20 Year Rule And Attempting To Get Voc-rehab

[Robert Edward]

I am approaching my 20 year mark and I want to "try" to work again. My understanding is that I am protected from a decrease of benefits. My question is can I get VA Voc-Rehab? I will only be 44 years old at my 20 year mark. I have a Bachelors degree and I would seek a Masters or higher. Anyone in the same boat?

Robee

[Jay Johnson]

I did read that testimony, and my reaction to that was the same as it was when that it was a load of crap. CBT may help the person who suffers from PTSD use more constructive behaviors, but it will not cure PTSD. Again, it is a means to help the patient learn to cope with the thoughts and the consequences of those thoughts. The real goal is to get the patient to recognize when the thoughts are coming on and to find a way to redirect to lessen the severity. Again, not a cure, but a coping skill.

To let everyone know how backwards some of these professional mind doctors can be, while I was working on my degree, I had to read a lot, and I mean A LOT of studies. One I remember quite well showed that there is a link between physical disabilities and depression. My first reaction after reading the study was DUH!!!, followed by being totally pissed off that these geniuses mose likely got government money to conduct a study that anyone with half a brain could have predicted the resluts for. This was not an older study but one that was conducted in the last five years.

The problem with most psychological "studies" are that they rely heavily on self-reporting statements, which I think is complete BS. Ironically, several studies have shown that 90%+ of the population lies several times a day and will lie even if there are no possible consequences for lying; yet those same psychologists rely solely on people telling the truth in those studies, lol:-) I recently read one study where very basic questions were asked of people like, "how often do you drink beer" and "how often do you eat fast food"...the study was completely anonymous, yet the researches found 100% of them lied. They basically went through the participant's trash to find that they were grossly underreporting their answers. Why do people do this? In my opinion, it's because people are lying to themselves......admitting they drink more has a negative connotation so, in their minds, they don't want to admit that they drink/eat fast food.

The same can be said for studies on rape, aggression, anger, etc.....who wants to admit that they are aggressive and what defines aggressive? Who wants to admit they were raped or molested no matter how anonymous the study is?

Let's face it, the field of psychological is merely educated guess work based on studies that are extremely limited and likely wrong.

But, as you stated, therapy can help people help themselves by pointing out flaws in logic and giving better ideas on how to solve certain problems (and prevent them before they occur). In the end, however, therapy is only useful if people are capable, and willing, to help themselves and that means admitting to one's own faults, which brings me back to my first paragraph.....

[Jay Johnson]

I couldn't agree with you more.

When I was in school I had to study a lot of that psycho-babble too.

My conclusion= they are just grasping at straws in an effort to GRAB more money. MY MONEY (and yours). Those "doctors" are no doubt in bed with the pharmacutical companys to invent more drugs (which I, and my freinds, have been offered) to make more money! What a scam!

Information is POWER.

If a man empties his purse into his head no one can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

-Benjamin Franklin

I don't think meds are the problem; if anything, medications for psychological disorders is a step in the right direction because it denotes an underlying physiological problem. However, some people react differently to different meds, so they can be real hit or miss, but we KNOW that certain symptoms like depression, psychosis, anxiety, etc are partly due to chemical imbalances in the brain (dopamine, serotonin, etc) and drugs can improve on that imbalance.

I know my wife would be dead right now if not for those anti-psychotics....she clearly has a dopamine reuptake issue and requires some form of anti-psychotic to control it.

[JustThinking]

I don't think meds are the problem; if anything, medications for psychological disorders is a step in the right direction because it denotes an underlying physiological problem. However, some people react differently to different meds, so they can be real hit or miss, but we KNOW that certain symptoms like depression, psychosis, anxiety, etc are partly due to chemical imbalances in the brain (dopamine, serotonin, etc) and drugs can improve on that imbalance.

I know my wife would be dead right now if not for those anti-psychotics....she clearly has a dopamine reuptake issue and requires some form of anti-psychotic to control it.

