ptsd Ptsd - Is This A Fair Statement?

[Bill (USAF Retired)]

My paralegal work puts me in close proximity to folks who give legal advice to Soldiers who are facing medical evaluation boards.

A lieutenant colonel stated "those who talk the most about their PTSD tend to have the least PTSD."

Would the Been There Done That folks here on Hadit consider this a fair statement, or oversimplified?

(My thoughts: That's the ultimate in Catch 22. How are you supposed to file for something that if you discuss it, you must not really have it?)

:: thinking I really need to do this law school thing so I can advocate for folks who need it ::

[john999]

Pete

That is one of the main symptoms of Panic disorder. You think you are crazy and you feel crazy, but other people don't even notice. I used to hide my panic attacks because I did not want other people to know how scared I was of losing my mind. Then when I started to have symptoms of dissociative disorder I really thought I was round the bend. I dissociated because the anxiety was unbareable. Being dissociative is like taking a walk away from yourself. That is what happens to people who have a great shock. Their mind goes on holiday away from their emotions. My symptoms which the Army and VA ignored were depersonalization and derealization. You feel like the world and your own body have changed when, in fact, it is just an attempt by your mind to cope with anxiety and fear. You are trying to take yourself out of the picture. The VA slapped a diagnosis of schizophrenia on me because they did not understand how bad panic disorder can be. What clowns and dingbats. The ultimate dissociative disorder is multiple personality. It all happens as a defense mechanism. You can't make it happen or make it stop happening. It is like your blood clotting when you get a cut. Panic disorder is a defense mechanism. Your mind preceives a dangerous sitution and your body goes into overdrive to cope. The danger is coming from the inside instead of the outside. When I was in that state the army and VA slam/dunked me, and I can't forgive them for that, the bastards. They took advantage of me when I was weak and so confused I would get lost walking to the PX.

[Bill (USAF Retired)]

would you be willing to share this information with the lawyers who are representing these vets?

No, because the officer's private opinion does not affect the vigor with which he advocates for his clients (the Soldiers).

If it was someone who sat on a MEB or PEB (i.e., a decider instead of an advocate), I'd have already taken action.

[Testvet]

PTSD as many of us knows affects almost everyone differently some of us denied it for years if not decades, some fell thru the cracks sooner rather than later, some of us kept getting divorced <_< couldn't keep career type jobs, we didn't have problems other people had the problems, and we were just getting the short end of the stick, we refused to look at ourselves, now if we tell anyone we are having a good day we have to worry about the VA claiming we have "gotten better" or "I went fishing and had a great time" well heck if you can go fishing you must me able to go back to work, right? I guess people diagnosed with PTSD are not supposed to do anything to have fun, take vacations, otherwise they want to deem you not disabled.

I was reading a story about one of the 9/11 workers diagnosed with PTSD and he collected over a million from the govt claims office for Sep 11th, now they are charging him with fraud because he went dancing and that proves he can't be disabled by PTSD, WTF. If this is the case and the govt starts prosecuting veterans the same way, we will all have to be recluses, it's not like I go anywhere anyway, due to be heart problems and PTSD I hardly ever leave the house, Wal Mart at 2 am because I can't deal with the crowds during the day, to much stress, I go to the VA for Doctor appts, I am sorry the LT Col was talking from the wrong side of his azz, what he stated was an opinion which is not based in fact, it's what the "sane" officers tell each other on how to determine "fraud"

[Bill (USAF Retired)]

I was reading a story about one of the 9/11 workers diagnosed with PTSD and he collected over a million from the govt claims office for Sep 11th, now they are charging him with fraud because he went dancing and that proves he can't be disabled by PTSD, WTF. If this is the case and the govt starts prosecuting veterans the same way, we will all have to be recluses, it's not like I go anywhere anyway, due to be heart problems and PTSD I hardly ever leave the house, Wal Mart at 2 am because I can't deal with the crowds during the day, to much stress, I go to the VA for Doctor appts, I am sorry the LT Col was talking from the wrong side of his azz, what he stated was an opinion which is not based in fact, it's what the "sane" officers tell each other on how to determine "fraud"

If you're talking about Mario Mastellone, press accounts indicate that he:

1. Pled GUILTY,

2. Claimed back injury (herniated disk) in the attacks, and

3. Was videotaped dancing quite vigorously, including the twist (quite low to the ground), the hustle, dirty dancing, and an attempt at the limbo. I'm sure our comrades in arms here with rated back issues would like that kind of flexibility (I know I would!).

[Testvet]

that is the name but in the article I read it did NOT mention the back injury all it indicated was he was diagnosed with PTSD, like they say it's not nice to mess with Mother Nature or the government they both can hit you like a ton of bricks yea if he used herniated disks to get the million he needs to go to jail. I have 3 blown disks it's all i can do is to climb in and out of the hot tub or the pool, and I live on percocets, the VA refused to operate on my back due to severity of heart disease. I even offered to let them use an epidural I figured one day of extreme pain for the operation in hope of months or years of a few pain free days would be worth it. They refused, wrote the prescriptions instead, that was 5 years ago. Bad backs sux

Edited June 14, 2008 by Testvet

[Philip Rogers]

I don't think anyone knows if they have PTSD until they've read Jim Goodwin's writings, specifically http://www.trauma-pages.com/a/goodwin.php. I never knew there was anything wrong w/me until I read this and then cried like a baby as I read it. I still cry when I read it!!!

pr

Edited June 15, 2008 by Philip Rogers