But, if we evacuate them away from their unit, their psychiatric symptoms tend to last. Treatment is usually less than 72 hours. Service members receive help as soon as they experience symptoms such as tremors, nightmares and headaches. Treatment calls for solders evacuated from the combat zone to be screened at a central location from which they may be returned to duty if departure is deemed inappropriate. Service members are expected to return to active duty.
Treatment is at the front or as near to it as possible.
Basic measures such as rest, food, hygiene and reassurance are provided. Proximity and immediacy are particularly important, says Ritchie, because the bonds between service members can be weakened when soldiers are evacuated. Time away from the unit also allows soldiers to rationalize their symptoms. I can't accept being a coward, therefore I'm sick. One way to counter this is to explain that symptoms, such as sleeplessness and depression, are normal reactions to abnormal events and other members of the unit are having similar responses, says Ritchie.