WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2007
Is The Military Neglecting PTSD Troops?
Veterans' Advocates Say Ignoring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Is A Military-Wide Problem
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Play CBS Video Video PTSD Ignored By Military Brass Soldiers diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder can cost the U.S. military millions each. So top brass are finding other ways to deal with the illness. Kimberly Dozier reports.
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Video Helping Troops Deal With PTSD Harry Smith talks with Dr. Glen Wurglitz, part of a team being deployed to Iraq to assist U.S. troops deal with mental health issues, including post-traumaic stress disorder.
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Army Spc. Shawn Saunders got an early diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But then the military disagreed. (CBS)
"If I hear loud noises, I get, I'm real, real jumpy,” Saunders told CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier. “I get paranoid."
"Distraught, lost, confused..." is how Saunders’ father characterizes his behavior.
His parents say his breaking point was watching his best friend die while guarding a checkpoint.
"He kept saying, it should have been me, it should have been me," said his mother, Pam Wilson.
Texas medic Taylor Burke took Saunders’ turn, and the car blew up.
"When he passed, it was like a part of me that's left me, and I haven't been the same since," Saunders said.
During home leave from Iraq, Shawn talked of suicide.
At Fort Hood, his home base, he asked for help. Instead of treatment, he says he got bureaucracy.
"I was basically just trying to find out what was wrong with me, because I was thinking about hurting myself, thinking about hurting other people," he said.
His dad took action, flying him to a New York veteran’s hospital. Doctors there diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The Army disagreed. Military police arrested him at the hospital, jailed him and kicked him out.
Veterans advocates say it’s a military-wide problem, where symptoms of PTSD - from substance-abuse to rage to suicidal depression - are misdiagnosed or blamed on the troops themselves.
These critics point to a 40 percent spike: 22,500 troops who’ve been expelled since 2003, for personality disorder. The military claims these are psychological problems the troops had before joining, that surfaced from combat.
Another 5,500 were expelled for “misconduct” like drug abuse - up to 20 percent. It’s an expedient way to replace an ailing soldier quickly.
Discharging for a personality disorder takes days, and costs the military nothing. A PTSD discharge can take up to nine months, and treatment can last a lifetime - in severe cases, costing up to $2 million each.
The soldiers’ record, obtained by CBS News, show the man was first diagnosed with PTSD. But his commander said he “did not see anything really bad,” and ordered the diagnosis changed, to “personality disorder.” The soldier was immediately discharged, with no medical benefits.From Kimberly Dozier's Notebook: The War Over PTSD.
Shawn Saunders is now fighting to get his PTSD recognized.
Dozier asked him: “You’ve got a lot of stuff to go through to get back to normal life, huh?”
“I’m gonna try,” Saunders said.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 58 CommentsMerry Christmas to everyone....and God bless our troops and their families!!
God bless our troops and their families.
Put the blame on Bush. He sends them in harms way. He need to get off that asre of his. Give the Veterans Affairs hospitals and the like, money to help these boys and girls in combat who need the help. My Dad raised his paws years ago to serve. My room mate of 24 years is a vet. The VAMCs need money to care for them. It is more than time to step up to the plate in this matter. They earnt it. I was raised to thank our vets. From a young age I knew as a blind child what the vets are. I to this day thank them. I will thank troops too. Miss Dozier she oaught to be made a vet. It appalling they give. all and they come home to ungratefulness. We have homeless vets. This nation is greedy. Chraity starts here.My vet room mate helped me get my computer. Barbara Ann age 53.
Thanks for your misguided opinion on the young man in the story Army Spc. Shawn Saunders from Ossining, NY.
But please try to remember you did not examine this young man. You just watched a short interview with a news reporter.
The Veterans Administration Hospital in Montross, NY did the examination.
And for the record he has been diagnosed with PTSD and your stating that you think he is suffering from guilt is just a statment of an individual who does not understand how serious this condition is.
