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Peter1469
05-02-2014, 05:26 PM
General Mattis on PTSD (http://www.military1.com/army/article/461498-general-mattis-next-mission-destroying-the-ptsd-victim-myth)

I am not sure how I feel about this.


Except that it matters to General Mattis, and we should probably care what he thinks because chances are he's right. The problem, he contends, is that eventually we start believing it. We start seeing ourselves as broken. We buy into the myth.


The alternative is something so obvious that it is pathetic we don't talk about it more. "There is also Post-Traumatic Growth," Mattis told the crowd. "You come back from war stronger and more sure of who you are."

Cthulhu
05-02-2014, 05:36 PM
General Mattis on PTSD (http://www.military1.com/army/article/461498-general-mattis-next-mission-destroying-the-ptsd-victim-myth)

I am not sure how I feel about this.

Depends on the man and his outcome. There are guys that have no arms and no legs. Sorry, but no matter how your church that up he isn't stronger than when he went in.

Then you have guys who were total push overs, fat slobs, or drifting nobodys who the military literally rescued and turned into something great or at the very least put a halt on the descent - provided the service itself doesn't destroy them via military operations.

I would say the military is still no substitute for parenting.

Libhater
05-03-2014, 05:21 AM
The general is right in so many ways. Of course each PTSD case should be judged in a subjective manner, since each of us who suffer from
the ravages of PTSD do so under totally differing circumstances while possessing a wide range of debilitating symptoms.

I found approximately 50% of the VA clinicians dealing with PTSD veterans had prescribed psychotropic drugs as a means to alleviate the
veterans' symptomatic bouts with trauma. Many of these VA clinicians never served in the military, and for all intents and purposes have
no clue as to the extent of emotional/mental damage that is done to each veteran as he goes through the system looking for answers for
his own welfare.


I said it here before that I've had PTSD symptoms since being subjected to physical and emotional abuse by my father back to my adolescence
days.


Keeping in tune with what the general's theme was of ignoring those negative PTSD labels by working to make oneself stronger has been the
driving force behind my Conservative values as a human being. I have never sat on the pity pot of despair expecting to be seen as nothing more
than a burnt-out combat veteran who needs to be pacified by others and living day by day in a suspended state of euphoria from diligently
popping my Prozac pills while doing the Thorazine shuffle from the bedroom to the bathroom. No, I have too much pent up energy (not anger)
to stay bed-ridden in a society where people make a living out of faking various symptoms so as to become a useless ward of the state.


I think the general had people like the Green Arrow in mind when he railed against those looking to belittle or to discourage PTSD veterans
from bettering themselves. For the Green Arrow thinks that I'm a fake and a troll. Nothing could be further from the truth. Because I have
solid Conservative values, I will not give up the fight; I will tell you directly what is on my mind; I will not cater to the whims of the overly
sensitive or to the leftists who give support to those looking to use their perceived victimhood as a means to curry favor to those who would
give them a free ride through life.


So I'm all in favor of "Post Traumatic" growth. What would be the alternative?..... Post traumatic failure! I only envision post traumatic failure
coming from a leftist's perspective. I would call that the leftists' 'Post Traumatic Utopia'

Libhater
05-04-2014, 08:50 AM
Another thing that should be quite obvious is that the general in question here shows all the signs of being a staunch Conservative. He
has strong/principled values and believes in the individual as with his faith in the traumatized veterans to rise above their emotional
handicaps to forge ahead in being the best they can be despite whatever debilitating label the pre-conditioned civilian crowd deems them
to be or have.

Peter1469
05-04-2014, 09:33 AM
Another thing that should be quite obvious is that the general in question here shows all the signs of being a staunch Conservative. He
has strong/principled values and believes in the individual as with his faith in the traumatized veterans to rise above their emotional
handicaps to forge ahead in being the best they can be despite whatever debilitating label the pre-conditioned civilian crowd deems them
to be or have.