Jay,

I too have seen the effects of the meds in seemingly stabilizing some people. The key is SOME people. I have one friend who, until recently was on 6 different meds and almost twice as many labels!! (Bi-Polar-Manic-depressive-etc-etc) AND had more problems than when she started taking them. Her doctor prescribed each new med to try to handle the side effects of the other meds! She was a WRECK. Couldn't sleep, eat, Suicidal and homocidal feelings, had mood swings and a bunch of other physiological and mental difficulties. When she told her doc (psychiatrist) that she was going to stop taking them, he almost blew a gasket! He grimly stated that she would probably not survive - but she was ready to kill herself while on the meds.

Well, long story shortened... She is doing quite well now, is taking NO meds, lots of vitimins and is back to normal. Getting her back was not easy. Some time away from her chaotic envrionment, tons of family/friends support, proper nutrition and re-establishing some goals for her to shoot toward - were the majority of the steps. It can be done - but won't be done by the brotherhood of Psych/Pharma - there is no MONEY in it for them.

I am truelly Glad your wife is better. Sometimes medication IS warranted - like giving a painkiller or sedative during a medical procedure or shortly after. There was NO end in sight for my friend - she was meant to stay on the meds (and be a guinea pig for all the newest) for the rest of her "life" - which she wasn't really having.

Seek a nutritional professional to address those "chemical imbalances".

My wife thinks I am a conspiracy nut, SOMETIMES. Less nowadays.

The proof is out there. Don't buy the psycho-babble. Research.

[Jay Johnson]

Jay,

I too have seen the effects of the meds in seemingly stabilizing some people. The key is SOME people. I have one friend who, until recently was on 6 different meds and almost twice as many labels!! (Bi-Polar-Manic-depressive-etc-etc) AND had more problems than when she started taking them. Her doctor prescribed each new med to try to handle the side effects of the other meds! She was a WRECK. Couldn't sleep, eat, Suicidal and homocidal feelings, had mood swings and a bunch of other physiological and mental difficulties. When she told her doc (psychiatrist) that she was going to stop taking them, he almost blew a gasket! He grimly stated that she would probably not survive - but she was ready to kill herself while on the meds.

Well, long story shortened... She is doing quite well now, is taking NO meds, lots of vitimins and is back to normal. Getting her back was not easy. Some time away from her chaotic envrionment, tons of family/friends support, proper nutrition and re-establishing some goals for her to shoot toward - were the majority of the steps. It can be done - but won't be done by the brotherhood of Psych/Pharma - there is no MONEY in it for them.

I am truelly Glad your wife is better. Sometimes medication IS warranted - like giving a painkiller or sedative during a medical procedure or shortly after. There was NO end in sight for my friend - she was meant to stay on the meds (and be a guinea pig for all the newest) for the rest of her "life" - which she wasn't really having.

Seek a nutritional professional to address those "chemical imbalances".

My wife thinks I am a conspiracy nut, SOMETIMES. Less nowadays.

The proof is out there. Don't buy the psycho-babble. Research.

No offense, but that isn't an example of a cause/effect relationship between meds and this woman's prognosis. Her environment was poor while on meds and got better while off meds, which the meds have no impact on, and one's environment plays a very major role in their mental stability. Let that woman's life fall apart (lose a spouse, friends, job, etc.) and see how she reponds with just "good nutrition".

Also, a *good* med doctor understands the limitations of meds in this profession and it sounds like her med doctor was over-prescribing them....the goal of an psychiatrist should be to stabilize a person with as little medication as clinically neccessary.

I've never been one to buy into "alternative medicines" because there is zero proof that any of them work....some blueberries and cod seed oil is not going to do anything for anyone:-)

Now that isn't to say that I think meds help everyone, because they don't, but in most cases it does *if* the doctor prescribing them doesn't think he/she can cure people with medications alone.

[Pete53]

I don't care what the education is someone who has not worked for 20 years is going to have a hard time finding a job that pays well. Unless you take a job as head of the DAV or some type of chartable Foundation.

I really don't think that the VA Voc Rehab has all that good a record of placing disabled Vets back to work

[StarVista888]

I am approaching my 20 year mark and I want to "try" to work again. My understanding is that I am protected from a decrease of benefits. My question is can I get VA Voc-Rehab? I will only be 44 years old at my 20 year mark. I have a Bachelors degree and I would seek a Masters or higher. Anyone in the same boat?

Robee