ptsd Spouse's Statement

[SouthernBelle]

Okay, I'm new here, and I have perused this site for hours trying to find an example of a "Spouse's Statement" I am preparing to write a statement to add to my husband's request for increase in disability rating (PTSD w/ Anxiety, currently clinically depressed) and for the life of me, I cannot decide how I should approach this. I'm a freelance journalist, and I am so accustomed to writing with from an unbiased stance that I cannot make my brain do this without some kind of prompt. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have considered simply listing his symptoms and how they affect him, me and our child, but I'm just not sure. Thanks!

SouthernBelle

[Josephine]

I am so sorry that you had to fight for so long. It really breaks my heart to hear about all this. What can I do as a "lay person" to make this better? I have been in contact with a congressman, and he agrees that there is a very large problem, but what can I DO? I want to change the way the VA handles people, systemwide. I have to admit that I have a classic "rescuer" personality... so that's why I want to save the world, but I really do want to make this situation better, and legislation is so devastatingly SLOW. I'm sorry to go on, but that's just the way I feel. I want to make the system better, and I am just at a loss for how to do that. I saw somewhere on here about going to D.C. in September, what's that for and about?

SouthernBelle,

There are so many others out there just like me who do not have the

love of the friends on this site to pick them up when they are down

and to help them research the VA.

If we could let more veterans know of Hadit it would be a blessing.

Always and thanks,

Betty

[tssnave]

SB,

Here's my answer to your question of what you can do:

If you have a journalistic background and the time to use that talent to help veterans then write about your experience and send it to your local paper and any other media outlet to see if you can collaborate with them on a first person account of what it is like to try to help a disabled vet attempt to win his disability claim. PTSD, unfairly labeled Personality Disorders, mental health care in general are all hot topics in the news right now. Add your voice and your writing talent to the cause of letting the American public know what is going on at the VA in the hopes that a grassroots effort will help affect change at the VA.

The dichotomy of being a psych vet is that you are the person best able to explain your disability but often the least able to do so. I'm bipolar and much of the time I'm totally spun one way or the other (up or down - manic and barely lucid or depressed and barely functioning). Then's there's the murky middle when I do ok for short periods of time and that's when, previously, I would try to work on my claim and currently, you'll see me post on hadit (so if I disappear for weeks or months at a time when we're in the middle of a thread, please forgive my abrupt absence).

Tell everyone you can reach the who, what, why, when, and where of your story, of our stories. Until the American public at large understands and cares about the situation at the VA we will be slogging uphill with an 80 pound rucksack on our back on a seemingly endless forced road march working on a VA claim.

Thanks,

TS Snave

[MRRRR5]

I agree with Tssnave about using your journalistic resources to tell the Veterans story from a "first person" point of view.

I know many Soldiers who are separating or retiring from the Army and I always refer them to HADIT.COM for exceptional information on claims processing.

[SouthernBelle]

Okay, so I'm going to begin a piece. I'd love to have yall's input when I've finished. Also, I'm taking human interest stories. If anyone is up for an IM conversation, or a phone call, I'm game. I'm not going to flash my phone number, but I'd be willing to talk to some folks on here. I'm all ready for some serious action.

Also, I never did get a response about the Washington D.C. thing. Anybody have any information on that aside from the REALLY long post where I saw it first?

[simple fly]

sb

the answer to your washington dc question may be in this link

http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18157

[halos2]

ALso it is probably a good idea to check out www.vawatchdog.org for some more assistance.

Remember you cannot diagnose the mental problems however you can and should describe the actions..Instead of saying "he is depressed" which you shouldn't as Dr give Diag. you might say is frequently sad, prefers to be alone may cry at times and yet this is not manifested by watching a sad show(or whatever you want to put here) but occurs sporatically not at any particular time as day/night has no control of when or where this happens. He prefers to be alone, avoids contact with his family and others, prefers to stay in his bedroom with the drapes drawn and in the dark. Does not go out except with much prodding from me(mother, whoever) for Dr. appointments.

HE sometimes tells me "he can't stop thinking about it, it makes me wonder why I didn't die over there, and I feel quilty some of my friends did not return or are severely injured(missing limbs)."

Or maybe he doesn't eat or drinks alcohol trying to deaden the pain and horrible feelings. Maybe keeps weapns to protect family...or may say life would be better for everyone else if he was dead...or does not want to talk to any one at all, and is tired and fatigued all of the time has no energy and thinks someone is out to get him (paranoid but you don't say that).

Just look at all of the symptoms he displays, sad, mad,angry,secretive,hidding,hoarding,explosive temper, yelling, cursing,avoidance of activities previously enjoyed prior to this occurance,hyperviligant,overreactant behavior, chasing women,smoking,road rage(tailgating, yelling at people flipping them off, etc.).

Anything or any behavior that is different from what is so called "normal". Just think about the changes and describe them but don't type over 3 or 4 pages or they won't read it all.

Be as specific as you can.

Good luck in your endeavor to help him and you as you enter the realm of the VA processes. :P

quote name='SouthernBelle' date='Jun 28 2008, 02:47 AM' post='96491']

Okay, I'm new here, and I have perused this site for hours trying to find an example of a "Spouse's Statement" I am preparing to write a statement to add to my husband's request for increase in disability rating (PTSD w/ Anxiety, currently clinically depressed) and for the life of me, I cannot decide how I should approach this. I'm a freelance journalist, and I am so accustomed to writing with from an unbiased stance that I cannot make my brain do this without some kind of prompt. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have considered simply listing his symptoms and how they affect him, me and our child, but I'm just not sure. Thanks!

SouthernBelle