It is people like you who confuse the public with your opinions while ignoring the facts.
You sympathise with Texas 468 but refuse to even accept the fact that this young man suffers from PTSD.
You owe him and all of the soldiers who have been diagnosed and those still out there suffering and dying so you can sit home and post comments about soilders having a guilty consciences an serious apology!
No chris_d3, this man is not suffering from a guilty conscience but you should be, for making that statetment.
posted by Stepfather of: Army Spc. Shawn Saunders
I''m so sorry your husband is going through this. PTSD affects every aspect of your life. I can definitely empathize with you. Thank God you two have each other. Imagine what it would be like going through it alone.
HTTP://WWW.CCHR.ORG
HTTP://WWW.SSRISTORIES.COM
On Veteran''s Day, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul today addressed a crowd of over 5,000 enthusiastic veterans and supporters in Philadelphia. The Veteran''s Day weekend rally took place at Independence Mall. Thousands of veterans and their friends and families heard country music superstar Rockie Lynne open the event for the Texas congressman. John Holland, the founder of a leading advocacy organization for troops, veterans, and POW/MIAs, delivered an enthusiastic endorsement of Congressman Paul, before the congressman addressed the crowd. The rally coincided with the launch of the Veterans for Paul Coalition, a group composed entirely of American war veterans. "Dr. Paul''s support among veterans is extremely high," said Paul campaign spokesman Joe Seehusen. "These great patriots who have fought for our country know that only Dr. Paul''s foreign policy of peace and secure borders can guarantee true national security, and they want him fighting for our country''s freedom." Congressman Paul was himself a Captain in the Air Force who served as a flight surgeon during the "totally unnecessary and illegal" Vietnam war. He receives more campaign contributions from former and active military and military affiliates than any other 2008 presidential candidate. youtube.com/watch?v=KzlqKoON3EM
Respectfully yours,
His mother.... Pamela Alston-Wilson
( Any Country that put its veterans as secound class citezens is DOOMED to lose their soverinty )
Although I agree with this I would like to add something.
Niccolo Machiavelli was misrepresentated and condemned by Pope Clement VIII because of his writing "The Prince". The main theme of this short book was that all means may be resorted to for the establishment and preservation of authority. (The end justifies the means) The worst and most treacherous acts of the ruler are justified by the wickedness and treachery of the governed. However this was not Machiavelli''s real philosophy. To read his real philosophy read "Discourses on Livy"
He was great however.
I served on a ship off shore. At times our ship came under fire and men lost their lives, but the VA doesn''t consider us eligible for PTSD because were not in a combat area, "boots on the ground".
I have Prostate Cancer, a disease related to exposure to Agent Orange. We took on water to distill for drinking, cooking, and bathing. In that water, was storm water runoff with AO in it. Blue Water Navy Veterans are 10 times more likely to come down with AO related diseases than the solders that served with boots on the ground.
After passing the AO act in 1992, they payed all Vietnam vets who suffered from the diseases related to AO. In 2002, when the Iraq War was in the planning stages, the VA realized that it would be short funded. It started looking for ways to cut cost. One of the ways it found was to deny any vet who did not put boots on the ground, for any claim related to AO. After paying 1000%u2019s of BWN Vets for exposure, they took away their disability pay.
In 2007, The Blue Water Navy Vets won a Court Decision in the "Haas" case that said they were to get the same benefits as other Vietnam Vets that were exposed. The VA appealed that decision and is trying to rewrite the rules. They want to rescind M21-1 in the Federal Register so if they loose in appeal, they can still deny Blue Water Navy Vets.
I am sorry for the use of the word "majority". It just seems that way to me sometimes. There are so many that say they support the troops but nothing ever gets done. I think that the majority maybe care and feel pitty but never enough to demand change and get things changed. The ones like Texas468 that deal with it every hour of every day are the ones that realy care. For the rest they feel bad at the stories and such but not bad enough to call or write these "on the take goverment people" and demand change.
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