Why is no one addressing the issue of PTSD in returning Iraq vets?
554200
It is being addressed, but the media isn't covering it because it's not "newsworthy".
422265
I served 3 years, 8 months and 10 days in the United States Marine Corps. I was a infantry machinegunner. (Look that up and it might mean something to you) I did 2 tours to Iraq. The first time I went 47 days without enough water to wash my body with. I slept on the ground, I slept in 3 hour increments.  The second time I went into Fallujah in March of 2004. There I lost my best friend and 2 other buddies after 28 days of continuos battle in the Jolan district. I spent the summer in various foxholes and bunkers at night, and foot patrols by day in 135 degree heat in full gear. Finally on my last patrol I caught shrapnel from a 155 mm artilery shell rigged as an IED (bomb) The shrapnel penetrated the right frontal and right temporal lobes of my brain 3 inches. Also took a 3 inch chunk out of my right shoulder. I have dementia, and severe headaches constantly. I am rated 100% disabled by the VA.......AM I A VETERAN?\nTechnically???? F*ck you, dont even say the word veteran unless you are talking about one of my brothers in arms!
997373
I am a Vietnam veteran and cannot understand how any combat vet can be 'for' a war.
309023
Maybe I have a unique perspective from those that have posted so far considering that I am one of the "troops" and a veteran of the current conflict.  From my own viewpoint it is discouraging to hear all the anti-Bush/anti-war rhetoric--not because I support him/it personally, but because it belittles what we are doing over there.  Can you imagine what it would be like to be in a combat zone and know that your fellow citizens think that what you are doing is pointless, worthless, and/or "illegal"?  It is more than a little disheartening.\n\nAs for what I do: I correspond with a number of my fellow service members who are in Iraq and Afghanistan, I wear a Support Our Troops bracelet 24/7 to remind myself at all times of the sacrifices made by those in uniform, and I strive to educate those that I come in contact with about how not supporting the war that we are fighting hurts almost as much as being called "babykiller".
656005
Contact your state representative office, senator,i have found that they will get involved with these kinds of matters. While in the service we knew if we had a problem that was being ignored we would go to our state representative, all the sudden the problem got more attention than those trying to hide it or ignore it,so problem got fixed, took a while. it is sad though that army is ignoring this problem, this is not the kind of attention they need and the PFC needs to spend some time in military prison for his behavior.
516142
The self-discipline and mental toughness that people get in the military have a downside.  As a result of this they try to solve their problems on their own and try to ignore the pain.\n\nIf he refuses to get help, here are some things you can try:\n\nGet him to join some sort of veteran's organization where he can be around people who have 'been there.'  This way he can be around people who can talk to him from a perspective he recognizes.\n\nThe next thing you can do is go to Amazon.com and order the book: 'An Operator's manual For Combat PTSD' and talk him into reading at least the first few chapters.  I was in denial about my own Combat PTSD until I read these chapters and got the feeling that they had written those chapters about me.   IMO this is an excellent book for anybody with Combat PTSD because it educates you on what the mechanics of the injury are and how to live a normal life in spite of it.\n\nThe next thing you can do is go to your local Veteran's Outreach Center on your own and talk to the people there.  They can give you lots of advice, support and provide you with your own coping skills.  They can even direct you to support groups for the spouses/SO's of people with combat PTSD.\n\nIf all else fails - email me and we can discuss this off-line.
765666
You know , no offense to you, but I've came home after 4 tours of Iraq. And I am an Iraq Vet. I see BOYS ages 18 - 19 years old being sent over to a war zone alright? They are right out of HS trying to make a BETTER life for themselves than what they grew up in. Or maybe they just want to serve their country. They go over there with GUTS man. Where's your guts? If you sit in front of your computer screen and can write this, why don't you TRY and go over there for a week, see if you can survive. \n\nSoldiers are proud to have served their country. I know I am. I know my friends are. I know my guys are. Yes there are horrible things over there. I have a friend who is 29 years old. He has a wife and a 3 year old son. THREE years old. He came home from Iraq, and he's been in a hospital for almost two years now. Doesn't mean he's a Tim McVeigh buddy. It just means he gave his ALL for HIS COUNTRY. Which by the way is YOUR Country as well. He Tries every day. EVERY day to get better. And you don't see him complaining. You don't see him up and down whining that his country is against him. No. So unless you've served, you have no right to say that. \n\nJust for your 411.
983505
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.\n\nEncourage your mom to get counselling, and to see a doctor.  There are medications that, while they will not get rid of the memories and the experiences, they may help reduce the amount of fear and pain she is feeling-medications may be able to help her sleep and to help her anxiety/depression.  Counselling, especially with a therapist who is skilled in working with Gulf War veterans, is also very important to help her work through what she saw and experienced over in Iraq.\n\nI have PTSD from non-military issues, and it can be a very scary disorder to live with.  Memories of the trauma can come back unnpredictably and sometimes the strangest things can trigger the memories-a certain smell or day on the calendar. \n\nI also know it can get better-and while some people can get past PTSD on their own, most need help from a doctor, therapist and possibly a psychiatrist.  Your mom will probably need help from all three, given the severity of her symptoms.\n\nThe links below desribe PTSD a bit more and give tips on how to help.  Don't forget to also take care of yourself and be gentle with yourself during this time-you may also want to explore counselling to give you a safe outlet to express some of your feelings over what your mom is going through.
728567
Most of the treatment is Veterans only, but there are counseling and support programs for the spouses and children of disabled and traumatized veterans.\n\nSome of the VA Hospitals also host psychological and counseling programs for the families of veterans on active duty in war zones. \n\nIf we are going to demand a vast, wartime army, it is our responsibility to provide for the care of the Veteran after the war.
