are all capable of being calloused by the rigours of daily living. I know of a friend's friend who attempted suicide. We knew she was quite depressed but we never thought she would take such a drastic step. Like the war veterans always say, civilians can't really understand the war. Similarly, in some ways, those of us who are fortunate to be not depressed may not truly understand how the depressed feel, especially if they don't tell us. But thank God she did not die.
So, please, if you are ever feeling down, please say something now. Don't wait till it's too late.