Hey David, got any cross burnings to go to? I grew up not to far from you and I know a bunch of your good friends.

Libhater
05-04-2014, 01:40 PM
Hey David, got any cross burnings to go to? I grew up not to far from you and I know a bunch of your good friends.

I take it that with your avoidance of my comments concerning the Conservative values of the general, that you agree with me that the general
was and is indeed a die-hard Conservative? You might also be aware that my good friend David Duke is also a dye-in-the wool Conservative,
and he also shares the same if not similar values as me and the fine general.

Peter1469
05-04-2014, 01:44 PM
I take it that with your avoidance of my comments concerning the Conservative values of the general, that you agree with me that the general
was and is indeed a die-hard Conservative? You might also be aware that my good friend David Duke is also a dye-in-the wool Conservative,
and he also shares the same if not similar values as me and the fine general.

I know David Duke and his fan base. :smiley:

Libhater
05-05-2014, 05:43 AM
I know David Duke and his fan base. :smiley:

Good for you.

Max Rockatansky
05-05-2014, 06:54 AM
General Mattis on PTSD (http://www.military1.com/army/article/461498-general-mattis-next-mission-destroying-the-ptsd-victim-myth)

I am not sure how I feel about this.

I liked it. General Mattis had a good point. He's not denying PTSD exists, simply pointing out changing how we look at it. Should vets look at themselves as victims? Weak, broken and unrepairable souls whose only treatment is to medicate them into a stupor? Or should take a more Nietzschean view; "What does not kill me, makes me stronger"? Heal our wounds and move forward?

Everyone who works out knows that sore muscles are caused by micro-tears in their muscle fibers. The muscles have to be torn so they can be rebuilt more strongly.

"The myth of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder tells us that we are now broken and cannot be repaired. We are a threat to ourselves and others. We need medication to be stable. We will be constantly challenged by the civilian world as we stumble along, out of phase with the safe and boring environment back home.
What if instead we could look forward to rapid growth as we heal from our wounds stronger than ever before? What if we could rebuild ourselves, and all we needed was the loving support of those around us and a little bit of time? Progress, evolution, healing, restoration - these are watchwords of Post-Traumatic Growth."

waltky
11-01-2016, 02:26 AM
They asked what?!...
http://www.politicalforum.com/images/smilies/icon_omg.gif
Combat Vet With PTSD Sues American Airlines for Barring Service Dog
Oct 31, 2016 - An Army vet who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan claims in a lawsuit that American Airlines refused to let her board a plane with her service dog.


The Army Times reports that Lisa McCombs, of Gulfport, Miss., brought the lawsuit, saying she was humiliated last year when airline staff refused to let her fly home with the dog who helps her deal with her disability and has the papers to prove it. McCombs left the Army as a captain in 2009 after four years of service. The dog is a chocolate Labrador retriever named Jake. The Army Times reported that it tried to interview McCombs about the lawsuit but she referred a reporter to her attorney.


http://images04.military.com/media/offduty/leisure/american-airlines-tail-1500-ts600.jpg
This photo July 17, 2015, photo shows the tails of four American Airlines passenger planes parked at Miami International Airport, in Miami.

The paper reported that when it reached the attorney he declined to comment. The lawsuit says Jake wasn't allowed to fly with McCombs even though the airline says it welcomes service dogs on flights. It took McCombs and Jake two days to fly home. WLOX-TV reported that the lawsuit says American Airline agents were rude and condescending to McCombs in Kansas.

The lawsuit says agents asked her "Are you trying to fly with that?" and "What is your disability anyway?" according to the station. Her lawusit claims violations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and seeks unspecified damages. American Airline spokesman Matt Miller told the Army Times that Jim Palmersheim, the airline's senior manager of Military and Veterans Programs, spoke to McCombs immediately after the incident. He also said the airline had no comment on the lawsuit.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/10/31/combat-vet-ptsd-sues-american-airlines-barring-service-dog.html

Peter1469
11-01-2016, 05:03 AM
Malaria drug causes brain damage that mimics PTSD: case study (http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2016/08/11/malaria-drug-causes-permanent-brain-damage-case-study/88528568/)

The case of a service member diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder but found instead to have brain damage caused by a malaria drug raises questions about the origin of similar symptoms in other post-9/11 veterans.

