I have several family members and friends who were or are in PA and served in different theaters of war but have never heard of any case of PTSD in PA... I believe that being immensely sad at the moment is nothing but human but having nightmares for months or years is a whole different matter... it is the latter that is the signature of PTSD which miraculously is absent in PA...
Extinct bhai,
I too have relatives in army in the past and in present.
PTSD is not absent in PA, it is of lower intensity compared to US army. So why it is lower in intensity compared to let's say US soldiers? There are many many reasons both professional and social.
1. Average age of fresh recruit in PA is higher compared to US army. This allows a bit more mature men to participate in the war and then be able to deal with after effects.
2. Martial traditions - Pakistani army is recruited from a distinct group of regions / tribes. While US army has much bigger and wider recruitment base.
3. Retirement age is much much higher in PA compared to US army. In US army, you do certain numbers of tours of duty, and you are let go into civilian life. In PA (or Indian army), The concept is very very limited and few army men leave army after 3-4 years of service.
4. Family structure. this is linked to #2 above. As most of the soliders come from martial tribes, certain outcomes like death and injury is accepted as "natural outcome", and everyone around the injured /handicapped soldier is willing to lend a helping hand.
5. Lack of alcoholism. While Alcohol in small quantities is great for ones health, the same think can't be said about someone becoming alcohol say finishing 1 or 2 bottles of liquor a day. I suspect a lot of PTSD issues become much worse when you add drug/alcohol abuse.
Please make sure you look at all of these as a holistic combo and not as individual factors. Some people may try to drag "Islam" into this, but that is not a valid reason. Sikh and Hindu from martial tribes do as well if not better than Muslims soldiers from martial tribes.
So there you have it.
Please feel free to add more if you like.
Thank you.
I have started a separate thread so as not to distract from OP in this thread. Please respond there.
PTSD and other psychological issues in Pakistan army