Dave Barker,

I have a friend over in Northern VA (Falls Church) who wants to file a claim for PTSD. Can you recommend a good VSO out there?

Doug

quote:

Originally posted by 15604926:
how can i get him the help that he needs without alienating him? i am not sure how to bring this up to him. any suggestions on how to tactfully bring it up

Please for your sake and his immediately contact the Vet Center in your area for counseling. Bring his DD214 with you if you can. If you cannot get it they can get it for you. It is a free service for ALL veterans. Their PTSD counseling is second to none. I have just started counseling the past two weeks and have gotten more out of two sessions than all the money and time spent at a psychiatrists and all his drugs he prescribed for me. Please do this for yourself and for him and keep us updated if you feel the need. We are here for you if you need anything at all. This forum takes care of each other, those suffering from PTSD and those caretakers who help those with PTSD.

Welcome to the forums and please get him and yourself help IMMEDIATELY!

Sincerely,

Matt LaPointe

As blue said, there are alot of good folks here who are willing to help and listen if you need that too.

Good luck.

i can understand the anger, and outrage to the military -- but understand this, though we have to deal with red-tape -- there are many others in this world, who don't have this to fall back on if they get injured in the line of duty.

even cops, and firefighters have redtape to go through when they are wounded or killed on duty. but they have specialized organizations to assist them -- just as we do, we have NSOs, and the VSOs.

many of us veterans have a lot of anger, and rage after getting wounded, and then having to deal with the bureaucracy, but i would still be pround for any of my children to serve in the military -- as long as they go in with eyes wide open. i've got one daughter who's out now (she was security forces) and a couple of nephews who are currently serving. but all of them knew what the possibilities were when they signed up.

i do believe the government at large is the problem, because htey keep changing the rules on us, and those at the bottom *the military member* get lost in the shuffle.

unfortunately, part of the reason there is so much red-tape, was wrought out of necessity -- necessity to weed out those trying to milk the system, and those who were flat out lying. the rest of us, have had to pay the price, through waiting and red-tape.

try not to be bitter at the red-tape, because though frustrating, waiting, isn't denial of assistance!

I am trying to understand PTSD and would like to know if the behaviours and symptoms my new husband are exhibiting are part of it. We are married just 3 months and have known each other for almost 2 years. Every 3 months he becomes edgy, stressed out and wants to run away. After doing this several times during out courtship and promising me he had dealt with these issues, we are again at the 3 months date where he is edgy, stressed out and wants to run away which this time means he thinks we made a mistake getting married. I am devistated. He has never received treatment for his PTSD Julie

Talk him into going to a VA facility for a PTSD assessment.
Find one here:
http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp?isFlash=1

quote:

Originally posted by JulieJuliesJulie:
I am trying to understand PTSD and would like to know if the behaviours and symptoms my new husband are exhibiting are part of it. We are married just 3 months and have known each other for almost 2 years. Every 3 months he becomes edgy, stressed out and wants to run away. After doing this several times during out courtship and promising me he had dealt with these issues, we are again at the 3 months date where he is edgy, stressed out and wants to run away which this time means he thinks we made a mistake getting married. I am devistated. He has never received treatment for his PTSD Julie

Julie welcome home. Your new brother Flash gave you an excellent link. An absolutely positive step in the right direction. Thanks Flash!

An additional idea is to read COMBAT VETERAN on my website. That will assist you in understanding PTSD.
http://www.geocities.com/dave_barker_amvet/index.html

We are all here for you and your husband. Welcome goes to both of you. He appears to have great support in you. Much can be learned about PTSD here, but the main issue is getting him to the VET CENTER and they will give assessment and proper treatment.
VAMC's all over the nation offer PTSD treatment. All VAMC's work with the VET CENTER personnel and thus the veteran and family is assured the problems are addressed.

Blue...

Not to throw a bucket on your post, but I felt the need to say I can't imagine the situation you're describing. I don't mean that I think you're making it up, and I don't mean to discourage anyone from following your advice. I have the impression that my experience is unusual; I'd just like to know WHY it wasn't the same as yours and anyone else's who had a good response from the Vet Center nearest them.

I'd say I just was at the wrong one at the wrong time, but it happened at more than one. The first time I tried seeing someone at a Vet Center I ended up discontinuing the sessions due to the fact that the counselor spent 40 of every 50 minutes after the first one trying to force me to agree to go on anti-depresents. It got so bad that I finally only half-jokingly began referring to this person as my "drug pusher". Medications may be right for some but any counselor who neglects every other aspect of multiple sessions in favor of attempting to make a client start them is in my opinion off base. My last attempt at another Vet Center resulted in a counselor telling me after an intake that they did not treat women and he wanted me to go to another center which did, then sending me off with supposedly "full step-by-step instructions" written down that turned out to consist of an address and a couple of short phrases... The address turned out to be a VA hospital COMPLEX --not just a hospital but a HUGE site with many buildings and no clear signs as to where a new person could safely park and not get towed during an extended search for the right buildings-- considerably farther away from my residence than the one I normally went to, and after half a day of wandering around trying to make sense of the phrases and what he'd said verbally those prhases turned out to have directed me to an intake in that VA's mental health section that ended with the person doing the intake saying she had no idea why I'd been sent to them.

