VA ordered not to diagnose PTSD
VA Ordered Not to Diagnose PTSD
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/85511/
Posted by Mike Connery, AlterNet at 2:35 PM on May 15, 2008.
The VA is ordering its staff not to diagnose veterans with PTSD, short-changing our soldiers and making worse an already under-treated condition.
This is a disgrace. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and VoteVets.org have discovered that the VA is instructing its staff to avoid diagnosing soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD:
Both CREW and VoteVets have issued spot-on statements on the matter:
Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today:
It is outrageous that the VA is calling on its employees to deliberately misdiagnose returning veterans in an effort to cut costs. Those who have risked their lives serving our country deserve far better. First and foremost, they have a right to expect that they receive diagnoses and treatment based on their symptoms and not on the VA’s budget. The VA should immediately reverse this and any other similar directives.
Jon Soltz, an Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org, added:
This is an issue I take personally. I know of many people who received a diagnosis of ‘Adjustment Disorder,’ who strongly felt they had PTSD, many of whom confirmed that suspicion with an independent diagnosis. Many veterans believe that the government just doesn’t want to pay out the disability that comes along with a PTSD diagnosis, and this revelation will not allay their concerns. It is crucial that we quickly get to the bottom of this, and ensure that misdiagnosing veterans is not part of some cost-cutting policy.
According to a study by the RAND corporation, approximately 300,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan display symptoms of PTSD, or nearly 20% of veterans. PTSD is highly stigmatized within the military (in which is is viewed as a sign of weakness). Soldiers are encouraged to "tough it out" rather than seek proper car. That's why only half of those 300,000 veterans have ever sought treatment.
This move by the VA makes worse and already bad situation in which soldiers are not receiving the proper care from an injury that is as serious as any physical wound. Earlier this year Senators Clinton and Obama met with young veterans to discuss their issues, and PTSD came up a number of times. Here's a chance for them to show those veterans their support.
Tagged as: veterans administration, veterans, va, ptsd
Michael Connery is the author of Youth to Power: How Today's Young Voters Are Building Tomorrow's Progressive Majority. He blogs about progressive youth organizing at Future Majority and is an adviser to a number of progressive youth organizations.
If they are diagnosed will
they be able to own a gun? Does the Veterans Disarmerment Act have something to do with PTSD? If this is the case, maybe it's a good thing?
Somebody posted a while back about this....
I would think this would nullify any law that said former military members with any past or present mental health issues may not own a firearm.
Libera me, let the truth break, what my fears make--Leslie Phillips
But that man should play the tyrant over God, and find Him a better man than himself, is astonishing drama indeed!~~D. Sayers
There is no difference between an authoritarian government from the right or the left...F. A.Schaeffer
It is my understanding
they will also not be able to have guns. Not sure if this totally passed or not.
I personally would not want to be diagnosed and labeled with the problem. I would want to heal myself with sound nutrition and time and loving family and stay away from drugs.
I feel your pain and understand your concern though and there are some people who are beyond my type of help, I'm sure. I just personally "Don't do doctors." Ever. Mother was VP in charge of staff of medical centers in Corpus Christi and she always told me to stay away from hospitals and doctors, period.
I don't do doctors either
but I happen to deal with quite a few Vietnam Veterans who are falling to pieces years after they have returned. To qualify for a pension to be at least able to have an income above subsistence level, they have to go through a rather humiliating process which in itself could qualify for causing PTSD.
The governments will do all and everything to spend a cent.
This brings us right back to
Ron Paul is the Answer. Part of his platform is to take care of our veterans. We could sure use the love of Ron Paul.
PTSD
Look at this from another angle.
If a soldier comes back and is labled with PTSD,
they will then be put on psycotropic drugs.
This will not help them.
So in a way, it is good that they are not labled.
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You have got a point
However, this, added to the video clip I posted the other day about how Bush supports the troops, it is clear that they want everybody's full 100% to give to the war but will not spend a cent on their welfare after if and when needed.
Vietnam Veterans know all about it, they have been fighting for years.
Not all PTSD requires psychotropic drugs, it is the pensions awarded afterwards they want to deny them.
The war mongering government isn't sleeping one night less over, or having one meal less ever, because of the hardship many returning soldiers experience all due to the lies of this government.