Army Agrees To Do More For PTSD

(AP)  The Army is making a "dramatic turn" in how it handles soldiers suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, a member of a veterans' group investigating mental health care at Fort Carson said Wednesday.

Following two days of closed-door meetings with commanders and congressional staffers at the post, Steve Robinson, Director of Veterans Affairs for the group Veterans for America, said commanders have agreed to do a better job educating officers about the condition and take steps to amend the records of soldiers who have been wrongly diagnosed.

"I believe the Army has made a dramatic turn. ... I think we're going to see a cultural sea change and I think we just have to continue to monitor it to make sure that it happens," Robinson said in a conference call with reporters.

More medical and case workers will be needed to help the Army treat soldiers, Robinson said, noting the problems at Fort Carson are being seen across the military.

Soldiers working with the advocacy group who have been diagnosed with PTSD say they haven't been given enough one-on-one counseling to recover and that the Army, instead, has offered to diagnose them with a personality disorder to give them a quicker, honorable discharge. But personality disorders are considered a pre-existing condition, cutting them off from military health coverage and possibly making it harder to find a job.

Robinson's group claims that some soldiers have been criticized for their job performance despite getting inadequate treatment.

Robinson said commanders have agreed to take "corrective action" against those who have taken wrong actions in dealing with soldiers with mental health problems. Fort Carson spokeswoman Karen Linne confirmed that but declined further comment on the meetings.

Robinson also said 4th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Jeffrey W. Hammond agreed to review the records of about 40 former soldiers who believe their discharges were mishandled and, if he agrees, Fort Carson will send letters to help them amend their records so they can restore their benefits.

Problems range from soldiers being misdiagnosed with personality disorders to others who were dishonorably discharged for substance abuse without being offered treatment first, he said.

Robinson said Hammond's pledge came during a meeting with him on Tuesday. Linne said she had no knowledge of it and said it was not discussed at a final briefing for the veterans' advocates, congressional staffers and commanders who attended the meetings.

Spc. Alex Lotero, who participated in the meetings, said he was diagnosed with PTSD in November after serving in Iraq. He said he gets a casual, half-hour monthly session with a therapist and gave up going to recommended group therapy meetings. He said they were mostly a time for people to complain about problems with their unit.

Lotero said he has been told to take a personality disorder discharge. "I am not going to get kicked out of the Army with nothing," he said.

Pvt. Nicholas Guess, a medic who also participated in the meetings, said he was diagnosed with PTSD after his first deployment to Iraq. He said he wasn't prepared for his second deployment, where he worked treating wounded soldiers in Baghdad.

"I was blind walking into that place. There's nothing you can do to prepare for that," said Guess, who said he sometimes feels "helpless" as he takes four medications and has trouble remembering things.

Connie Best, a clinical psychologist at the Medical University of South Carolina working with the veterans group, said treating PTSD requires personal counseling addressing the specific traumatic events that caused the problem. A person with PTSD initially would need an hour or more of weekly counseling and, while that takes time, Best said the condition can be more easily treated than a personality disorder, which she said can really only be managed.

"The good news about PTSD is, if you get proper treatment, you can get people back to shape and reduce their symptoms," she said.

[Mking1963]

My son served 18 months in IRAQ, he also received a purple heart. He returned home and has had mental problems since. He was home for about a year and a half and was deployed to afghanistan even will the problems he was having. His mental state got even worse and he posted a good bey note on myspace to all his family and friends. I made calls and got him sent back to Fort carson, where he has had some treatment but not enough. My son keeps telling them that he needs help and the ARMY tells him that they know he has problems and that he needs to deal with it. His mental state has got to the point that he said he was going to kill his wife and himself. So I make call once again and this time he ends up in jail. I put blame on the ARMY for what has happend and they need to step up and help my son, not keep pushing him away. My son needs to be in a hospital, not a jail.

[sclaires]

This sounds just like the Army I used to work for. They try to say it is one thing when in reality it is something else. And it is not just the soldiers but civilian employees who get this same s*it. It is just now coming out about the soldiers who are being treated so horribly but the civilian employees are also being treated the same way. You can have neurological involvement due to disorders over which you have no control and they will treat you the same way they are treating our soldiers. All the officers and NCOs need to attend classes in various disorders so that they will be able to recognize when something is medically wrong instead of saying there is nothing medically wrong without further investigation.

[lastdance2]

RE :
NavyVet4

The DAV (Disabled American Veterans)

Helped me out extensively.
Especially with my disability claims.
(several gunshot and shrapnel wounds)

I had three (3) Tours in Viet-Nam
With extended tours. - - (Voluntary)
A total of five (5) years in country.

The VA tries to center on :
Medical Treatment and Medical Therapy
Rather than : Pain Killlers .....(Addictive Pacifiers)

In 2000, I was invited to tour :
The White House and The Pentagon.

