Research General Discussion With Regard To The Barriers Faced By Veterans Accessing Treatment And Advice.

[TobyLerone]

I am a veteran of Northern Ireland ( 1980s ) and Gulf war One 1991.

Having Suffered chronic to severe PTSD ,Conversion Disorder, Psychogenic amnesia and Disociation Disorder. In addition to It's part and parcel Co-Morbid Disorders. For over 22 years. I am privialaged to represent fellow HM Forces veterans suffering Military related Mental Health Impairments, disorders, deficites and deminished function. At sub Department of Health level as Senior Service User.

I was fortunate enough to be able to erradicate my symptomology of PTSD by alternative means.

The aim of this discussion thread is to enable me to present to the various lead level integration of multi-disciplinary forums which I attend on an annual basis.

Although I have unfortunately experienced the symtoms of PTSD for a lengthy time, my experience of the barriers faced are limited to various factors. Geographical, service availability, specialty clinical services, funding, etc, etc.

To set the thread off Id like to point out chronologically some recent developements with regards specifically to Military veterans with Mental Health symtomology.

In 2007, following concerns that some veterans were unwilling to use NHS services or that the NHS was unsuitable for their specific needs, the MOD, the Department of Health, and the Devolved Administration launched six veterans' mental health pilot services. These were located in Stafford, Camden and Islington, Bishop Auckland, Cardiff, Cornwall and Edinburgh.
The pilots' main function was to ensure that ex-Servicemen and women with mental health problems had access to a culturally sensitive expert service offering assessment of their needs, followed by appropriate support and treatment.

Oct 2010

Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox made the announcement of the new provisions to help Service personnel and former members of the Armed Forces who are suffering from mental health disorders following today's publication of a report by Dr Andrew Murrison MP on mental health services for serving personnel and veterans.

Dr Murrison's report, which was commissioned by Prime Minister David Cameron, makes a wide-ranging number of recommendations that the MOD and Department of Health will be looking to introduce.

Of these, the four principal recommendations are:

• incorporation of a structured mental health systems enquiry into existing medical examinations performed whilst serving;

A new purpose-built mental healthcare facility for Service personnel in Peterborough

• an uplift in the number of mental health professionals conducting veterans outreach work from Mental Health Trusts in partnership with a leading mental health charity;

• a Veterans Information Service to be deployed 12 months after a person leaves the Armed Forces;

• trial of an online early intervention service for serving personnel and veterans.

Nov 2010

The Ministry of Defence and Department of Health announced that, along with the Armed Forces charity Combat Stress, they would continue to work together to move forward the recommendations of the 'Fighting Fit' report into military mental health produced by former Royal Navy doctor, Dr Andrew Murrison.

Dec 2010
Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan, has announced the publication of an independent evaluation into the Community Veterans Mental Health Pilots (CVMHPs). Following completion of five of the pilots across the UK this summer, an independent evaluation was conducted by the University of Sheffield's Centre for Psychological Services Research to address concerns raised

Feb 2011
The Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan, met with the Chief Executive of Combat Stress, Andrew Cameron, to discuss how they could work together to further improve mental health services for the Armed Forces.


The meeting came on the day when the Government announced that Armed Forces mental health services will receive a £7.2m boost under new plans. The 'No health without mental health' strategy sets out how the Government will work with the NHS, local government and the third sector to help those who have left the Armed Forces recover and challenge stigma.


Mar 2011

Health Minister Simon Burns today unveiled a new 24-hour freephone helpline number,
0800 138 1619, to help veterans and their families access expert advice from people trained and experienced in dealing with ex-servicemen and women and their often complex mental health needs.
The Government is giving £200,000 to fund the running of a one-year pilot of the helpline.

The barriers that I faced, However not limited to, are summerised as follows:

. Conflicting statements as to the amount of Ex service personnel suffering from PTSD.
. Stigma and the label of PTSD
. Being medically disharged from The Armed Forces with a diagnosis of PTSD without treatment.
. My Service exceeded 9 years and I was refused Resettlement because I was " too ill to attend"
. Gp unable to access my military records in order to have a clearer picture of my medical history or
indeed to confirm diagnosis of PTSD because he didnt know what it was.
. Health proffessionals stating that PTSD is a depression and not a mental health problem
and covered their back in discharging my case. Probably because of lack of their proffesional
developement and not being competant in treating my symptoms.
. signposting to non accredited service providers who just wanted my money.
. Attending numerous interveiws medicals tribunals and challanges in order to claim social benefits.

What Id like to know is the barriers faced by users of the forum ?

This will enable me to present a summary of the most prevelent issues faced by users of this forum,. Which I can then endevour to challange the correct personalities within the various Lead projects.

