Good Enough to Fight The War~ But Don't Come Home With PTSD!

Are you referring to your title here, or this first sentence in that blog?

Is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) real?

I, too, know it is real.

I served in the Marine Corps for more than 21 years and saw a lot of it.

My husband suffers from it greatly.

My son served three tours as a grunt in Iraq.

It's real, alright. I do know that the VA health care system is being a lot more vigilant in treating it in recent years than they ever were before. Many more veterans from prior conflicts (and PTSD is not always from war time experiences, I know) are coming forward and getting the treatment they need and deserve because it's much more in the lime-light now. It's no longer hush hush, a disgrace, a weakness, something you don't talk about.

I do have other issues with the health care system, but that's a whole 'nother issue, so I won't commandeer your discussion.

I did a post recently bringing to readers attention the multi-trillion dollar cost of this war - so far. This was also a news item from a reputable news source. Countries that participated in previous world wars, also Vietnam are still paying the cost to soldiers effected by PTSD. As much as soldiers are trained to fight to the death, nothing really prepares them for the real deal, killing. Blood and blown up body parts, the images of dying children leaves massive scars of the mind. Psychological damage that soldiers are thought to be prepared for but are not. Not to mention their own missing limbs. Easy to say when you are saluting your Sergeant Major that you will fight for your country, be brave and strong and not crack up. That is not the real deal at all.

If you want soldiers to fight for your country, then be prepared to cover the cost of their disturbed minds afterwards. I think governments play down this side effect of war. I'm not sure why, perhaps they do not want to put off other young men and women who they need to join the army or navy or airforce.

Huh. I found this really interesting because I have PTSD, though not from anything associated with war. I wonder how that diagnosis looks on my own record.

As for the treatment of veterans with PTSD, I can't believe that's even being debated. How can the government send human being out to fight a war which pretty much guarantees to damage them mentally and then try to say "Oh, it's not real" when they come back with that damage? Arg!

This also makes me think about the differences between mental health professionals that treat civilians and the ones in the veteran-care industry. There seemed no problem slapping a PTSD label on me, but then it didn't cost the government anything for me to get that diagnosis, but when it means the government has to take responsibility, everyone has to argue over what PTSD is or if it even exists. Interesting how that works.

My husband has PTSD from the Vietnam war. He didn't understand it until 30 years later when I made him go to the VA and find out what was wrong. Unfortunately our government is very reluctant to admit complicity to anything that might cost them a lot of money in the lon run. Heck, they just admited to the effects of Agent Orange a few years ago. That is really sad when these people gave everything to stand up for "our" rights to argue that they are non-the-less for wear. "we" weren't there, they were. God bless all the heroes who fought for us. It's time to treat them right.

Okay I suffer from Chronic PTSD and have since childhood..do I really want to read whats in that link?? PTSD is VERY real and it can be a hellish thing to deal with in fact it IS a hellish thing to deal with hands down...for anyone to suggest even for a minute that its fake is bogus..for anyone to imply that vets in particular are "faking it" and it doesnt need to be addressed is just sickening!

*big sigh*..I'm gonna have to read the link I know..I'll do that later when my head is more up for it

I think it really stinks that people with PTSD are being cast aside like nothing ever happened to them. My husband was in Viet Nam, and he battles is PTSD every day. I've been able to help him with it. When is the government going to wake up?

I think it's really sad that anyone should resent helping those who sacrificed for us. I heard in the news about a week ago that the suicide rate among Iraqi war veterans is increasing, and it's something that our government really doesn't want to make public.