In the first Presidential debate, Senator John McCain exhibited an emotionally flat "shutdown" response when he did not appear irritable and cross. He refused to make eye contact with Obama, favored grandstanding over dialogue, and stated that he would refuse to come to the table with world leaders who don't agree with him. If in place of the Paris Peace Talks, Henry Kissinger, McCain's hero, had displayed similar attitudes back in the 1970's, we might still be in Vietnam.

McCain's posturing has a mothball whiff, like the contents of a time capsule from the 1950's. But before we renew our subscription to that particular brand of leadership and heroism, let's take a closer look.

Back in the 1950's, children of the Great Generation fathers found their Dads to be cold, angry, unknowable, and/or out-of-touch. What we didn't know then but do know now is that in the aftermath of World War II, many brave men who saw intense action came back from the war to start families still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) --a then-misunderstood illness that will endure life-long if left untreated. A hair-trigger temper, impulsive behavior, numbed emotions, disassociated responses, and flat expression are all hallmarks of this real disease.

The person's original traumatic experience (and their neurological response to it) become hardwired into the body, causing ongoing deterioration in key areas of the brain. In PTSD, to protect itself from the external dangers, the body will neurologically freeze or over-activate or both, releasing a cascade of neurochemicals and hormones that shut down many normal responses and functions for the sake of survival. Once the dangers pass, the responses still continue permanently.

Sadly, earlier generations of veterans (from the World Wars through Korea and Vietnam in which McCain served) received no treatment whatsoever. It was mistakenly believed that the wide range of physiological, cognitive, and behavioral aftermaths of PTSD were "all in their heads." Instead they had to tough it out--by containing silently within themselves the wartime horrors, or by medicating themselves with drink.

All who incur PTSD in the line of duty deserve our respect. My own grandfather and father were brave men who fought and survived with these kinds of scars. While we can and should feel compassion for them, there's no reason to adopt their PTSD behaviors as the leadership style now and for future generations.

Times have changed. Now soldiers returning from Iraq are encouraged by the U.S. military and the Veterans Administration to receive the new and definitive PTSD treatment methods that were developed following research that emerged after 9/11. Soldiers are helped to heal rather than suffer quote-unquote heroically.

As part of that healing, it's vital to identify any signs of PTSD, and distinguish those symptoms from the true skills of leadership.

According to psychotherapist Belleruth Naparstek, the kind of impulsivity, crankiness, and sudden rages which McCain sometimes exhibits could arise from PTSD.

In addition to affecting emotional ballast, PTSD also impacts cognitive and decision-making ability. Though frequently misconstrued as age-related deficits, "McCain's cognitive ups and downs, memory lapses, poor concentration, and jumping from one focus of attention to another could also be related to PTSD," Naparstek says.

In her book, Invisible Heroes (Bantam 2004), Naparstek cites studies showing that PTSD sufferers may exhibit "impairment of higher level information processing and decision-making." As a result, they overlook "critical details in making a choice or solving a problem. They might reach conclusions based on narrow, impulsive, or stereotypical initial impressions."

In other words, making brash decisions may (or may not) be the sign of a maverick, but it sure is a sign of PTSD.

Over the last weeks, many have noted McCain's tendency to impulse buy mismatched stances and strategies, which when put together look like the ensemble from hell. His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate, like many an overnight infatuation with a stranger, seems different in the morning. The flexibility needed for true leadership would dictate admitting that mistake.

In our complex world we need leaders who tolerate ambiguities without rushing to judgment driven by neurological and brain chemical imbalances etched deeply by traumatic experiences. It's also well established that PTSD sufferers can feel triggered or endangered by slight occurrences which they perceive as a threat.

Even when a person with PTSD came by their wounds honestly--as most do, is such a person the steadiest hand on the red button during a nuclear age?

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