ptsd Military, Ptsd New Vets

[Berta]

from Colonel Dan Cedusky's email:

Diagnosis dilemma

http://www.armytimes.com/issues/stories/0-...PER-2796649.php

Military’s influence infects PTSD cases

By John A. Wickham -

Posted : June 11, 2007

Veterans groups and some senators have a growing concern about whether the Army is denying the rightful disability process for soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder by summarily discharging them under the disciplinary diagnosis of “personality disorders,” a label for unruly and undependable soldiers.

Ironically, a recent survey of combat troops, conducted for the Army by Mental Health Advisory Team IV, revealed that almost half those who screened positive for mental health problems, including PTSD, refused to seek help, fearing the “psychological stigma” — meaning “their leaders would treat them differently, they would be seen as weak soldiers, and it would harm their careers.”

full story at Army Times link.

[Pete53]

Same old same old I wonder how many 100% Veterans started out with a Personality Order diagnosis by the VA?

[Jay Johnson]

A personality disorder is VERY rare and somewhat difficult to pinpoint. To say it's suspicious that the military, and VA, are finding SO MANY people with the disorder is putting it mildly in my opinion. To me, it's intentional and it's meant to keep people out of military retirement and/or the VA system. Also, it seems to stand in stark contrast to VA regulations on the subject...people are presumed to be "sound" when they enter the armed forces and a personality disorder is congenital. So, how can one go into the army perfectly healthy, go to war and come out of it with a personality disorder? It goes against medical facts and VA doctrine.

[Ricky]

I said this many time before. Can you spell DAVID CHU. His and those like him have a mission and that mission is to rid the service of those broken soldiers who can no longer function without any cost to the services. It is sad that our troops are still being treated in this fashion. They go fight at the drop of a hat to insure the freedom of this country but when they get broke Chu and his buddies kick them to the curb like a piece of trash. What does the American public allow this to continue? My only guess is that such actions do not affect them. If it was their son, daughter, husband ect..... then they would care and scream like a eagle. But for those who do not have anyone who serves and gets broken the simply say 'gosh thats not fair, poor guy" and then go on to their cheese tasting event or crawl into a warm bed with their sweetie and think about what they are going to have for lunch tomorrow. We have always been a people like this. If there is no direct effect on us and we tend to forget quickly and go on with our pampered lives. WWI, WW2, Korea, VN, GW 9/11 no direct effect then we say wow that was bad, direct effect then we fight like wolves. Its a sad state of affairs but it is true.

[Testvet]

Ricky actually Congress started screwing vets over in 1776, they were something like 20 years late with land grants and compensation promised to revolutionary soldiers, and all the wars since then Civil war etc it's the American way claim to support the troops then screw them when they become disabled....

[Chuck75]

This has been the case as far as I can remember. When I was an AF Tech Rep. in the 70's, long after my military service, The AF had a "reliability program" otherwise known as physiological counseling for those who had various "mentally related" problems or concerns. The name of the program actually stated the commad attitude in reverse, in that those who partipated in it were considered to be "unreliable" in relation to military duties. Security clearances were inactivated, enlisted were prohibited from working on A/C, access to ready alert areas was pulled, etc.

"almost half those who screened positive for mental health problems, including PTSD, refused to seek help, fearing the “psychological stigma"

from Colonel Dan Cedusky's email:

Diagnosis dilemma

http://www.armytimes.com/issues/stories/0-...PER-2796649.php

Military’s influence infects PTSD cases

By John A. Wickham -

Posted : June 11, 2007

Veterans groups and some senators have a growing concern about whether the Army is denying the rightful disability process for soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder by summarily discharging them under the disciplinary diagnosis of “personality disorders,” a label for unruly and undependable soldiers.

Ironically, a recent survey of combat troops, conducted for the Army by Mental Health Advisory Team IV, revealed that almost half those who screened positive for mental health problems, including PTSD, refused to seek help, fearing the “psychological stigma” — meaning “their leaders would treat them differently, they would be seen as weak soldiers, and it would harm their careers.”

full story at Army Times link.

[sixthscents]

Ya know, it's just another symptom of they way the Army (in particular), and the other branches treat a "broken" soldier. They discharge them under a medical review board that bases their rating upon the LEAST compensable disabling injury. Let's say a soldier has 5 seperate injuries, the Army picks and chooses which one it will discharge them on. I was personally caught up in this and was severanced rather than retired, because the Army discharged me on a back sprain. Yep, a muscle strain... after 4 surgeries etc. They chose the least disabling injury and that is what they put me out on, and since it was rated at less than 30% they severanced me.

It is criminal. It is a base, and underhanded system designed solely to keep the services from having to put out the retirement pay and benefits. they are gambling that most vets will simply take the severance, and not even file a VA claim. Or if they do, the VA claim will be for just a few limited injuries and they will not argue the first decision. The problem is that statistically they are correct. Probably 95% of all vets simply accept what the first rating is, even if they do file a claim. I'd be willing to be most dont. I see this again and again and again. New disabled soldiers being treated like dirt by their command, because they are "useless and lazy". When just days before they were injured they received NCOERs' that stated they walked on water.

This is a top down problem. I starts at the very top of the heap and the attitude is force fed all the way down both the chain of command and chain of support. It is a travesty of justice, and makes a mockery of the sacrifice these young men and women have made. If I could I would personally line up every med board member and ... well suffice it to say I would take very decisive action. In the very few instances where the soldier argues the rating and manages to actually get the med board to agree and raise their disability to 30 or 40%, it goes to Washington for approval, and I have NEVER once seen it upheld. It is a system totally designed fromtop to bottom to screw the soldier. Period.

I fought, oh I filed the appeals etc., and they were all shot down but eventually thru the VA I was able to recoup some of the benefits I had lost. In fact, I am getting more in compensation than if they had simply retired me. I wouldnt even have argued if they had retired me at 40%. But they didnt so i fought, and fought... and eventually regained most of my benefits due me for my service. I was injuer in the line of duty... period. They couldnt argue that at least.

DOD and the VA have CONSPIRED to make just compensation for a soldiers honest inuries incrdibly difficult to obtain. It is interntional. It is thought out and planned. It is obstructionist, and vague... and full of people whos sole job it is to make it even more so. I will agree that there are some forms of compensation that are not really justified, and I will also agree that sometimes a veteran files for things that are at best "tenuous"... but that does not change the fcat that the system is intentionally designed to be all of the thing I stated above.

Now, people are people, and I do NOT think that raters are the anti-christ. Personally they are just as stuck by this inane system as we are. I have encountered a great many wonderful people in the VA system, but.... the positive effect they could have is blunted by the very way the VA is designed.

Does anyone get the feeling that I am a bit... upset by all this? I could say a great many more things, but I am constrained... I dont want people coming to cart me away just yet. In the end, it is a disgrace, a horrid, disgusting, deceitful disgrace. It is a cancer, a rot, that infect the entire system of honor and brotherhood that the military is supposedly based upon. Sorry for the long post, but obviously I have very strong feelings here....