At the start of the war, calls from soldiers in distress flooded in. I knew exactly what they were feeling because I’d been there myself. Within just a few days, we created a guide for commanders helping them keep the mental health of their soldiers, and a self-help guide for soldiers in the field. The feedback we received was immediate and overwhelming. Soldiers and commanders were using these tools, units started to officially adopt them and they worked."
A few months later, we received heartfelt messages from soldiers explaining how these tools helped them stay afloat and defend their minds in battle. The impact was inspiring, but we’re not done yet. We’re developing a comprehensive system, from identifying wounded soldiers as early as possible and breaking down the barrier of shame to providing them with a complete rehabilitation framework that leads to post-traumatic growth."
Sadly, Israel’s mental health and welfare systems are overwhelmed by the scale of this crisis. There aren’t enough doctors and therapists to address the need, and we can’t afford to wait. We need scalable, sustainable solutions to meet this challenge head-on.
Photo Credit: Moshe Milner, Government Press Office (GPO)
Photo Credit: Company H, 429 battalion
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