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The problem is, if we lump all "military" as having issues with PTSD, that will compound the problems veterans have with gaining employment after military service, because employers are afraid of potential mental health issues when hiring former vets...
One guy, he was actually medically discharged from the military for PTSD, with 100% SC. He did not want to leave the military...and kept asking to be re-assessed..and this guy, no way will he fit into working at a Mcjob...last thing he did was shoot people in Afghanistan...which is what he wants to continue doing...and he does not want counseling either...he sits at home now, talk about a ticking bomb...
Last edited by jasper12; 10-21-2011 at 09:34 AM..
Reason: edit
PTSD has many causes. War is one of the most obvious, and most common ones.
Just a few weeks ago, on Ft. Campbell, KY, a very fine, and happy husband and new father was cleaning his personal firearm in his kitchen and on a precription medication, the gun went-off and he had shot himself, and died. No one that knew him believe it was suicide, and the setting did't indicate it was.
His wife...she was with their baby in another room, and had to run in and find him this way, after the loud gunshot in base housing! PTSD....she never went to war and she very likely has it now, too. The memories will torment her, she may have terrible dreams about it, and anytime she is very unexpectedly shocked with a loud noise, she is most likely going to react.
Now, to a much lesser point? or lesser, anyway....a child growing up with a very impatient, "monsterous" parent or guardian can suffer PTSD, also. Multiply this by millions upon millions of us that can have some degree of it, just like we can have a light, or bad case of the flu, sort of thing.
Army Col. Tony Monaco knows of this and that is why he has founded the most unique 501c, hosted at www.patriotoutreach.org and it is receiving such powerful, positive reviews from within the ranks, as well as the civilian community.
It is The Coping Strategies and so simple that one does not, or should not need the copy of the multimedia CD for very many sessions. I failed to sit quietly and do the exercise one morning this week, and later in the day realized that my mind was racing more than usual, heck, I could've hammered my own finger or something, had I not realized it. It works~
The problem is, if we lump all "military" as having issues with PTSD, that will compound the problems veterans have with gaining employment after military service, because employers are afraid of potential mental health issues when hiring former vets...
One guy, he was actually medically discharged from the military for PTSD, with 100% SC. He did not want to leave the military...and kept asking to be re-assessed..and this guy, no way will he fit into working at a Mcjob...last thing he did was shoot people in Afghanistan...which is what he wants to continue doing...and he does not want counseling either...he sits at home now, talk about a ticking bomb...
I disagree, I have been in the same position since 1967, sent packing from job after job. PTSD wasn't even compensable then. At least he has his 100%, as long as he doesn't screw it up by trying to work. Any kind of "Work effort" can get your 100% pulled. As for counselling, I worked for the VA for 9 years and was put on disability because my PTSD made me "Potentially volitile" yet I can't get counselling. So wanting it is one thing getting it another. Your friend needs to adapt to not working
He is actually doing okay. He joined a vet motorcyle group. They do a lot of vet related activities. He recently went to Sturgis, plans to go to bike week in Daytona. He is doing great now, out on the open road with his Harley.
Can't think of a better treatment for mental health.
He is actually doing okay. He joined a vet motorcyle group. They do a lot of vet related activities. He recently went to Sturgis, plans to go to bike week in Daytona. He is doing great now, out on the open road with his Harley.
Can't think of a better treatment for mental health.
Good for him, he has an opportunity here that not everyone gets
just had it's third suicide in six months, Sunday 30th. Oct., or this is the date they called their troops in, on Sun. Evening, to talk with them about it. This command returned from Afghanistan in late-April of this year.
The young man that I wrote about, that the family and friends say, "accidentally" shot himself in his base-housing kitchen, I just learned today is still being called a "suicide" by the military, there. Sigh..we have very, serious problems within the ranks, as well as the Vets.
We have answers, but it's very slow getting the word out.
Effective counseling for PTSD is not "re-hashing" war stories, the goal is to effectively move beyond those issues, and dealing with the other problems that occur with PTSD, like anger, frustration, sleeping problems, etc. The goal should be more "Quality of Life" therapy.
Which is why groups led by untrained vets, are usually ineffective. Sorry, there is value in having a vet who has combat experience working with trained therapists, it is another thing to just let a vet lead a counseling group, which takes years of skilled training to effectively manage a suuport group to really be effective for the participants.
The best group would ideally have two leaders, a therapist, and a vet with combat experience. Both would have skills that would benefit the group.
The worst thing about PTSD is how the person affected impacts his family, there are documented cases now of "secondary PTSD" in children of veterans with PTSD.
A veteran was once asssigned by his CO to sleep in the bunk of a guy who blew his head off. I can't even believe how creepy that must have been. He states he still has issues about it, 30 years later.
Interesting thread ...just bumped into it by "accident" (sometimes I wonder ) I have read comments here about hiding PTSD ... I am a vet (Vietnam) who did not tell hardly a soul I had even been in the service, let alone the war, for close to 25 years after discharge. I marked the above passage in bold because I experienced essentially the same thing, among a number of other critical events. I was given the deceased's equipment and re-assigned to his bunk and responsibilities as crew in an air combat rescue unit -- after having to bag and tag him, and wash him off the aircraft. Without telling others, this related story was not the only one, nor the worst. I did also take some real [physical] damage, for which I am compensated.
My point in adding to this thread is, I had several years of experiences pre-service, and two more experience sets post-service that I am told any one of which would qualify for a PTSD diagnosis ... let alone the cumulative effect. Now, I am so wary of wearing any PTSD label that I will not even admit to this anonymous forum whether I have been diagnosed, treated, or compensated. You may guess, but I won't confirm or deny, as the politicians say.
After 25 years of near-silence, I was urged to be more open, and I have practiced that about my service and some experiences. But discuss PTSD itself openly? Not a chance.
I recently saw a commercial on TV sponsored by a .org don't remember the name, but the announcer stated that 50% of Afgan/Iraq vets suffer from PTSD. Could that be a legitimate number? Not that alot don't but 50% seems like a really high number.
If the resources and testing were available in 1945-46, I wonder what the percentage was for WWll vets. They saw 417,000 Americans in uniform killed and millions injured. I bet it would not have been anywhere near 50% Otherwise the U.S. would not be what it is today. There are 1000 WWll vets that are dying every day. How many of them suffered PTSD for the last 65 years?
About 7-8% of the population will have PTSD at some point in their lives
About 5.2 million adults have PTSD during a given year. This is only a small portion of those who have gone through a trauma
Women are more likely than men to develop PTSD. About 10% of women develop PTSD sometime in their lives compared with 5% of men
Rich
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) I have read comments here about hiding PTSD ... I am a vet (Vietnam) who did not tell hardly a soul I had even been in the service, let alone the war, for close to 25 years after discharge. I marked the above passage in bold because I experienced essentially the same thing, among a number of other critical events. I was given the deceased's equipment and re-assigned to his bunk and responsibilities as crew in an air combat rescue unit -- after having to bag and tag him, and wash him off the aircraft. Without telling others, this related story was not the only one, nor the worst. I did also take some real [physical] damage, for which I am compensated.
