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“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Fuels the Burden of PTSD for Gay Service Members

Special note: Alyson Sincavage is completing her internship in the SLDN policy department this week. She has studied the relationship between PTSD and the effects of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Over the past five years I have earned a Master’s degree in clinical psychology from Florida Institute of Technology and a Juris Doctorate degree from Nova Southeastern University. During law school I spent a great deal of time researching Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its affect on service members while writing my law review article. My article, which was chosen for publication, explained PTSD, its effects on service members, and Congress’s failure to have any appropriate steps in place for reintegrating discharged service members into society. (Alyson Sincavage, The War Comes Home: How Congress’ Failure to Address Veterans’ Mental Health Has Led to Violence in America, 33 Nova L. Rev. 481 (2009)).

Through my research and years of study I was able to gain a solid understanding of PTSD. However, it was not until I began my internship with Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) a few months ago that I began thinking about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’s affect on gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members suffering from PTSD.

PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic experiences that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.

Symptoms of PTSD can be manifested in many different ways, including flashbacks, constant frightening thoughts, emotional numbness, and feelings of guilt, depression or worry. Being easily startled or difficulty sleeping can also accompany PTSD.

As a service member, what would you do if you felt any of these symptoms? Would you write your relatives a letter? Would you confide in a spouse or a girl/boy friend? Would you consult your doctor?

Now, imagine trying to cope with all of these feelings but constantly being under the stress of living a lie -- fighting for your country and willing to give your life for it, all the while constantly worrying if someone is going to find out about your sexual orientation.

This is what life is like for gay, lesbian or bisexual service members who experience PTSD.

Not only are some gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members suffering from PTSD like other service members, but most of them cannot use their resources to help them recover. They cannot call or write their partner without fearing that they will be found out. In fact, it wasn’t until a few months ago that service members could speak freely to their doctors.

As research shows, those with PTSD will sometimes commit violent crimes fueled by flashbacks to traumatic experiences, or other stressors associated with PTSD. In more severe cases, service members living with PTSD may even resort to suicide especially if they lack necessary support.

Reintegration for many service members who are discharged for having any psychological disorder is always a challenge, regardless of sexual orientation. They most often face obstacles such as obtaining employment, making friends, and re-establishing ties with their families or significant others.

But again, imagine the reintegration process for a service member fired under DADT. With this discriminatory law in place, these service members are forever labeled. They are not discharged for their psychological condition but for their sexual orientation. How easy is it for them to get a job now? How easy is it for them to reunite with their families, especially if their families did not know about their sexual orientation before they were fired? They run the risk of family and social alienation, as well as losing valuable support networks. It’s hard enough trying to reintegrate into society and civilian life after being in the service, but just imagine how much harder it is after being discharged under DADT.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” only exacerbates the suffering of gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members who live with PTSD. It’s well past time to repeal DADT so that all service members can have the support they need free from fear and discrimination.

Note: The New Pentagon Instructions concerning DADT released on March 25, 2010, allow for lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members to safely speak with a psychotherapist or other medical professionals without the risk of being discharged under the law. Read more here.

08-03-10 By Alyson Sincavage, SLDN Policy Intern |