You probably understand when I write that it took the utmost in self-discipline and a lot of mental re-framing attempts to keep trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing that day at that VA hospital complex from that ridiculous so-called "step by step" set of instructions instead of just taking off. It was like having a set of unseen hoops suddenly tossed in front of you, one by one, with no idea how many more you'd have to jump through to get to the end. Perserverence through trial after trial to an indefinate number is not a strong point for any of us from what I've read int he forums here; we all need some recovery and gear-up-again space between them and maybe some support. I cannot to this day imagine how anyone at a Vet Center could have been so unaware as to send anyone he actually thought had PTSD with a few cryptic written words to an unnamed place on an intensely frustrating mission just about set up for failure. But the biggest laugh of all has to be that I'd told him I felt far more comfortable in the homey atmosphere of the Vet Center than in the stark clinical one of the VA Hospital. Maybe that's why he told me he was sending me to another center.

I quit trying after that one. I'd tried the VA hospital near me and been turned away three times (and frankly didn't appreciate certain non-veterans telling me that if I didn't force them to treat me I didn't want to get any better so any problems I had were self-inflicted and entirely my fault) and I figured if Vet Centers have decided they don't treat women, or they'll only treat them by drugging them, there is no point in piling more frustration on myself.

So I am both amazed and happy for you and others who say they've had a good response at one!

Doug Reese please go to my website and e-mail from there asking for the name address and phone number.

and

Prismatic please go to my website and e-mail from there explaining the situation, I will try to help you.
http://www.geocities.com/dave_barker_amvet/index.html

Yes Sir!

Doug

Prismatic,
When I first went to the VA for PTSD in 1982, the counselers were so unhelpful and filled me with anxiety from their BS, that I ran away from there, not to return for 8 years, and I lived a self-destructive life until I returned to the VA in'90.
Iwas like a scared rabbit at this huge VAH.
I drove their(80 miles) my first group appt., but when I got there, I was arfaid to go to group, so I hid down the hall,in a corner. The counseler knew I showed up and searched me out and told me everything was OK. I followed him to group.

It was the first time in 20 years that I found others like me. I could hardly believe it.
I am not a group person, but I realized that group support is helpful, not just for PTSD only, but to help me 'navigate' the huge VAH system to be able to receive the appropriate treatment from appropriate personnel. I was NOT able to do this alone and got more help from other PTSD Vets(on how to find my way around) than I did from the VAH employees.
Once I learned my way around my VAH, I became comfortable knowing I wasn't alone there.
When you drive into a large VAH facility, don't be intimidated,.. remember that the place exists for you,..the Veteran.
Flash

HEALTH, VOL. 6" -- Finds sufficient evidence to associate deployment in a war zone with PTSD, depression, alcohol abuse, marital conflict and suicide.
The full Institute of Medicine report is available here...
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11922#toc

-------------------------

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS

Table S.1 provides a summary of the committee’s conclusions for each health effect discussed in the report by category of association. No health effects were found for two categories of association, sufficient evidence of a causal relationship and limited but suggestive evidence of no association. Of all the long-term health effects reviewed, the strongest findings were on psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Alcohol abuse, suicide and accidental death in the early years after deployment, and marital and family conflict also appear to be adverse sequelae of deployment-related stress.

The committee found limited but suggestive evidence of an association between deployment-related stress and chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, skin disorders, incarceration, drug abuse, and increased symptom reporting, unexplained illness, and chronic pain.

Finally, it should be repeated that the committee was charged with reviewing scientific data, not with making recommendations regarding VA policy.

Sufficient Evidence of a Causal Association

Evidence from available studies is sufficient to conclude that there is a causal relationship between deployment to a war zone and a specific health effect in humans. The evidence is supported by experimental data and fulfills the guidelines for sufficient evidence of an association (below). The evidence must be biologically plausible and satisfy several of the guidelines used to assess causality, such as strength of association, dose-response relationship, consistency of association, and temporal relationship.

• No effects.

Sufficient Evidence of an Association

Evidence from available studies is sufficient to conclude that there is a positive association. That is, a consistent positive association has been observed between deployment to a war zone and a specific health effect in human studies in which chance and bias, including confounding, could be ruled out with reasonable confidence. For example, several high-quality studies report consistent positive associations, and the studies are sufficiently free of bias and include adequate control for confounding.

• Psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, other anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders.

• Alcohol abuse.

• Accidental death in the early years after deployment.

• Suicide in the early years after deployment.

• Marital and family conflict.

Limited but Suggestive Evidence of an Association

Evidence from available studies is suggestive of an association between deployment to a war zone and a specific health effect, but the body of evidence is limited by the inability to rule out chance and bias, including confounding, with confidence. For example, at least one high-quality study reports a positive association that is sufficiently free of bias, including adequate control for confounding, and other corroborating studies provide support for the association (corroborating studies might not be sufficiently free of bias, including confounding). Alternatively, several studies of lower quality show consistent positive associations, and the results are probably not due to bias, including confounding.

• Drug abuse.

• Chronic fatigue syndrome.

• Gastrointestinal symptoms consistent with functional gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or functional dyspepsia.

• Skin disorders.

• Fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain.

• Increased symptom reporting, unexplained illness, and chronic pain.

• Incarceration.

Inadequate/Insufficient Evidence to Determine Whether an Association Exists

Evidence from available studies is of insufficient quantity, quality, or consistency to permit a conclusion regarding the existence of an association between deployment to a war zone and a specific health effect in humans.

• Cancer.

• Diabetes mellitus.

• Thyroid disease.

• Neurocognitive and neurobehavioral effects.

• Sleep disorders or objective measures of sleep disturbance.

• Hypertension.

• Coronary heart disease.

• Chronic respiratory effects.

• Structural gastrointestinal diseases.

• Reproductive effects.

• Homelessness.

• Adverse employment outcomes.



Limited but Suggestive Evidence of No Association

Evidence is consistent in not showing a positive association between deployment to a war zone and a specific health effect after exposure of any magnitude. A conclusion of no association is inevitably limited to the conditions, magnitudes of exposure, and length of observation in the available studies. The possibility of a very small increase in risk after deployment cannot be excluded.

• No effects.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The committee recommends that DOD conduct predeployment and postdeployment screening for medical conditions, including psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses, and for psychosocial status to help collect direct evidence about the causal nature of the effects of deployment-related stress. Predeployment screening would also help to identify at-risk personnel who might benefit from targeted intervention programs during deployment and would establish a baseline against which later health and psychosocial effects could be measured after deployment. Postdeployment screening and assessment would provide data that could be analyzed to determine the long-term consequences of deployment-related stress and would allow VA and DOD to implement intervention programs to assist deployed veterans in adjusting to postdeployment life. Such assessments should be made shortly after deployment and should identify those exposures most stressful to the veteran. The assessments should be made at regular intervals thereafter (such as every 5 years) to identify the long-term health and psychosocial effects. The committee further recommends that any longitudinal assessments also be conducted in a representative group of nondeployed veterans to allow appropriate comparisons between deployed and nondeployed veterans regarding health and psychosocial effects.

*grins*

Well if an O-2 can "yes, sir" Dave I guess I can too, though if I'd ever done it AD I'd'a been in SO much trouble!

email accomplished Sir!

Flash...I would like to let you know I am hearing you, and I appreciate your words. I agree with the idea that group support can be very helpful 100%.

I do personally have issues with the idea of being in a support group therapy situation with a bunch of male combat vets...I cannot rid myself of the idea that I don't belong there. And really, I don't -- most of what they experienced I haven't, and ditto on my side for them. We have similar problems, perhaps, but probably different triggers and so on as well. I think we can help each other cope, and let each other know we're not alone, but only if it's a situation mixed enough for everyone to feel that way. I'd never want one of the guys out of combat to feel disrespected because a noncombat vet was in his group being treated "as if she had the same problems". It's got nothing to do with whether I have the right to get help or whether my PTSD is as "important" as his, it's just a matter of mutual comfort and mutual respect.

I AM afraid of being labled a poser, faker, wannabe, etc. I've seen myself take such psychological wounds from the stated opinions of civilians who meant something to me...contemplating suicide or being so depressed you can't DO anything is scarey business, and I very seriously fear the effects of another round of anything like those blasts. (eg serious comments that anyone who doesn't literally spend every penny on hiring a psychotherapist and every minute on going to sessions with him until they get rid of their anger etc just doesn't want to get better, and so deserves to lose friends and jobs and so on because they are doing it to themselves. Somehow the fact that professionals are expensive and people making "very low oncome" spend almost every penny on rent and food was irrelevant to this...lol!)

I will say that I would try again if I could be certain it would be of any use, and if it did not overload me on stress logistically to manage adding appointments to the schedule I keep...at this time that sort of stress out could destroy my efforts to do well enough at school to get myself back on track.

