36 2 CHAPTER 2 having a ‘can-do’ mentality. As a result, soldiers indicated seeing themselves as weak/a failure for having MHC/SA. This ‘can-do’ mentality also causes a failure to recognize the need for treatment. Additionally, they discussed the importance of self-management within the military workplace culture, and how this formed a barrier for treatment seeking. MH professional (male): ‘Soldiers are used to having control, and to then discover that they can’t solve something themselves, (…), well then shame comes into play. It is a form of failure.’ Soldier with MHC/SA (male): ‘It started 4 years ago; I was getting some mental health complaints as a result of my first deployment. I was easily annoyed and had nightmares, which got worse. But you deny those symptoms to yourself. You just keep going and going.’ Soldier without MHC/SA (female): ‘Most guys don’t see it [alcohol abuse] as a problem, (…) and before you can talk to them about it, well they should first realize [they have a problem]. This realization often never comes.’ Soldier without MHC/SA (male): Focus group leader: ‘What would you do if you would develop a depression?’ Soldier: ‘I would try to solve it by myself.’ MH professional (male)” ‘The focus is to always keep on going, take your own responsibility, you are trained in that way.’ As a result of wanting to solve things themselves, it also happens that help is provided within their own group. Soldiers want to protect each other from having to seek help outside of the group and its stigmatizing consequences. Soldier with MHC/SA (male): ‘There are soldiers who are ill, but it won’t show up in the system. Those soldiers also don’t go into treatment, because they are kept in the shadows for a while. We take good care of each other.’
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