According to the case study published online in Drug Safety Case Reports in June, a U.S. military member sought treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for uncontrolled anger, insomnia, nightmares and memory loss.


The once-active sailor, who ran marathons and deployed in 2009 to East Africa, reported stumbling frequently, arguing with his family and needing significant support from his staff while on the job due to cognitive issues.


Physicians diagnosed the service member with anxiety, PTSD and a thiamine deficiency. But after months of treatment, including medication, behavioral therapy and daily doses of vitamins, little changed.

waltky
01-18-2017, 03:39 AM
Air Force murder/suicide blamed on PTSD...
http://www.politicalforum.com/images/smilies/icon_omg.gif
Air Force: PTSD, Other Factors Led Airman to Kill Commander
Jan 17, 2017 — U.S. Air Force investigators have determined that post-traumatic stress disorder led an airman to fatally shoot his commander.


U.S. Air Force investigators have determined that post-traumatic stress disorder and the unraveling of a distinguished military career led an airman to fatally shoot his commander last year at a San Antonio base before killing himself, according to Air Force documents. The April shooting at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland prompted a lockdown and officials to abruptly end a nearby military training parade with thousands of spectators.

Investigators determined Tech. Sgt. Steven Bellino confronted Lt. Col. William Schroeder before the two struggled and Schroeder was shot multiple times. Both men were veterans of U.S. Special Operations Command. Air Force documents given to the San Antonio Express-News by Bellino's family show he participated in an elite pararescue program with Schroeder but did not complete it.


http://images04.military.com/media/news/service/battle-cross-1500-ts600.jpg
A battle cross is on display, April 15, 2016, at Avon Park Air Force Range. U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 93d Air Ground Operations Wing set up the cross for Lt. Col. William Schroeder, who was killed April 8.

Investigators believe Bellino, 41, resented the outcome following a remarkable military career that included repeated tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and time as an Army Ranger and Green Beret. He also had served as an FBI agent and was a CIA contractor before enlisting in the Air Force and attempting to join the elite unit.

Friends say Bellino was idealistic and a man of exacting fairness, according to the newspaper. He lived up to the letter of the law and expected it of others, even once accusing a sergeant major of lying in front of a roomful of soldiers. But a series of perceived slights and violations of his sense of honor had accumulated long before he arrived at Lackland. "I do not like this world, and I do not want to be a part of it any longer," Bellino wrote in August 2015, the month he quit the pararescue program and then went home to Ohio and was charged with being absent without leave. "I've searched for many years to find a home consistent with my ethics and such a place does not exist." His comments came in a note that investigators found in a flash drive and they were written about the time his PTSD symptoms appeared to intensify.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/17/air-force-ptsd-other-factors-led-airman-kill-commander.html

See also:

PTSD and Marriage: 5 Things Spouses Need to Know
You never invited PTSD to be a part of your marriage. But there it is anyway, making everything harder.


Sometimes you want to give up. Why does everything have to be so, so hard? Other times, you wish someone would just give you a manual for dealing with the whole thing. Surely there's a way to know how to handle this disease? Like the rest of marriage, loving someone who suffers from PTSD or who is trying to work through the ghosts of combat doesn't come with a guidebook. And although the whole thing can feel very isolating (everyone else seems fine! Is my marriage the only one in trouble?) that doesn't mean you're alone.

