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I just because you are rated 100% disabled by the VA does not mean you can't work. Only if you are rated " un- employable".
I know several that are disabled and still working. It takes a lot for someone with PTSD to make it day to day.
Yes, I think some folks may not understand the VA disability ratings, as opposed to Social Security disabilities, for instance. My husband is 70%, and works full time.
There's a difference between veterans that went outside the wire on a daily basis to do patrols and things of that nature, who put themselves on the line constantly, who took the fight to the enemy, and a veteran that never left the Baskin Robbins shop on a staging base in Kuwait. Or a veteran that never even left stateside during his/her service.
As with anything, the military is not all the same. Not every soldier, sailor, airman, etc., does the same jobs, takes the same risks, exposes themselves to the same danger.
Some think all people in the military are subject to PTSD, when that is simply not the case. Most veterans do not deploy to a combat zone of theater, and even more do not go on the front lines like the infantry.
So I take it as an offense when those who did not get exposed to the same dangers as infantry, Spec Ops unit, claim PTSD, when in fact they did not do the same jobs. Now I know soldiers of different MOS's did in fact do infantry type duties in places like Iraq, but that's different.
All of these veterans that take advantage of the system, are doing so riding the coattails of those who actually fought the enemy in war, or exposed themselves to danger in combat zones. Basically, they're using this whole Iraq/War on Terror time period of the past decade to cheat the system. Absolutely shameless and disgraceful.
For the record, I served for years in the Navy on a ship as a machinist. Should I have claimed PTSD for being stuck in a hot engine room for hours at time during patrols in the Middle East? Of course not.
I have never fought in a war, so I do not feel qualified to answer your question, OP.
I wonder though if it not as much as a stigma anymore. An embarrassment of sorts.
Mental health issues are looked down on.
And my guess is that most men won't talk about it.
I will gladly give my tax dollars to the soldiers of the United States of America
She should have been turned down for ssd. That's an absurd claim. "Oh I can never work again because I was molested" Give me a break. He didn't kill her. She needs to move on with her life and stop giving this predator so much power over herself. There's MUCH worse than being molested that can happen to you. I'd prefer being molested over a cancer diagnosis for example. If someone gave me a choice of 15 years in prison with no rape or being raped once and then I could leave jail, I know what I'd choose.
If that was the case you'd have to give disability to ex cons because many are horribly sexually abused and humiliated in prison.
Very few vets(not talking severe physical injuries..tbi/losing limbs ect) have severe enough ptsd to warrant a lifetime disability claim. That means they are so horribly mentally ill they can't work anymore. Just like depression claims, it's an incredibly small number that meet that criteria of the mental illness being so bad you can't ever work again.
...and you have read peer reviewed journals about the effects of PTSD to make that statement? What is the criteria for stating "mental illness being so bad you can never work again" What is your education level and what peer reviewed journals have you read?
There's a difference between veterans that went outside the wire on a daily basis to do patrols and things of that nature, who put themselves on the line constantly, who took the fight to the enemy, and a veteran that never left the Baskin Robbins shop on a staging base in Kuwait. Or a veteran that never even left stateside during his/her service.
As with anything, the military is not all the same. Not every soldier, sailor, airman, etc., does the same jobs, takes the same risks, exposes themselves to the same danger.
Some think all people in the military are subject to PTSD, when that is simply not the case. Most veterans do not deploy to a combat zone of theater, and even more do not go on the front lines like the infantry.
So I take it as an offense when those who did not get exposed to the same dangers as infantry, Spec Ops unit, claim PTSD, when in fact they did not do the same jobs. Now I know soldiers of different MOS's did in fact do infantry type duties in places like Iraq, but that's different.
All of these veterans that take advantage of the system, are doing so riding the coattails of those who actually fought the enemy in war, or exposed themselves to danger in combat zones. Basically, they're using this whole Iraq/War on Terror time period of the past decade to cheat the system. Absolutely shameless and disgraceful.
For the record, I served for years in the Navy on a ship as a machinist. Should I have claimed PTSD for being stuck in a hot engine room for hours at time during patrols in the Middle East? Of course not.
I saw lots of your Navy Seabees out in Kuwait. They worked hard during the prep for the war. It was an amazing time.
Sure, I didn't go to Iraq, but they did send a few Scud missiles our way and people were in a panic! First time we ever had to wear our real chem suits. Hearing the Patriot missiles go off was thrilling in a weird sort of way - not just hearing but feeling the ground shake. And no, no PTSD claim here, but you know, I'm not like the next person - who knows what they fear and the effect it will have on them. Personally I could never be in such a confined space as you, it would drive me nuts. All that noise. That is one thing that drove me a bit over the edge. Never, ever a moment of silence. Always something going on - engines, people yapping, music. eeekkkkk!!!
My DH broke his neck while on AD. He was so lucky that he recovered and was able to stay on AD (with some limitations - never again to have a perfect pt score and could not drive Military vehicles other than a sedan). As the years went by there were physical changes to his neck and spine and he had to Retire at 23 years after his last deployment to the sandbox.
He tried to work in the civilian sector but had issues with sitting (desk work), standing for longer than a few minutes (any physical type of work) and eventually had to retire permanently. He has since had three surgeries on his neck and has quite a bit of pain.
