RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,79791_1,00.html

I am a Viet-nam combat Vet. What are we doing to our best and bravest. They are using the best troops over and over again, just like they did to us, and we are daming them to a live of night after night of dream that put them back in combat. We need these men to help to make this country work, not hiding in the corner reliving there combat.

We've been putting additional resources in the PTSD area on this site.

Check them out here.

WHAT ABOUT VIETNAM PTSD NO HELP THERE HUH?

DeWayne:

Could you say a bit more about your concern?

PTSD does not discriminate between theaters of operations.

Vietnam veterans were the ones who fought to get PTSD as a diagnosis and a compensable condition with the VA.

Check out the link above and ask any questions or share any information you may have. We, as Vietnam vets, need to help the new people returning home where we can.

Thanks.

PTSD is the new agent orange for the VA. I and several of my friends have been refused compensation although we have been diagnosed by VA health care officials. Simply stated We were all told we did not see anything that would have affected us in a negative way. No counseling is available through the VA but heres a bunch of drugs... see if these help!

Can you please tell me how to help my husband, who has PTSD symptons and is unable to work. He was in Desert Storm and since then he has not being the same. We go thru VA but the doctor's appointments are every 3 to 6 months. He is getting worse and I am trying my best to help him. You said that is compensable thru the VA, but how long will it take for the VA to provide the veteran with the correct treatment and compensation.

I just am glad to hear that they have realized it is a very big problem and are working on it. My husband is getting worse and now has finally seen that it does effect his day to day life. Before he knew he had it. Yet hadn't realize how much it really did effect his life. Now we are figuring out the V.A. So trust me I know how you feel. Hell there are times he thought I was arguing with him but I wasn't. Good Luck -->personal email deleted by MOD for protection of member's privacy<--

This message has been edited. Last edited by: OldAFcop,

I was in Iraq in 2003 and have PTSD. It took me from the time in got back to just a few months ago to accept that I have problems. Once I acknowledged that I did have a problem and wanted help all it took was calling the VA to find out what paperwork I needed to fill out for a claim. Once that was done I saw a doctor and was diagnosed with PTSD. After that I enrolled at tne the nearest VA clinic to start treatment. It did take about 1 1/2 months to get and appointment to go to an orientation and then another month for my first appointment. You just have to have patients with the VA. They are not all knowing and it is harder to help someone that already knows everything.

What are some of the symptoms of PTSD, aside from nightmares, that many of you have experienced?

Not really knowing how to express my thoughts on this subject in an open forum regarding PTSD, I will try and express some of my thoughts on this horrid condition. I have suffered from the effects of PTSD for over 25 years. Until somewhat recently I have gone it alone and "just dealt with it".

I do not wish to come across as someone just rambling on about my condition or anyone else's for that matter. The root of what I am trying to address is the way I percieve the public's, and the Govt's perception of PTSD and what is, or isn't done to acknowledge or address this condition.

I believe that # 1, the public has very little understanding of what people with this disorder go thru. In conversation, I may mention the fact that I have PTSD. Some people just look at me blankly w/o any apparent comprehension of what I am talking about, while others immedeately get nervous and find any reason, or excuse if you will, to either change the subject and/or find a reason to depart. I "sense" that their own ignorance about the condition makes them shy away as though you had a contagious disease or you are about to climb a tower with a rifle and start picking people off.

For many years, I "self medicated" with alcohol and turned into a full blown alcoholic. Haunted by bad memories, nightmares and a litany of some of the textbook "symptoms". Alcohol in the extreme removed ALL dreams and at the time seemed like the only viable course of action I could take. Of course this is all BS, as doing alcohol or illegal drugs simply "treats the symptoms and not the cause", to use a rather overworked axiom. I no longer drink, nor have drank for many years.

I always felt my own inner strenght and resolve was strong enough to deal with this condition, while booze provided the "crutch" to endure. Of course, as we all know,nothing could be farther from the truth.

Regardless of the measure of my "inner strenght", PTSD was always there and in my mind, was my "cross to bear" and endure.....no matter what. I dealt with my problems on a strictly personal basis for a couple of reasons.

Probably at the top of my list, is a complete and total distrust of the mental health community and the stigma attached to anyone who seeks help in these quarters. My qualifications for such a statement and belief is based on what I have seen and experienced in life and exactly ONE visit to see a civilian shrink about my condition.

This "dr", sat on his "mound of wisdom", behind his desk, a representation of authority with his arms crossed, a body-language that would tend to indicate nothing is going to penetrate his beliefs, nor allow me to question his position of being the "all knowing" doctor and I was "just the patient, who knew nothing w/o his all-knowing expertise".

