Article Help Please

[anthony]

Writing an article on the veteran crisis... need a little help please isolating the primary issues surrounding veterans with PTSD. I have the below list as a start...

What are the problems that need to be solved?

1. Thousands of returning soldiers are suffering complex, treatment resistant trauma due to multiple operational tours.
2. VA's are under equipped to deal with the returning PTSD quantities.
3. Federal disability schemes are stretched to the limit funding PTSD affected.
4. Shortage of trauma therapists to effectively treat the numbers with PTSD.
5. Effective therapies require years, a decade even, to be truly effective per individual.
6. Pharmaceuticals are very hit and miss, causing more problems than they fix for the majority.
7. Stigmatization in society, socially, employment, relationships.
8. Shortage of effective programs to treat self medication.

What would you consider a major aspect associated to the primary problems of combat veteran care after PTSD diagnosis?

 

[OldDoorGunner]

I just have a question Anthony.......I have met a few US soldiers that have had multiple operational tours. After talking with them for some time.....I see and feel that they are dealing with something different, that goes beyond what I would call in my case "Severe Chronic" I have yet to read anything on this.....Are they dealing with PTSD or is it something more because of the multiple tours.....Like Super "Severe Chronic" PTSD??? As you said,

Thousands of returning soldiers are suffering complex, treatment resistant trauma due to multiple operational tours.

Are they dealing with something totally defendant??? Maybe this is something we could call Stacking of PTSD......from the more tours you do. Or use the word layers, 2 tours 2 layers, 5 tours, 5 layers....and would it still be PTSD???

What would you consider a major aspect associated to the primary problems of combat veteran care after PTSD diagnosis?

I will need some time to think on this.......

J R

 

[FieldArtilleryGuy]

I don't know if you want to touch on this, but one big problem is the stigma we face from society when they find out we have PTSD. That is both of you are still in the military and after you get out. With my military time on my resume I was questioned about PTSD and I didn't answer any of the questions. (Pretty sure it was illegal to ask) I never heard back from that employer because they thought it was a possible issue.

 

[FieldArtilleryGuy]

ODG, I think we just complain a lot. Need to drink more water and drive on.

Seriously, all the "older guys" from nam and wars before OIF/OEF have seemed quiet and more withdrawn. I kind of assumed it was a generation thing because I feel that we younger guys tend to complain more and be more vocal with problems. (I am just as if not more guilty than the next guy. I remind myself all the time to just drink water and drive on.)

 

[OldDoorGunner]

ODG, I think we just complain a lot. Need to drink more water and drive on.

Seriously, all the "older guys" from nam and wars before OIF/OEF have seemed quiet and more withdrawn. I kind of assumed it was a generation thing because I feel that we younger guys tend to complain more and be more vocal with problems. (I am just as if not more guilty than the next guy. I remind myself all the time to just drink water and drive on.)

All of us Nam guys had no f*cking idea what we were dealing with. So we took care of each other, if we were still serving. No one wanted to say anything about it or try and get help, as you would end up in the rubber room, for Shell Shock or Battle Fatigue.....That is where a few went after asking for help, word got out on that shit....So no help....The name PTSD came out around 1983.....After that lots of TV shows started using Nam Vets as Nut Jobs with PTSD....That's why ( I guessing here) as to why we seemed quiet and more withdrawn. I for one did not tell people I was a Nam vet for years.....

J R

 

[Iceman]

I'm not a Nam vet, but I still don't and won't let 99.9999% of the world know about my issues.

my wife, kids, the VA, my psycho, a couple of very close co-worker/friends, that is it.
Mostly totally due to the stigma.
everyone just assumes i am a loner.

it is the stigma and public awareness that is the biggest issue in my mind.
There are all these violent TV shows/movies/video games out there. people love violence, but not in their back yard, or even in their neighborhood.

People "not" in the know have this perception that we will go postal on them at any moment, and unfortunately that makes up the 99.9999% of the world.

It's a vicious circle. we withdraw because of the beast. people walk on pins and needles around us, afraid of what we might do, because we don't interact fully, which makes us withdraw even more.

if the Stigma could be removed, maybe we would not have to feel we need to withdraw even more.

 

[Kaishi]

Lack of knowledge of combat trauma and nonsense assumptions / tendency to treat combat trauma with the lens of civilian trauma and compare, just fitting the size on the military as a profession.

(Well, wouldn't know what y'all experiences with this are, Australian / US / Canadian care is probably going to be different; I've had experience with treatment in ex-Soviet block countries. So the above may not translate.)

 

[Deleted member 43454]

It doesn't matter if you were in the trenches of WW1 or in the shit in Nam' or navigating minefields in OIF/OEF.
You're affected. The massive amounts of anxiety and all that from not knowing if you were next etc so forth. Like most vet's do with our stubborn mentality that's been drilled into us, Drink water, change socks and carry on. Or Harden the f*ck up. Which is all great an all but when the anxiety gets so bad you hardly leave the house each month then there's a problem. Because ah, just complaining too much. Then after the stress builds up you start falling back on old habits like booze etc to deal with added stress, and repeat the cycle.

It'd be nice if depression and all the shit that came with PTSD made it so each morning I could drink some water and
have no problems. Every day is hit or miss.

