IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin has spoken publicly about his long struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the severe wounds he sustained during the Battle of Wadi Saluki in the Second Lebanon War, urging soldiers returning from combat to seek treatment rather than suppress psychological trauma.
Speaking on an IDF Podcast, Defrin said it took him years to recognize that he himself was suffering from PTSD.
"It took me many years to understand it," he said. "PTSD sounds to people like some kind of curse or insanity, but it isn't an ordinary injury. It's an invisible wound. You're not missing an arm or a leg, so people ask, 'What's wrong with you?' But inside, you're carrying something that stays with you all the time."
Defrin recalled that after being wounded, he returned to command his battalion and chose to push aside the traumatic memories of the battle.
"I went back to the battalion and buried everything. Today I know that it harms you. I don't even know what damage I caused to the people around me or to my family over the years simply because I didn't take care of myself in time."
He said recognizing PTSD as an injury changed both his outlook and his life.
"When you're aware of what you're going through and you seek treatment, you're not only helping yourself. You're helping your family, your children, your friends, and the people you work with. This struggle affects everyone around you."
Nearly two decades after the battle, Defrin said the trauma still affects him.
"There are things that drive me out of my mind, like a slamming door or a sudden loud noise. Sometimes even a flash of sunlight while you're driving startles you for a split second, and you feel as though you're back inside the tank under fire. Those moments come without warning."
He stressed, however, that professional treatment makes it possible to cope with such experiences.
"When you understand what's happening to you, you also know how to deal with it. The wounds may never disappear, but you can learn to live with them in the right way."
Referring to the Swords of Iron War, during which thousands of soldiers have faced prolonged combat and traumatic experiences, Defrin issued a direct appeal to those who have returned from the battlefield.
"I meet many people who fought in this long war," he said. "My message to them is simple: If you're a hero, if you're brave, go get treatment. Don't put it off. Treatment is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it's an act of responsibility toward yourself and toward the people you love."
Defrin said his own experience demonstrated the dangers of ignoring psychological injuries.
"I went to therapy, stopped, returned to therapy again, and today I understand how important it was. I only wish I had understood that much earlier."
He concluded by saying that while the Battle of Wadi Saluki ended nearly 20 years ago, its effects remain.
"There are wounds that never disappear. They stay with you. The question isn't whether they exist, but whether you're willing to acknowledge them and seek treatment."