I used to have a neighbor who suffered from PTSD and spent some 3 weeks in a VA hospital every summer. After years of “treatment” he and several other patients quit going because of touchy feely treatments and the stress of dealing with the VA.
Instead they started taking a camping and fishing trip to northern Michigan every year and said it turned out to be better than any group therapy led by a therapist. They talk about their issues when they feel on it and rag on each other when its appropriate.
When I nixed psychiatry, it was because I didn’t want to hear about forgiving myself, or about how human nature is, or about how I did my best, you know...all the platitudes.
My situation is, of course different from what a soldier may go through, but the bottom line is the same.
I didn’t have a campfire and friends, but I had a mirror I could look into and say “ you are such a b-—h. Now what’re you gonna do about it?
Truth hurts. But it sure does help! A psychiatrist would not dare tell the truth, IMO, its all about feeling good, even though the patient really should be feeling quite bad.