Vets with PTSD thinking about what happened
Just throwing out some ideas about ways for Iraq vets to think about what happened there that would use clear reasoning. This could be helpful for them.
Reasoning clearly would mean not falling into the reasoning errors
that would make a person come to faulty conclusions. I'm thinking
now about some of the reasoning errors that would lead you to a
false conclusion.
Here are some of them:
Failure to recognize that different decision-making "rules" apply
when time is precious than in situations that allow more time to
think about your options. Later, when you have more time, you can
make the mistake of second-guessing yourself without realizing that
you didn't have that time before. It doesn't make sense to second-
guess yourself.
Weighing the merits of actions taken against options that only came
to mind later on.
Weighing the merits of actions taken against ideal or fantasy
options that did not exist. If those options didn't really exist at
the time for you, there is no way you could have taken them.
Focusing only on the "good" things that might have happened if a
different action had been taken. How do you know for sure that bad
things would not have happened if you had taken that different
action?
Tendency to overlook benefits associated with actions taken. Did
anything good come out of the action taken?
Failure to compare available options in terms of their perceived
probabilities of success before outcomes were known. How do you
know that the other action you wish you had taken would have been
successful? Are you just assuming it would have been successful?
Ignoring the totality of forces that cause tramatic events. There
are a lot of forces in play that cause events to happen the way they
do, and your actions were just one piece of it, and maybe a small
piece when you really think about it.
Equating a belief that one could have done something to prevent an
event with a belief that one caused the event. Just because a
person could have stopped something from happening doesn't mean that
they made it happen. It was other things that made it happen.
Confusion between responsibility as accountability and
responsibility as power to cause or control outcomes. Having been
given a job or "put in charge" does not mean that one has complete
control.
Tendency to conclude wrongdoing on the basis of the outcome
rather than on the basis of one's intentions (before the outcome was
known).
Failure to realize that strong emotional reactions are not under
voluntary control (not a matter of choice or willpower).
Failure to realize that when all the available options have bad
outcomes, the least bad choice is a highly moral choice.
Anyhow, these may be some things for an Iraq vet to consider thinking about, so that he/she is reasoning clearly.
Note: I am working toward becoming a state-licensed psychologist as a second career after I retire from my present career, and have an interest in treating veterans with PTSD.