![]() |
People who are under a great deal of stress may have difficulty paying attention. They may still be able to do simple routine duties but anything requiring any kind of thought such as giving grid references or following orders or listening to orders or O Group may be difficult for them.
At night they may have trouble sleeping even though they are dead tired they lie there thinking about the events that have happened to them.
Soldiers may be suffering grief from the loss of a friend or a leader or at the plight of the civilian population.
Anger is a common emotion, especially in UN operations where there is frustration and seemingly senseless acts of violence.
Anxiety is common too as you don't know where the artillery is going to strike next or where the mines might be on the road.
People under a great deal of stress are also very irritable. This may lead to fights or insubordination. It should be noted that even though soldiers encounter some or a number of the mental or physical signs of stress reaction they can still do their job but they have to be able to recognize it in themselves and realize that their performance will be less normal and it is also a warning sign that if they don't relieve the stress upon themselves or do something about it, it can lead to more serious problems.
Return to Frank's I/O Psych Homepage