I am a former military psychiatrist who has published extensively about posttraumatic stress disorder and other psychological effects of war. Thus, I got sent the news clips many times about a potential candidate for mayor of Kansas City leaving the race to care for himself, his depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.
Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie
Like many of our readers who are physicians, I have a very mixed response to the former candidate’s news.
On the one hand, kudos to him that he has decided to 1) get the help he says he needs, and 2) go public. On the other hand, I really wish that he did not have to drop out of the race to do so.
There are some parallels with leaving for severe physical illness, such as getting chemotherapy for cancer. However, for example, when Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland received treatment for his cancer, he stayed in office.
Why can you stay in a race or office with cancer or heart disease but not with the very common psychiatric and treatable condition of PTSD?
I certainly do not know all the reasons the candidate for Kansas City mayor made this decision. He said he is encouraging other veterans to follow his example and get treatment for PTSD. He also alluded to suicidal ideation.
This got me thinking about the concept of needing to leave work to take care of yourself – a decision that is often lauded as both noble and wise. I will not opine much on nobility, other than saying it is always noble to help fellow veterans. Maybe his decision to go public will help other veterans. Hard to say. But I can on opine on wisdom, based on many years of working with veterans with PTSD. I almost always advise them to keep their jobs, if at all possible.
Taking time off from a job you care for actually might increase suicidal thoughts. That is due to less structure in the day, less socialization, and fewer feelings of self-worth. A consequent lack of funds might not help. I have long called holding a good job one of the best mental health interventions, superior to medicine and therapy alone (OK – I am being doctrinaire; there are no placebo-controlled, double blind trials on the topic. But I am also serious.)
In general, Why is it work or saving oneself? In my opinion, work helps to save oneself. Helping others, for most veterans, is a lifeline.
I wonder why he should have to drop out of work to receive treatment. Perhaps he was placed in a residential Veterans Affairs program, which often are 30-60 days long. It is notoriously hard to maintain a job during such treatment.
I believe that we should structure our PTSD therapy so that one can both work and receive appropriate treatment. We need war veterans, with or without PTSD, to run for office. And win.
Dr. Ritchie is chief of psychiatry at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.