Kabul news triggering mental health warning ahead of Vietnam Veterans Day

“Recognise what you did: you literally were willing to give up your life for this campaign – you made a difference for a while.

Gladstone RSL president Ed Dahlheimer, who has toured Afghanistan twice, said it was gut-wrenching to watch the Taliban retake control of Kabul late last week.

Australian veterans are being urged to look after their mental health as the world watches in horror of the Taliban take over of Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul, days before Vietnam Veterans Day.

Psychologist and CQUniversity lecturer Chris Crawford said veterans probably felt “justifiably angry and distressed”.

“They tend to be pretty sad about it and somewhat angered by it,” he said.

“For those people who have seen buddies killed or perhaps themselves been injured, it’s a real frustration.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said for the veteran community, Kabul’s collapse was a time of sadness and no doubt they were asking “deep questions” about what their duty was all about.

He said the extraordinary sacrifices by those who went to Afghanistan serving under the Australia flag would not be forgotten as for two decades they contained the terror threat.

The Morning Bulletin spoke with a Rockhampton resident who had served in Afghanistan back in 2016.

Dylan Fraser talked about the stigmata around defence force personnel having mental health issues as result of serving in combat.

Mr Crawford said it was important for veterans to realise that efforts in Afghanistan were not pointless.

“I wonder whether the intervention that was made hasn’t had a longer term long lasting benefit,” Mr Crawford said.

“I think it‘s good to be reminded that what we’re seeing is perhaps a very different tone from what we’ve seen in the past.

“Recognise what you did: you literally were willing to give up your life for this campaign – you made a difference for a while.

“For 20 years people were living a relatively good life in Afghanistan.”

In terms of dealing with trauma and frustration, Mr Crawford said the first step was to “normalise what’s going on”.

Rockhampton has become home to refugees who fled the conflicted country after the US-led military force occupied the region.

Mohammad Raza Azad was an Afghani refugee suffered persecution from the dominant Pashtun, Tajik and Uzbek communities, who are Sunni Muslims.

He joined his family in Rockhampton in 2013.

Mr Crawford said for veterans to have concerns about the Afghan people who assisted the military or to feel stress about the withdrawal from the country generally was entirely normal.

“Who wouldn’t feel distressed by that?” Mr Crawford said.

“At the same time, to dwell on that, to think about it all the time isn’t helpful.

“First of all it’s not going to help the situation, and second of all, it’s not going to help them.”

The next step, he said, was to move on and “recognise there’s a life worth living”.

He suggested taking up hobbies or sport, spending time with one’s family, joining a veterans’ association, and “learning to turn off”.

“I was actually chatting to a vet fairly recently,” Mr Crawford said.

“In terms of managing his level of stress, or his level of distress, he just doesn’t watch the news.

“When you think about our species, it’s only in the last few decades we’ve had the constant bombardment of news.

“I think that’s an overall good principle … We’re not designed to be imposed upon by that level of distressing news all the time.”

If necessary, Mr Crawford said, professional help should be sought, either through Veterans‘ Affairs (1800 VET777), Phoenix Australia, or a GP.

He said veterans should also be aware of the various treatments now available for post-traumatic stress disorder, no longer confined to prolonged exposure therapy, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing or mindfulness practices.

“If people have had a bad experience, look at alternatives,” he said.

Gladstone RSL president Ed Dahlheimer, who has toured Afghanistan twice, said it was gut-wrenching to watch the Taliban retake control of Kabul late last week.

“Gut-wrenching”: Australian soldier reacts to Afghan conflict

The world watched this week as the Taliban rolled into Afghanistan’s capital Kabul and retook control of the city after 20 years of bloody conflict.

Back home in Australia, Gladstone RSL president Ed Dahlheimer, who recently returned from serving in Afghanistan himself, said it was gut-wrenching to see.

“I’ve only been home two years from my 10-month deployment there and when we first got there it was just about over,” he said.

“But then came the next fighting season which started in the spring of 2019. The Taliban took back lots of territory then.

“It was quite frightening to witness how much fight they still had in them. It was always in the back of my mind that when the full withdrawal happened that something like this could happen.”

Mr Dahlheimer said the main priority for the Australian government should be the extraction of Afghan interpreters working for the Australian Defence Force.

“I know one of my interpreters arrived in Australia on Saturday, he didn’t even get a chance to message me and say he was on his way, that is how quickly they were evacuating people,” he said.

Mr Dahlheimer said he was hoping the Taliban were not planning to inflict death and destruction across the fallen country.

“I am hoping they have learnt they just can’t live the way they were because the population does not accept it,” he said.

“I am hoping they aren’t as bad, because I am pretty sure they took Kabul without firing a shot.”

Mr Dahlheimer said he was not sure how the conflict would end, with the next few months proving crucial.

“I kind of had the prediction that when the withdrawal finished there would be a civil war then out of the ashes of that the real Afghanistan would rise,” he said.

“It needs to be an Afghan solution to an Afghan problem, not an American or Russian solution to an Afghan problem.”

The mental health state of returned servicemen and women who witness the scenes in Kabul was of paramount importance, Mr Dahlheimer said.

“I’ve come home from there (Afghanistan) and just can’t focus on anything because everything is running around in your head,” he said.

“My escapism is driving around on my mower while listening to music for a while, just trying to divorce myself from news.”

Mr Dahlheimer said that although the Gladstone RSL were not doing anything officially to support returned servicemen and women, they were always there to talk.

“I am part of a young veterans group as well and we are reaching out to Afghan veterans constantly and telling them we are here to talk about any issues.”

For any returned services veterans who may be experiencing mental health issues, contact Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling on 1800 011 046.