The disired outcome being, in the future the person treating you for PTSD will know what your on about and have the correct product to treat you with. Additionally with the added bonus of the sufferer not having to repeat time after time your service history, the traumatic event or incident. Not attending a twenty minute appointment and spending a majority of the limited time jusifying terminology or your feelings. Thereby re traumatising you and sending you on your merry way to continue your battle with PTSD on your own. Your spouse, partner, carer, freinds, family and siblings having to be subjected to constant abuse and shocking experiences of the sufferer being in bits. usually suffering ptsd by proxy.

 

[Nicolette]

Firefighterveteran Complex PTSD is not an excuse to not follow the forum guidelines. Many members have Complex PTSD and can abide by the rules.

The rules also are structured to benefit the community as a whole and have been developed with member involvement, evolving over the years.

Your choice is to follow them and partipate or find another forum more suited to your style. Having Complex PTSD does not inhibit you from following basic grammatical rules and it aides other members with readability.

Please also keep to the thread topic as your response has turned into an attack on the forum rules versus the topic of barriers faced. I'm posting on a phone so apologize for my response being limited or inability to post you links to the rules & terms which you accepted on registration.

 

[Deleted member 487]

I was a volunteer firefighter for 12 or so years, did a season of wildland firefighting and a summer as a paid firefighter at an airport. I forget, and I'd have to sit down and calculate it out to be specific, which I don't care to do right now), and I have found no barriers in the group itself. The barriers I found are my own because I have difficulty trusting people with the stuff I feel. Could you also be facing the same problem?

 

[chaseysmith]

Now a new story, though. My grandfather was a veteran too, and there are lots of veterans who werent able to fully access their benefits. I feel sad for them.

My grandfather is now looking forward to CLASS Act. to those who are not aware of this, CLASS ACT which means COmmunity Living Assistance Services and Support is the latest health care program by Obama to address the long term care problem in the country. For sure there have been so many seniors with chronic ailments were denied by private insurers, so this program is surely their chance to insure their health.

 

[woundedmind]

I really can't assist in a study regarding the UK, as the barriers I experience as an American veteran would be addressed within the United States and not the UK.

However, I can still share to give you an idea of a specific example:

My own PTSD was aggravated by a pattern of daily sexual harassment and less frequent physical assault while in the military. It took place for about three months during training and about 2.5 years at my permanent duty station. This took place in the US Army between 1987 - 1991. I went on active duty just prior to my 18th birthday. I was neither homosexual or bisexual but it was perceived that I either was or may have been by certain individuals, or it was merely an excuse to bully and harrass someone with impunity as being either in the military was not tolerated and subject to court martial if provable and assault or worse if not provable. Fear of imprisonment, dishonorable discharge, assault or murder were constant fears. Unlike sexual harassment in the civilian world, in the military you not only work with but live with your harrassers.

Barriers to using veterans affairs services for treatment are being in close proximity with people exactly like your tormentors while in group therapy or elsewhere within a facility. The same kind of ignorant people are next to you in line for medication, etc. Apparently, my undiagnosed-by-the-Army-or-the-VA Asperger's Syndrome is apparently seen by some ignorant people as feminine characteristics. Therefore, I refuse to use VA psychiatric or psychological services and dislike veterans organizations in general due to bad experiences which usually re-trigger my PTSD.

 

[woundedmind]

I think maybe I missed the intent of the original poster. Was it regarding difficulties that users of this forum experience in using this forum? The title of the post then would be misleading if that were the case, unless you were using veterans in a different sense of being experienced, rather than of having served in the military or veterans of war service, etc.

I personally have yet to experience and difficulties beyond the site not being fully functional on my Android phone which is how I access this site. However, that is not a personality-driven issue.

 

[wife of]

I can confirm that in Liverpool at least the present level of specialised care for combat related ptsd is zero.

To quote the psych nurse of hubbys cmht,"the team know nothing about ptsd never mind combat ptsd and we don't know what it is you expect from us!"

This was in response to hubbys plea for help from them on a suicidal day!

The system for us at the moment is.....don't bother the local community mental health team,they dont care and dont know what they are doing.If having a bad day go to A ane E and sit waiting for the crises team who will either :- sling you into the local drug addict filled holding pen of a psych ward till you feel less suicidal and then send you home or keep you waiting so long that you wind down and they just tell you to go home anyway.

Or as we do now,hang on in there at home,employing family devised action plan of safety and ring police for help if things get physical whilst in flashback mode.

I would like the local mental health team to meet with my hubby when he knows things are getting rough and to asess him if needed but they have deemed him too unsafe for them to be around and thus we are on our own with it,putting him at risk of being tasered or shot when we end up with him in a seige situation in the house due to him being in long acting out flashbacks when he thinks hes beseiged by terrorists.

Combat stress....complete joke....won't treat him as he's deemed too accute....if they can't help who will.