I telephoned them.
I told them : "I'm not going to come."
When they asked : "Why ??"

I explained to them :
"Well ...... To tell you the absolute truth."

"I haven't been in a "*** House."
Since - I was eighteen years old. (VN)
I have - "No" - intention - of going - into another."

The Veterans of Foreign Wars
The American Legion

Are also - excellent organizations, that will help in cutting VA red tape.

Lastdance

[navyvet4]

I'm Pvt Nick Guess's mom and this has been an uphill battle for a long time, Today my son received his Medical Discharge from the Army, At one time he was an outstanding soldier, his 1rst deployment to Iraq he was a 19 yrs old, great shape mentally & physically. He earned 2 Army Com Medals, a Combat Medics badge, the 2nd deployment he earned an Army Achievement Medal. He was medivaced out of Iraq due to a back injury and sent back to Ft Carson. That is were his Army Career ended. He still has the back injury, all that was done was give him drugs (morphine then fentanyl)for back pain (11 mos) and combined with that was the antidepressants for approx the last 2 1/2 yrs. The Army has a strange way of just giving more drugs to an individual that really needs help not just drugged up. With the right environment, love and support of his family he will heal and once again be the wonderful son, grandson and nephew that he once was. We contacted Congressman Lampson, his office was very supportive and initiated a Congressional Inquiry and Veterans for America. Veterans for America gave us the hope we needed at a time when we felt like we were literally fighting "city hall" They are an incredible organization and when soldiers like my son felt they were fighting on American Soil for what they had earned and were due Veterans for America stood with them. Steve Robinson and Andrew Pagony Thank You and May God Bless You Both.

[bigoilprofit]

lastdance2:

Sadly, since WW2, the American military soldiers have become the pawns of our "elected" officials.

They will always be used, abused, then returned...

... (to the grave, to their homes, to the streets).

Just like a cheap rental car.

That's the sad reality of today's government, supported by those who cry that they "support" our troops the most simply because they support their government leaders BLINDLY!

[jdubs63]

FT. Miley has one of the best PTSD programs.It has had a great program fro 40 years that I know of... come to Ft Miley

[lastdance2]

Re-Post
I would like, to take a moment to remind you.

In 2005, a Republican Committee appeared, before The Congress saying :
The veterans claim, on the PTSD issue was fraudaulant.
They urged the Congress to stop the treatment, of the veteran for the PTSD issue.

Also ! They urged the Congress to stop paying the veteran.
Compsatition for the veterans claim of having : PTSD.

By 1980, five (5) years after the Viet-Nam war had ended.
The combanation of suicide and suicide induced accidents.

Committed by the Viet-Nam combatant, was at fifty two percent. (52%)

Which means : That within five (5) years, after the Viet-Nam war had ended.
Over half of the Viet-Nam combataints. Who had survived the war and returned home.

Were now dead - By their own hand.

The suicide rate of : The veterans of Iraqi, has already begun.

The issue of PTSD is being scrutinized by the American Enterprise Institute.
They are saying : PTSD is a liberal hippie dream.

Lynne Cheney the wife of : V.P. Cheney, is on the board of directors.

This is the real attitude, of the Republican party,
Pres. Bush and V.P. Cheney.

Towards - The Combat Veterans of today.

Extened enlistments.
Extended Tours of Duty.
Now!!! There's a real morale Booster.

Hitler conscripted : The Germany Military.
Stalin conscripted : The Russian Military.
Pres. Bush conscripted : The US Military.

Within their own actions - lay - their true feelings.


Lastdance

[bettyboop531]

My nephew is in Ft. Carson, back after two tours as a medic. Diagnosed a couple of months ago with PTSD, memory loss, recieving medication, etc.....The Captain of his unit refused to accept the diagnosis of the Air Force Dr., so that they can send him to California for training exercises as the unit prepares to be deployed again, to Iraq. The Captain advised that out of 45 medics, they are 34 short, so he would have to go. Needless to say, his Mother and our family are all contacting our congressmen and senators. These soldiers need to be given thime to recover, instead of pushed around, or pushed out via discharge under less than suitable circumstances while losing their benefits. The benefits are only for two years after discharge anyway.

[bigoilprofit]

Sadly, people who are ignorant about conditions of the mind, people who are ignorant about the troubles that war vets face while on the battlefield, and people who are just plain ignorant will easily brush off the term 'PTSD' as just some made-up illness by the Liberal psycho-bable crowd.

I hear this stuff all the time from the right-facist-wing talk shows. (And yet those are the people who scream the loudest about "supporting" our troops).

Imagine coming home from a tour of duty in Iraq and worrying that every trash can or abandoned car on the side of the road will blow up as you pass by it.

That's what some of our troops are facing when they finally come home from their fighting in Iraq, or Afghanistan.

There are many other examples of PTSD, and it is a seriously debilitating mental disease if it's left untreated.