628780
If you have not experienced PTSD, it's hard to explain the feeling.  If you know any older citizens who served in the Gulf War,  Vietnam War or even World War II, for instance, you can ask them about being "shell shocked", or PTSD.  For some people it never goes away.  I know from experience (an almost fatal auto accident that crippled me and took my professional life away at no fault of my own) that it's still there, under the surface, after 5 years.  However, I made myself get in the car and deal with it.  I think your b/f is on the right track and I'm impressed that he's willing to face his greatest fears.  You go ahead and encourage him every way you can and let him be a man and have a full life again without being co-dependent on anyone else.  He doesn't need to be an emotional cripple. What would he do if you weren't there to drive him??  He'll be proud of himself before long.  A pat on the back goes a long way.  So he might have stressful moment or two; he can learn to deal with it and get stronger and should continue to get professional help as long as he needs it.  He probably is feeling guilty as hell because he lived; not to mention every thing else involved.  Let him go...give him a nudge and hold him when he needs it.  Encourage him to help others with this problem.  Helping is great healing therapy for him and others.  He'll be living with this for a long time.  God bless you both.
777460
Wow, usually your questions aren't nearly as sensible as this.  I'm impressed.\n\nI think it's precisely *because* Viet Nam veterans were treated so poorly that the effort has been made to improve that situation for the returning veterans of today.  Viet Nam taught us that the troops were doing their duty, trying to make the best out of a sucky situation that politicians made, not them, and that they were simply trying to survive.  I don't think that's changed, but the response has.\n\nYou don't have to support the war, or even admire the members of the armed forces, but it's not right to ostracize, physically assault, or stigmatize them, which is what was done to returning veterans of Viet Nam.
850625
This is the one area the VA does not deal with but should...spouses.  Family Services usually have some answers at the base.  Other than that I would call the VA, Social Work Service and ask if you can come in for a consultation with a worker (as a courtesy) tell them what you are seeking and how difficult it is and ask if they have a program for wives of PTSD patients.  Feel free to call the center director if you are not satisfied.  It really is a pity that they have not addressed this issue as wives spend 24/7 with these patients and are the caregivers without training. Keep going, call your congressman too.  Keep making noise...you have a lot of company but even the PTSD patients had trouble getting diagnosed.  It took about    7 years for them to be heard after Vietnam.  Persistence pays.  Good luck.
293783
Issues such as this is the very heart of why veterans should join the VFW or the American Legion. Both groups keep the pressure up on our politicians to keep honest with us. \n\nIf you know a vet buy him or her a membership for Christmas or a birthday present.\n\nJoin the Auxiliary or the sons of the VFW or the Sons of the Legion.\n\nRally with our vets and help make this type of issue a thing of the past.
826570
You could be suffering from depression or another form of anxiety disorder. I don't mean this to be mean. I had the same problem after returning from duty overseas (28 years USN) and was troubled with PTSD and depression. I would not take a bath or shower for such long periods of time, I could not remember when I had bathed last. Maybe not what you want to hear, but I want to be honest. There is NO shame in seeking counseling on this problem or any others. It is easy for people to come on here and slam you, they have nothing constructive to offer. I wish you the best.\n\nSincerely,\nMCPO West USN (Ret.)
1066659
What a great question... I love how it is worded.... you pretty much got what I thought you would in terms of answers though.  \n\nI am in Iraq now as a civilian contractor after my 3rd recall since 9/11.  After my stint in Kuwait I joined the civilian team and am glad I did.\n\nHUMANIST.... I AM HERE AND HAVE BEEN AS MILITARY AND A CIVILIAN, I AM NOT TOO SCARED TO BE HERE AND I BROUGHT MY LAPTOP WITH ME.... NOW SHUT UP OR JOIN THE EFFORT.
781702
The soldiers at Fort Campbell have actually been coming home now since July. There are a LOT of people here so it has been a huge ordeal. It takes a lot of time, manpower, and patience to get 20,000+ soldiers home from Iraq. While they are in the process of redeployment they stay very busy and it's hard to get in touch with people. When my husband was on his way home I didn't hear from him much the last week or so - he called from Maine to let me know what was going on with his flights. I know that from the time he got to Kuwait to when his flight landed at Fort Campbell was about 4 days (it was the same both times he was deployed). It is not unusual for it to have been a week since you heard from him. Also, several incoming flights this week were delayed by a few days. I don't know how that affected everyone else, but it may have backed up everyone by a few days.\n\nOnce he gets to Fort Campbell, he will have a mandatory 7-day reintegration period. This is a post-wide requirement, everyone who comes home must go through it. If his flight lands after 6 pm, he may have the next day off (at the commander's discretion) - otherwise, reintegration starts the next day. The 7 days are half days, and the rest of the day he should have off. At the end of those 7 days, he will get a 4-day weekend, then back to work for normal work days. Once a certain percentage of the brigade has gone through reintegration (I think it was 75% for my husband's unit), they will release them for up to 30 days leave. My husband got home at the end of July and didn't get leave until September 18th, so it may be a while. (It shouldn't be that long for the guys who are coming home right now though.) \n\nPlease keep in mind that he will be very busy in the next few weeks. They have a lot to do when they get home, and even after leave is over they will still be dealing with post-deployment things. I am sure he will contact you when he gets a chance, you just need to be patient.
16366
Pretend you only have 2 choices: residency or army bootcamp. Kidding aside, I think it is wrong putting residents through that! It is not safe for the patients either. I wonder if there is a support group out there. Ask some of the Sr Doctors how they handled it. I myself would go crazy. Thank you for going for through this for humankind!!!! It will be over someday. Get together with others and VENT VENT VENT when you get the chance.