Over the years, I have had both hips replaced (non combat injuries) and live with extreme chronic back, hips and other severe pains which have only been marginally addressed with various meds, from my General Practioner Doctor, who insisted I see this mental health agency to be evaluated. This Doctor, my GP, I trust and understand the rigorous laws and guidelines he is bound to adhere to. Because of my trusting him, I agreed to go and at least see the shrink.

Within 15 minutes of meeting this psychiatrist, he made astounding conclusions about my condition and w/o a word or asking for my feedback, he changed several of my meds and treated me, I felt, like a second-rate ex-convict drug addict in a drug-diversion facility (choose your own labels) and was basically told that was "it" and would see him again in a month.

As a result of his changing one of my meds, (he cut me cold turkey off of Zoloft, an antidepressant) he placed me on wellbutrin, also a antidepressant. In short I was suicidal in less than a week. I called this man to relate this to him and his response was like a broshure from a clinic (take your pick) and that he was not going to alter his decision about my taking welbutrin, this was "written in stone".

Trying to keep this as short as possible, I caught this man in 2 baldfaced lies! One of which, was that he NEVER, EVER writes prescriptions for Kolonopin, an anti-anxiety med, which I had been taking 2 tablets a night for over 2 years. I have a friend who just happens to see this "gent" on a ongoing basis and this "doctor" has for some time and continues to write my friend substantial prescriptions for this very medication.

To further clarify my overall physical condition, I am in chronic pain and figure I will be until I die. I take heavy-duty painkillers (Oxycontin etc) every day, and they give me what semblence of normal mobility and the ability to move around daily, when w/o these meds, I would either be bedridden or in a wheelchair.

This encounter with this "gent" only served to convince me he had immedeately pigeonholed me as some kind of "drug addict" and he was going to "help" me by eliminating the very things that were giving me a semblence of a semi-normal life.

This long prepatory diatribe brings me to my entire point. This doctor was in no way connected to the VA and I doubt if he has ever seen anything more violent than the 6-O'clock news. He had absolutely no comprehension of what I was going through and he was hell-bent on molding me into something he read in some damn book! I am a MAN, a thinking individual, not some guinea pig for him to address like just another "number" who he intended to force into compliance of his perception of what I "should be in society"....whatever the hell that was.

Speaking only for myself, I know I suffer from this disorder, just like many many other unfortunates. This man gave me the recognition that one would give to a ticket-stub at the movies.

I am fully aware that many men and women suffer much more severely than I do, but this isn't the point! The point is that I DO suffer from it and will continue to suffer from it until I die.

This man across the desk gave me the impression that it was, according to him, "all in my mind", and I don't mean that from a health standpoint, he believed I was suffering from something I had read about in a magazine or seen in TV. No matter how little or how MUCH one suffers from this horrendous condition suffers is not the issue, the issue is that I DO suffer and it is "VERY REAL TO ME"

Here in this forum, I wonder outloud just how many others have been treated to the royal run-around and shown the door as if I was another notch in his desk to represent "another medical/mental health victory" which he personally had dealt with and the world was now a better place because of his actions.......

Needless to say, I told this man where he could go and exactly what he could pound up a certain of his anatomy, because he surely was no use for anything I was or am aware of.

The gist of the sum total of my thoughts bring to mind our Atomic Soldiers, who will never see much, if any TRUE help. It brings to mind the countless soldiers exposed to Agent Orange who are essentially getting the same stone-wall from compassion, help and understanding!

It brings to mind our all-volunteer force of young men & women, many of whom will certainly have to meet this monster and learn how to cope and how to try and re-assimilate back into "normal society" with a system that tends to give them the bum's rush or makes it so difficult to actually attain help in the quarter, many, understandably, give up because they are distracted by a fight for their lives in a very real sense!

Reports from the middle east strongly suggest that many of our soldiers were exposed to agents and or elements which have effected their overall health.........which remains pretty much unaddressed and these poor people, who served our country, are told either it's all in their minds or that their ongoing conditions/symptoms are NOT duty related injuries and that the VA cannot (read; WILL NOT) treat them!

I personally consider the treatment of our men in and no longer in uniform borderline criminal in the sense of responsibility. Uncle Sam used them in the country's time of need then discarded them like yesterday's garbage!

Secondly, not only are our vets treated as would-be freeloaders who are faking problems in a bid to gain monetary compensation for their "service related" injuries, the system adds insult to injury by, in some cases, officially stating that the claims of our veterans are unfounded and therefore compensation or even recognition for a REAL condition(s) goes unaddressed and every effort is made to either shrug these people off as non-compliant, OR not IN compliance with the guidelines set forth to recognize these various conditions or that they are faking problems for monetary gain!

To all of this and much more, I say BS! We served with pride, honor and in many cases distinction only to be given the never-ending red-tape runaround, because it all boils down to money!

For all of you who had the patience to read this, I thank you. My "condition" is "REAL", just like the thousands of others who cannot sleep or "relax in public" because of the demons trapped in my mind from places, names,faces and incidents that effected me to my core and always will........