I am incredibly lucky to have made it to this point so far. I need to keep at it.

Thanks again for taking the time to post.

Prismatic, Groups at my VAH are not mixed.
There are Female MST groups (women only) at my VAH.

Ha!
It's obvious that there would be only women in a female PTSD group!

I am in a combat group (Nam Vets only) because I am a combat Vet.

When I was inpatient, there were many non-combat male Vets.

A female Iraqi War Vet would be in a female Iraqi vet PTSD/MST group at my VAH.

Prismatic, first, I would never call someone a poser, unless they showed some obvious signs of it. If your story is different than most, that doesnt make you a poser.

Get help, talk do whatever it takes, trust me, I know that depression is rough, and suicide, thoughts of doing harm to yourself and others are hard to manage.

ANGER, a big part of my problem is very hard to deal with for me. Find out what bothers you, talk to a therapist, go to support groups.

Whatever it takes, talking on here has helped me many times, and just recently with my divorce. Without these guys and gals, I wouldnt have made it.

We are here for you, you ever need to talk, there is always someone willing to listen.

Good luck and keep at the support, it does and will help, even if you dont see it right now..

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Prismatic:
*grins*

I AM afraid of being labled a poser, faker, wannabe, etc. I've seen myself take such psychological wounds from the stated opinions of civilians who meant something to me...contemplating suicide or being so depressed you can't DO anything is scarey business, and I very seriously fear the effects of another round of anything like those blasts. (eg serious comments that anyone who doesn't literally spend every penny on hiring a psychotherapist and every minute on going to sessions with him until they get rid of their anger etc just doesn't want to get better, and so deserves to lose friends and jobs and so on because they are doing it to themselves. Somehow the fact that professionals are expensive and people making "very low oncome" spend almost every penny on rent and food was irrelevant to this...lol!)

---------------------------------------
It would tick me off to the point of nailing somebody who never served if they told me something like that so as you see you just can't talk to civilians about it. Or most Vets-one blue water sailor wanted me to help him file a claim for PTSD because the whole four years he was in he was "scared to death" that they "Might" send him NEAR Vietnam. Other soldiers from a combat zone it seems actually are the only ones you can talk to about it. It also sucks when a civilian you know (Like the people I liked and was working for when my claim was approved) say they are happy for you because they could tell you were damaged goods. That doesn't settle well either. I'd have to ask my civilian freinds howcome they can live with themselves while somebody else is doing their fighting for them and all they can do is support cutting benefits and ***** about the price of gas and tell you to spend all your money on getting some overpriced shrink to ask you, "And how does THAT make you feel?". Some folks are still shaking over 30 yrs later there is no cure, just relief if you can find it. I'm lucky my shrink is from Afghanistan and has first hand experience.

I hear ya Joe, and concur.

My VA PTSD Shrink is from Europe and has worked with Concentration Camp Survivors.

A few years back, my General Medicine Dr was from Afghanistan,, fought against the Russians, and was disabled....
He was easy to communicate with(foreign Army, but he was a Vet,... and was the best General Medicine VA Dr I ever had.

Many Viet Combat Vets endured constant multiple stressors for days or months at a time, not to mention horrible living conditions while this was happening (shortages of food and water,..mud, insects, disease, rotten flesh, agent orange exposure), and still maintain responsibility for life and death.
When we came home we were spit on and called "drug-crazed baby-killers" as we were denied treatment, benefits, and also recognition from Veterans Groups.......and then we fought for years to bring awareness to PTSD..

It will never end for me........

Well guys, sadly your right, it may never end for you and the struggles you havd to do, but this non served civilian loves you guys and will always support you.

I have jumped many a civvie for saying stupid crap like that before.

Dont you dare put down what you didnt do yourself. I regret it everyday I didnt join, but I will be damned if I will be on them that put you down for doing it. You deserve our respect and honor, and you should not have to deal with that crap.

I know you guys understand me, but I still hate to see others that dont respect our military folks. It really bothers me that you can sit there and enjoy this freedom and have the ******* nerve to put them down like that.

HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!! that stuff really piszzes me off. I sit here worried everyday that one of my friends will be killed and some folks act like our troops are on vacation.

I just wish mainstream media would show the real life over there, not some made up bullshit that doesnt show the truth.

I have seen videos from friends that were able to get them out, and its horrible over there at times, as all wars are, but when the news makes it seem like we are not doing anything but messing up, that gets me mad too.

Sorry guys, lost my temper there, I just hate it when someone doesnt support our troops and yet will live happy on the freedom you fought for.....

Carry on.....

i was the one that spoke about my husband and his ptsd. thanks for the advice and he is doing fine lately. i will remember it always in case he changes agains