He applied for VA disability and has been rated at 80%; after one of his appointments he received a letter saying he had an appointment at the VA. He did not make this appointment and had no idea what it was for. After trying for HOURS to reach a human being to find out about this appointment (and never actually speaking to a person) we went to the appointment (more than 2 hours away). It was because they were certain that he FORGOT to mention his PTSD and wanted him to be rated for it.
He told the Dr. that he did not forget to apply for it because he did NOT have PTSD. A couple of days later there was another letter for yet another appointment. This time he contacted the patient advocate and was told that the Dr. though he was in denial and wanted him to see a shrink. He told them NO but, every time he has an appointment he has to deny PTSD since there seems to be a permanent notation in his file that automatically pops up.
As to the disabled finding work: I have been stuck in a wheelchair since 1995 due to a CVA when I was 29. While rehabbing I had a serious fall that resulted in an incomplete break at my T-12.
I worked until 2000 when I lost my driver's license due to becoming legally blind. I still had good usable vision but without a way to get to work I was SOL. I later lost all vision, but when we moved (DH Retired) to an area with handivan access I attempted to find employment. It was totally impossible since people had no idea what to do with someone with multiple disabilities ( it seems that I could be a paraplegic and be employable OR blind and employable but not both).
There was always someone more qualified despite my B.S., M.S. and P.h.D. (all degrees as a Summa *** Laude) and the willingness to work at almost any level. C'est la vie; but I admit that it hurts when someone comments that my DH and I "leech" off of society).
I once suffered from PTSD and can tell you it was no fun - lasted for many years. But it went away! It is not always a permanent condition, and does not always need treatment. Mine didn't, even though I put up with it for about 30 years.
Many people, I think, are sucked into gaming the system because there is money to be had, and end up sabotaging their lives so that they never lose their disability. Then, they begin to see themselves and disabled victims, and that is the unfortunate result of all this.
Once you see yourself as a damaged or disabled victim, your effectiveness as a purpose driven or success driven individual is forever compromised.
845,000 US Military veterans have newly filed for disability and are receiving the same since 2001......
Blather blather blather....
After all is said, the main issue is that these men and women are not being empowered or encouraged to move on with their life with pride. This is not good. For them, or for society as a whole...
Your numbers are wonderful, but very misleading. How many applications have actually been processed, or simply languish in the understaffed VA system? What are the end results of these applications? and, when considered in more detail, is 845,000 applications in 13 years including wars on multiple fronts really a surprising number?
Your lengthy diatribe regarding the veterans applying for benefits did not seem to mention how many are actually approved for any particular amount? Are you making the assumption that all awards are for 100% disability? I can assure you they are not.
Similarly, you make no mention of the drawdown in the number of active troops over the same period of time. Your numbers make it sound like these many thousands of military personnel are rushing to the VA to get diagnosed. Many were planning on working out their careers and have been forced out, with little training and inadequate understanding of how to manage the issues they have outside of a very close knit camaraderie found in the military family.
While there is abuse of the system as there is with any system offering a financial benefit, this article and your thread are suggesting a widespread issue that cheapens the service of honest and loyal men and women that have made sacrifices I suspect you do not understand and will never appreciate.
Let me preface my comment by saying I have a ton of respect for our citizens who volunteer to serve our country and put themselves in harms way to ensure our freedoms. My comments will also not be directed at those who are permanently physically injured, or experienced massive and sustained emotional trauma such as torture or carnage. I come from a family with a long history of service, both in past wars, as well as current deployments overseas.
That said, I wonder how all our WWI/WWII vets came back to society and got back to living their lives, yet now days we have a huge number of vets claiming PTSD?
Is it because they have come up with a diagnosis that tells vets it is ok because what they are experiencing is not their fault.
Or is it that in this modern(supposedly enlightened) day we coddle people instead of telling them to man up and get on with life. Many a WWI/II veteran saw their buddies get ripped to shreds, were tortured, had multiple injuries/gunshots themselves, yet got on with their lives in productive ways. They started businesses, families, and lived life to it's fullest. Sure some had/have troubling memories, but they were raised in a time with old school values/principles. They were likely told to suck it up and move on, instead of medicated and coddled.
So not only is the current trend troubling, but what will the future hold if we stay on this current trajectory?
I once suffered from PTSD and can tell you it was no fun - lasted for many years. But it went away! It is not always a permanent condition, and does not always need treatment. Mine didn't, even though I put up with it for about 30 years.
Many people, I think, are sucked into gaming the system because there is money to be had, and end up sabotaging their lives so that they never lose their disability. Then, they begin to see themselves and disabled victims, and that is the unfortunate result of all this.
Once you see yourself as a damaged or disabled victim, your effectiveness as a purpose driven or success driven individual is forever compromised.
Each case is different. Also, PTSD suffered are not "damaged". PTSD sufferers are reacting in a NORMAL way after witnessing or experiencing an extremely abnormal event.
Some people who have PTSD are in treatment and lead productive lives.
Other PTSD sufferer are in treatment and cannot get their symptoms under control. Do they try to have a positive outlook? Some may, and others may feel the symptoms are too overwhelming to cope with.
People who have been diagnosed with PTSD medicate themselves with alcohol.
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