I personally think anybody who is diagnosed with PTSD should be medically discharged asap, esp if they have multiple tours.
In a respectful manor might I f*cking ad. It's a damn wound. Treat it like it is.
I think Big Pharma need's to go. I think Medical Marijuana needs to replace it.
I think every state in the United States should allow prescription marijuana for veterans with PTSD period.
And there should be veteran ran organizations like MFT in Canada in each state ran by vets for vets.

One day...

 

[anthony]

Are they dealing with PTSD or is it something more

It is called complex trauma. The ICD is creating cPTSD diagnosis for release in 2017... the DSM does not cater complex trauma directly, but only through comorbid (secondary diagnoses) such as borderline personality disorder and dissociative disorders.

Pretty sure it was illegal to ask

Pretty sure it is against the disabilities act for employers to ask anything mental health related. You could lie on such questions to get the job, without repercussion, is my understanding, as you have no legal right to disclose such information even if asked for employment purpose.

With my military time on my resume I was questioned about PTSD

Thanks, added as point 7, employment stigmatisation.

I feel that we younger guys tend to complain more and be more vocal with problems

More is being fixed as a result of speaking up and being heard, now more than ever. Barriers are slowly falling down, but the media is not helping with PTSD right now due to their focus on the negative aspects instead of the positives that occur.

it is the stigma and public awareness that is the biggest issue in my mind.

Added that within point 7, thanks.

Lack of knowledge of combat trauma and nonsense assumptions / tendency to treat combat trauma with the lens of civilian trauma

Covered under point 7, stigamatization. Thanks. Trauma treatment doesn't change that much between military trauma and other types of trauma, purely FYI. Sorry about the specifics you endured in block countries... but for the most part, the treatment is similar, if not the same, for the majority.

I personally think anybody who is diagnosed with PTSD should be medically discharged asap.

Evidence is actually contrary to this thought. Evidence shows keeping soldiers in, within limited working environment and with scope for PTSD aspects, works better than discharging them onto the street with no idea what to now do.

It's a damn wound. Treat it like it is.

Not really factual either, as they don't know what PTSD is to date. They do not know whether it has a physiological component within the brain, which they haven't been able to find for the last decade plus, or whether it is purely a misfiring synaptic pattern which can be corrected with trauma treatments and plasticity does the rest with time. There is more unknown about PTSD than known to date.

I think Big Pharma need's to go. I think Medical Marijuana needs to replace it.

Yes and No. Pharma is shit, no debate there, but it works for a minority. Do you discard the minority that it does work for? If is saves 30% of people killing themselves from PTSD, do you just get rid off it?

Marijuana has huge longevity issues, far more than the incentive to take it. The modified version is better, albeit still has long-term negative effects, yet there is no argument either that when compared to medication, most medication has long-term negative effects also. Which is the lesser evil?

Maybe read: https://www.myptsd.com/threads/the-pros-and-cons-of-using-cannabis-for-ptsd.86550/ and see what you think then, armed with the facts for both the pros and cons of cannabis use for PTSD.

Thank you for the help... I think stigmatization was a big one missing, as that covers a whole lot of ground associated to PTSD and society. It has diverse roots into many facets of our lives with PTSD and reintegration.

Anything else of significance not yet mentioned?

 

[dutchiedelta]

The physical side of things, immune diseases as arthritis, muscle tension, bowel problems, sexual dysfunction, heart palpitations not immediately related to a mental emergency make it harder too.
PTSD brings on physiological changes and we were taught to take pride in our physical abilities. There seem to be so many with lung problems and different forms of arthritis that to me that's a hard thing to deal with as well.

 

[Friday]

Don't know if any of this is useful.

1) Don't talk about it. Possibly under stigma, but to my mind more = honor & ethos. There's things we swear not to talk about, and there are things people just don't understand, unless they already understand, which means there's no need to talk about it. Add in the stigma and that's Goodnight Irene.

2) Paranoia. Partly covered under stigma, partly a complete and total lack of trust in the VA & associated not to just f*ck you up worse. Military excels at taking people apart. Putting them back together? Not so much. Whether that's symptomatic or just jaded, same result. No trust, no treatment.

2b) Other symptoms/expressions/coping mechanisms of PTSD itself getting in the way of treatment? From forgetting appointments to sleeping through them (there was an article I read recently by a psych talking about how it's pointless to begin actual trauma therapy until sleep is regulated to the point his patients can actually be awake, lucid/not running on weeks of sleep dep, and capable of driving themselves to the dang appointment on a regular basis). Then you've got people who have picked up serious substance abuse issues, or whose lives are just completely destabilized. Took me a long time to get on board with the whole stabilize then treat order to things, but even my stubborn ass finally came around to agreeing it's the only way that makes sense. By the time vets are seeking help, though? How many are stable & how many are only seeking help as a Hail Mary while their lives are either imploding or they've already lost everything? The 'Homeless Vet Crisis' side of things comes strongly to mind.

2) No access to services. Not everyone exits gracefully. Whether you were a shitbird and green as grass, or highly decorated, rock solid, and snapped -and everything in between- doesn't make a difference. Breakdown in discipline at the wrong time and place and you're out & cut off. Minority? For sure. BCDs are fairly rare at about 100 per year (if I'm remembering correctly), but while OTHs are endemic it's still only thousands a year. Still a barrier to treatment. Clearly, whatever the population size, it doesn't matter if you're talking about what the govt. can do article-wise. They have enough problems dealing with the vets they haven't told to f*ck off. So I think it's part of the problem, but I don't know if I'd classify it as a major part. Not unless personally affected by it.

 

[Friday]

Off topic, NVM.