I know there ARE many fine and dedicated Doctors out there, who actually DO their best to help people, so please forgive my disparaging term(s) like "shrink". But with such terms, it serves to show my complete and blatant lack of respect for this ONE man.

As for the system it's self, it is a mindless monster that allows you to enter the realm of professional help, for whatever extenuating reasons, or turns you away, to save money and try to discard the very people who need help the most!

Thank you,
Apologies for such a long message &
be well Brothers & Sisters who have served! You certainly have 100% of my respect!
At least we still have our dignity, they cannot deny us that!
D. Smith
Yuba City CA

We have a special section on this site for PTSD information, links, a 'forumily' of PTSD and lots of discussions to help those with PTSD and their families.

Click right here to get there and then bookmark it.

Welcome home!

I am a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. My PTSD is not combat related. However, I suffer from this disability. I receive medication management from the VA. I do not attend pyschotherapy as they only provide group therapy. Yet because I won't participate in group therapy my pychiatrist says I refuse to be treated. I am socially isolated, self medicate with alcohol and have little interaction with my family.

The VA medical treatment system does not provide me with the support I need. Yet they treat many veterans with this disability or are these individuals just playing a game to maintain their VA disability income. I distrust the VA system and refuse to be one of their ginny pigs.

I just got out of the army a yera ago.ive been to iraq twice.since ive been home nothing seems to be going right.she finaly got me to go to the va.alot of help that was.guess ill keep drowing my sorrows behind the bottle

quote:

Originally posted by OldAFcop:
We've been putting additional resources in the PTSD area on this site.

Check them out here.

JOHN MAHONEY WAS A FART FACE!!

PTSD is a monkey I,ve had on my back for 40yrs now. Didn,t know what was the matter with me until I finally went to the VA and was diagonsed(sic). Brother let me tell you,that monkey brings is familiy of "monkeys" along,slowly but surely. My thoughts at times even scare me! This stuff is for real! Wish I had known sooner what it was. My meds help somewhat,but I,ll live with it,and die with it.

I just wanted to mention that there are lots of newer options for aiding PTSD that have really come into their own within the past 10 years - likely the standard medical system will not tell you these therapies. No they haven't got reams of formal studies...but yes, they can be life saving at times.

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) , Craniosacral , which is a very gentle non-intrusive hands on type of work and Trager , also a hands-on gentle type of therapy.

I work in this industry I mention to you all - I do a different type of work, but it is similar in that it is working at *subtle* levels that are far more able to unlock the wars happening within - this stress is played like a hologram on many levels so it sometimes takes a body-mind-spirit approach ) ...and I know some including myself who would be willing to do pro bono sessions. Certainly as a trial to see if it could work for you, I bet anyone in the alternative industry would do that for any soldier (so ask if you find someone you are interested in approaching!) !!

....there ARE more answers than the standard / meds. Maybe they won't work for you, but, then again, they might. If you feel you've gone through all the standard options and are set to live out the rest of your days in pain, please think about reaching into these other therapies. You can google these and find out more about them to see if you are interested.

my highest regards to you all....

quote:

Originally posted by 12819093:
I just got out of the army a yera ago.ive been to iraq twice.since ive been home nothing seems to be going right.she finaly got me to go to the va.alot of help that was.guess ill keep drowing my sorrows behind the bottle

Whatever you do man DON'T DO THAT! It goes nowhere. Didn't work for Janis Joplin, prob'ly won't work for you. Stay involved, stay engaged. Keep setting goals for yourself and if they don't come thru set other goals, but DON'T GIVE UP! When you come back NOTHING works out. EVER! Don't know why, just the way it goes. Just keep your legs moving, you WILL find your footing and catch your stride. Things may always be weird for you, but that will become manageable in time. And don't give up on getting help, it is out there.

I was diagnosed with PTSD and then my Dr. said I do not have the symptoms anymore but I told her I am still experiancing them does anyone know if it ever goes away?

quote:

I was diagnosed with PTSD and then my Dr. said I do not have the symptoms anymore but I told her I am still experiancing them does anyone know if it ever goes away?

Although there is a significant body of knowledge about PTSD, there is no conclusive answer to your question. The best treatment is to work as hard as you can and find a competent PTSD therapist or counselor. The Vet Centers and much of the VA has the best resources to help.

Don't give up.

Thanks.

Its my experience that it never truly go away,as it lurks in mind,coming to the surface from time to time to show it self to others,no matter how hard I try to surpress it. Meds help as does the understanding of those about you,but to truly be able to relate it to someone is for that person to be PTSD also.The Drs. try to help,but I myself feel that the only Drs. that should treat PTSD are those that have been there. Here I sit 40+ yrs after the fact,not knowing what the morning will bring.But I will keep trying to defeat this evil till I die.