Jazona

The VA gave me benzos way back in the seventies. Worked like a champ. Allowed me to settle down enough to tend to my studies and get a degree in engineering. Then, out of the clear blue, they cut me off cold turkey. I spent the next thirty years to get my benzos back, no deal. Instead, they crammed big pharma's SSRI's. I did the research and low and behold, discovered the big lie. They do nothing but bad. Google tartive dysphoria sometimes. I spent most of my career working for municipalities and managed to come away with private health insurance. I got a private psychiatrist who reinstated my benzos. Yes, I know, they are addictive. They say I will want more and more. They lie. I've been back on them for well over a year and have no need to increase either dosage or number of dosages. They calm me down so I can function in society. They take away most of the anger. In short, they give me most of my life back. So, perhaps I am the exception to the rule. I only know that they work for me. If I am taking away time at the far end, I'll accept that in light of what they are doing for me now. Jaz

I currently have one FOIA with the VAMC that is five or six months old and two that are over 30 days. I'm only asking for two years of information and there isn't a great deal of info in those years. They haven't sent me any info like they are supposed to by Regs, what can I do to make them release these records? Thank You Jaz

Would like to know what actions I can take if a VAMC completely ignores a FOIA. I know they can refuse to release psych records, but don't they have to provide detailed information as to why they refused. And I also requested non-psych records which they have completely ignored. Thank You, Jaz

Concur with Mr. Basser. Jaz

They didn't hide mine, they just threw them in the shredder. Jaz

"There is evidence against the use of benzodiazepines in PTSD management as it may cause HARM". O.K., show me the evidence. I'll show studies that SSRIs are a scam contrived by big pharma to make billions off of hocus pocus apothecary. SSRIs cause tartive dysphoria, or permanant depression. Different people require different medication therapy. Some respond to this med or that. Benzodiazapines work for some people. I have screaming anxiety. Benzos allow me to live a halfway decent life, albiet a recluse but still decent. This is plain, pure horse manure. Jaz

The Vet Orgs are bars with phonys holding down the bar stools. I got the message loud and clear when I went to an Org. I had been a menber of for years and asked about filing a claim for PTSD. He declined, saying that the VA didn't give benefits for that AND WALKED AWAY. I had to explain to a County Rep what Champ VA was. He never heard of it. And the lies haven't stopped. At my last group meeting,a so-called Vet rep said that ChampVA's deductible was $3000 and said I was full of it when I tried to correct him. This so-called Vet rep hasn't been through the training, taken the test or whatever and he is advising Vets. Somebody should turn this jerk in. Jaz

Bronco, You probably remember me from quite a while ago...a word of warning, no matter what the context, or how the subject is expressed, never talk weapons and the VA in the same post. VA employees wet themselves in anticipation of turning your IP address over to the DHS. Since the cyberattacks on America by China are of less importance to the DHS than to hounding we Veterans, they will harass you from then on. Two years, five hard drives and three computers later, I'm still fighiong them off. I am having to hire a lawyer to try to get my name off "Janet's list". Our wonderful Sec. of DHS will go to any length, including violating your constitutional rights (what little of them is left) to see your butt in prison. Just a little wizened advice. jaz

Yay! Jaz

I am an extremely angry and bitter old man. At the way we were treated by the public, by the way we were (and some of us still are) treated by the VA. My VA psychatrist (a very kind and compassionate man) has tried very hard to help me; medications, talk therapy, he sent me to the Vet Center for group therapy, I've been to psycologists, social workers, ect. I've tried to look at my anger logically, it happened in the past, there's nothing that can be done, ect. It still returns. The Vet Center group did help, being with men with PTSD and learning how some of them cope. But I've moved and don't have that any more. And still it returns. I have just started seeing a private psychiatrist and she is a very nice lady that has a military background. I have great expectations. Simply put, my anger is a disease, I assume that it has some connection to my PTSD. Life isn't worth living if one hates all the time. I hope one day to live without hate. I fear for our "new" Veterans and hope they don't sink to the level that I have. I made the comment here that the VA's new "treatment" modality was a dog and pony show. Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe it does work for our kids coming back with multible tours. I fervently hope so as I don't want them to live the kind of life I have. jaz

Sorry, Carlie and Retired, didn't see you responses until today. Will try as you suggest, Retired, thanks. Carlie, I recently moved and used to go to weekly group meeting at the Vet Center and my VA shrink wanted me to see someone up here. Had only been to a few meetings and she transferred out. Wanted to see what one has to go thru. Social workers are all they have up here, to my knowledge. thanks, jaz

I know this topic is about claims but wanted our brothers and sisters about something new the VA is cooking up for us. Just had this pulled on me and wanted to warn those of us that had not heard of it before. It basically entails writing down all of the very specific details of all the horrors that we have been trying all these years to forget. According to their logic (there's an oxymoron) re-experiencing the worst of it over and over makes one "used to it" and thereby, by they're reasoning, lessening the impact on us. I've already had one friend say that if they made him do something like that...it just might push him over the edge. I was subjected to the "Cognitive processing therapy" technique. It requires one to write down increasingly detailed narratives and reciting these before the group. By the third session, I dropped out, thereby providing the VA with the ability to proclaim that I was "refusing treatment". My anxiety was beyond any control and it affected my eating, sleep and general well being. I did a search of the American Psychiatric Assoc. website and found nothing. A general search, turned up a number of hits from foreign governments but nothing from ours. The VA propaganda bulletin likes to use the terms, "significantly reduces symptoms", "imporve quality of life", "treatment gains well after treatment ends". I suggest that it will eventually be touted as a cure. So, those of us with PTSD might do well to keep a close eye on this. We all know that the VA would love to come up with something that they could call a cure and take us off the payroll. I will concede that this could be effective for our new Veterans for for us guys that have been carrying this ball and chain for decades, I doubt it's affectiveness. I invite you to do your own searches and decide for yourselves. I just might have not looked in the right places. jaz

Just had a social worker quit and need to know to what "department" of the VAMC I send a request for fee basis treatment until they refill her position. thanks, jaz

Anyone have any experience with the Tucson VAMC Two week PTSD Clinic? Thanks, jaz

The beauty in the hearts and minds of the elder members of this board outshines even the sunniest day! jaz