Therapists who specialize in PTSD know that while some couples may put on a good show for the outside world, dealing with trauma is hard work and, no, everything is not perfect. If you're dealing with PTSD at home, you are not alone. Husband and wife team Marc and Sonja Raciti are working to help military couples work through how PTSD can impact their marriages. Marc, a veteran, has written a book on the subject, "I Just Want To See Trees: A Journey Through PTSD." Sonja is a licensed professional counselor.


http://images05.military.com/media/spouse/ptsd-marriage-1500-ts600.jpg
PTSD and marriage.

The Racitis said there are five things that a spouse dealing with PTSD in marriage should know.

1. It's normal for PTSD to impact the whole family.

If you feel like your life has changed since PTSD came to your home, you're probably right. The habits that might help your spouse get through the day, like avoiding crowded spaces, may become your habits too. "PTSD is a disease of avoidance -- so you avoid those triggers that the person with PTSD has -- but as the partner you begin to do the same thing," Sonja Raciti said. Remember that marriage is a team sport, and it's OK to tackle together the things that impact it.

2. Get professional help

. The avoidance that comes with PTSD doesn't just mean avoiding certain activities -- it can also mean avoiding dealing with the trauma head on. But trying to handle PTSD alone is a mistake, the Racitis said. "We both are really big into seeking treatment, getting a professional to really help you and see what treatment you're going to benefit from," Sonja said. "Finding a clinician who you meet with, and click with and really specializes in PTSD is so, so important."

3. No, you're not the one with PTSD. But you may have symptoms anyway. (http://www.military.com/spouse/relationships/military-marriage/ptsd-and-marriage-4-things-spouses-need-to-know.html)

waltky
01-28-2017, 05:48 AM
How can a caregiver go about understanding PTSD in veterans?...
http://www.politicalforum.com/images/smilies/confused.gif
Help for Caretakers: Understanding PTSD in Veterans
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is one of the invisible wounds of war often discussed in popular culture. But it's also a very real diagnosis. How can a caregiver go about understanding PTSD in veterans? What are the symptoms, and what can families do about PTSD?


PsychArmor, a non-profit dedicated to bridging the military-civilian divide by providing resources to help community members and others engage veterans, has free video courses on a variety of military-related issues. This section of PsychArmor's Invisible Wounds of War at Home caretaker and family video series focuses on PTSD. In the first video, Heidi Kraft, a clinical psychologist, Navy veteran and PsychArmor's clinical director, helps caregivers and families answer the question "what is PTSD" while also discussing the stigma that still surrounds the problem.


http://images01.military.com/media/spouse/army-family-walking-1200x800-ts600.jpg
An Army family walks hand-in-hand

Understanding PTSD in Veterans: What Are the Symptoms?

Next, Kraft looks at the symptoms of PTSD to help family members get a better understanding of PTSD in veterans. Among those symptoms, Kraft says, are avoidance, negative changes in moods, and symptoms of feeling "amped up, aggravated, anxious." Another symptom, she says, is inner conflict that can lead to depression. Kraft talks in detail about how each of the symptoms looks or might be experienced by veterans, complete with real-life examples of the ways she has seen the symptoms in her patients. She also discusses why the circumstances created by these symptoms can cause major life problems that veterans cannot handle without help.

Understanding PTSD in Veterans: What Can Families Do?

In this final installment on PTSD, Kraft talks about what families can do to help their veterans deal with PTSD. First, she says, families should know that any given veteran's symptoms are not the fault of his or her family members, but rather a part of a traumatic event. The PTSD patient is not actually angry at the family or the kids, Kraft says, he is simply displaying the symptoms of the disease. PTSD affects the whole family. But there is hope. In this video, Kraft details what families can do to understand and assist their veterans, starting with patience and understanding. There's nothing easy about taking care of someone with PTSD, she says, but there are resources to help in your journey toward understanding PTSD.

http://www.military.com/spouse/military-life/wounded-warriors/help-for-caretakers-understanding-ptsd-in-veterans.html

waltky
11-08-2017, 05:24 PM
H.R. 918 passes House...
http://www.politicalwrinkles.com/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif
Vets Mental Health Care Act Passes House
7 Nov 2017 | The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously passed the Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act.


