Comments on: Is The Military Neglecting PTSD Troops?

Veterans' Advocates Say Ignoring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Is A Military-Wide Problem

[woodjd42]

Texas468

You''re right. It''s just easier to put it on bush/chaney because of their arragance.
You are a great lady and both you and your husband have my prayers as does every combat vet.

[texas468]

irishbitch11 - my prayers are also with you and your son. I''m sorry you have to go through this!!! There are those that care, hang in there and stay tough!!!!!

[clestes-2009]

Why should ANYONE believe they aren''t!!

This fiasco was started with not enough men or money. It has dragged on 5 years longer than expected and cost, at last count, $450 BILLION more than expected.

To try and find enough money to keep creating death and destruction shrub has cut vital domestic programs PLUS cut military spending. Spending that is NOT directly spent for weapons and battle.

Look, Iraq was never expected to have 25,000 wounded soldiers. The easiest wounded soldier to drop are the mentally wounded. They don''t have visible wounds, so it is easy to say, well they are REALLY hurt, they are just faking it.

AND this war is particularly prone to PTSA because of constant threat of being killed. Men who see buddies blown apart or children or pregnant women going into mental shock. Some can cope and others can''t.

It is another CRIME on the Bush admin record for his poor treatment of the men he so highly praises. Of course having SHIRKED active duty during Vietnam, he has NO IDEA of what it means to be fired at.

He was too busy doing drugs and drinking, playing at being a "flyboy". So much more fun than actually being one, ya know!

[texas468]

woodjd42 - I don''t know these things, but I''ve witnessed them with my husband. He has the sleepless nights as well. Vivid nightmares. He hears a helicopter, and instantly ducks and puts his had on his head to keep his imaginary "lid" from flying off. won''t even put BlackHawk Down on the television. I''ve seen the pictures of his Humvee that was totally demolished, with all his buddies killed except him. He doesn''t understand why he was spared, and feels he should be dead too. He cries with me. Breaks down. It''s heartbreaking. I hurt for him, and wish I could take his pain away, but i know I can''t. There are people in this world who do care, and we do what we can for the ones we love that serve and served our country......I hope in time, you and all involved can recover the best way you can. I know you never truly will, but hopefully will find some semblance of peace...you deserve this.....

[woodjd42]

irishbitch11
My prayers are with your son. Tears stream down my face every time I see or hear of these brave kids.

[texas468]

My husband was in the Kuwait Liberation (Operation desert Storm/Former President Bush Sr.''s term) and The First Battle of Mogadishu (Former Pres. Clinton''s term). He is STILL battling demons from those wars. This IS NOT JUST A BUSH/CHENEY ISSUE!!! This is an ONGOING issue with all Presidents, Congress, House and Senate, past and present. Don''t boil this down to just two men. Line ALL the past presidents up and bit#$-slap them ALL!!!! I know they s%*k, but this is not all their doing. The VA hospitals suck, the Doctors, from what I understand do as well. Not their fault, the government doesn''t care enough to pay them enough to care. My husband has tried to seek care in the VA, but all they do is try to give him drugs he doesn''t want. Psychiatrists that don''t help. These Soldiers need HELP, UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT when they come home. They are NOT okay. They have seen things we couldn''t fathom. They dive deep into depression during key remembrances of certain dates, and you have to stand by them and help. It''s you duty as a civilian to help them. I help my husband daily - yes, daily - and sometimes it''s a struggle. But, since I wasn''t doing battle, I feel it''s my obligation, and I do it lovingly. My mother did it for my father when he came home from Vietnam, and my grandmother for my grandfather when he was in WWII. Get a grip, give these soldiers what the DESERVE!!!!! Bless all of them, and thank you.....

[woodjd42]

neenga
I hear you.
I doubt that the majority don''t even know what PTSD is. The sleepless night, the sweats, the jumping out of the skin at the least noise, the look of fear in your wife''s eye in the middle of the night, the crying (but not in front of anyone), the sounds, the smells that bring back memories 30 years later. I also bet that the majority don''t even care. They never have so why should they start now.

[neenga]

I''d like for these dopes in D.C. to spend a couple of days with a friend who''s a Vietnam vet. He sleeps fitfully with two pistols and an AK-47 in the bed with him. He takes many meds just to keep his mind semi-quiet, without much success. Can he get help from the VA? His wife keeps at it because he can''t deal with much, but she feels she is beating her head against a brick wall called the Veterans Administration.

[woodjd42]

There need to be a few things done for the people of this country to show support for the troops. First you indict the criminals that put us in this war. Next you take away these huge salaries these congressmen get, take away thier great retirement and then increase the pay of the soldiers so they earn a decent wage equal to the sacrifices they and thier famalies make. then you take away these great health benifits these congressmen have and you provide health care for every serviceman and his family for life. (only 11% of Americans have serviced so were not talking about breaking the bank)

[talex6]

If you were to do research on the history of PTSD and the military you would find that PTSD has been ignored or seen as a sign of weakness since the beginning of time. It is just in very recent history that PTSD has been recognized as a real ailment. It is not the fault of this administration that PTSD is treated as it is, it is the fault of society''s view of mental illness. Until we press for a change of attitude in society and the military, those with PTSD will continue to be treated the same.