Veterans denied basic mental health care service benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs because of an "other than honorable" discharge may soon be able to receive the care they need. The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously passed the Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act, spearheaded by Rep. Mike Coffman, a Colorado Republican and Marine Corps combat veteran. "Today, this House sent a critical message to our men and women in uniform," Coffman said in a release. "That message is that you are not alone. We are here to help those suffering from the 'invisible' wounds of war. "The passage of [this bill] is an important bipartisan effort to ensure that our combat veterans receive the mental health care services they need. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this bill across the finish line," he said.

The legislation, H.R. 918, would require the VA to provide initial mental health assessments and services deemed necessary, including for those at risk of suicide and or of harming others, regardless of whether the individual has an "other than honorable" discharge. Currently, individuals who have such discharges, known as "bad paper," are not eligible for veteran benefits beyond some emergency mental health services. Veterans who received a dishonorable or bad-conduct discharge would still be ineligible to access the services. "It's important that we give all of our combat veterans, irrespective of the discharges they receive, access to mental health care through the Veterans [Affairs Department]," Coffman told Military.com during an interview in February, when he reintroduced the bill. He is the only House member to serve in both the first Iraq War and Operation Iraqi Freedom.


https://images01.military.com/media/benefits/tricare/mental-health-bench-1200-ts600.jpg

At the time, Coffman said of the "bad-paper" separations, "I question the nature of the discharges in the first place, and I'm exploring that." A May 2017 Government Accountability Office report found 62 percent of the 91,764 service members separated for minor forms of misconduct between fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2015 had been diagnosed within two years prior to separation with post- traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or other conditions that could be associated with their misconduct, according to the release. The bill applies to those with other-than-honorable discharges who served served in a combat zone or area of hostilities; piloted unmanned aircraft; or experienced a military sexual trauma. The VA secretary can sign off on outside care if specific care at a VA facility is clinically inadvisable; or if the VA is unable to provide necessary mental health care due to geographic location barriers.

H.R. 918 also requires the VA to establish a formal "character of service" determination process, triggering reviews of the "character of discharge" for potential eligibility of VA benefits. High Ground Veterans Advocacy, a grassroots organization training veterans to become leaders and activists in their local communities, has advocated for the move. "There are some veterans out there who've been waiting for this day for decades -- but there's still a fight ahead of us," said High Ground founder and chairman Kristofer Goldsmith. "Until the Senate passes this bill, and the president signs it -- some of our nation's most vulnerable veterans, who served between Vietnam and today's Forever Wars, are being denied the holistic care that they deserve from the VA," he said in an email.

Goldsmith continued, "Today, the House recognized that the United States has failed to care for hundreds of thousands of veterans in the way that they deserve -- veterans who were administratively discharged and stripped of a lifetime of essential benefits without the right to due process. “But the problem isn't yet fixed. Until Congress holds hearings dedicated to looking at the problem of bad-paper discharges, we won't have all available solutions on the table," he said.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/11/07/vets-mental-health-care-act-passes-house.html

Kacper
11-08-2017, 05:51 PM
General Mattis on PTSD (http://www.military1.com/army/article/461498-general-mattis-next-mission-destroying-the-ptsd-victim-myth)

I am not sure how I feel about this.
Since the thread is necroed and this post is old but interesting, I kind of agree with him with the caveat that there is not a one-sized solution here. Some people, too many people, get down range stuck in their head and talking about it and such just keeps them stuck there. These are often the people no matter what you try to do for them, there is going to be nothing you can do for them. Others benefit from various forms of formal support. Others just rely on their buddies and families if needed but otherwise don't talk about it and trudge on through. While a lot of professionals disagree, sometimes intellectualizing, compartmentalizing and moving on is the very best thing for some people to do.