The latest from PTSD Combat:
- Blackwater Employee PTSD Care Questioned
- Action Item: Tell Congress to Approve Veterans' Budget Now
- Combat PTSD Stigma Fades Somewhat, Funding Fight and Political Disillusionment Come Into Focus
- Veterans Disability Benefits Commission Releases Report, Recommends Sweeping System Overhaul
- First 'Veterans Village' Set to Open in California in November
- Studies, Reports, Promises and Reality: Another Deplorable Case of Veteran Neglect
- College Students: Mental Health Care Field Needs You
- South Dakota VA Hosts Retreat for Female Veterans and Military Family Members
- Are PTSD Veterans Slated to Lose Their Right to Possess Firearms?
- A Look at the Unease of Transitioning to Homefront Living Following Combat
- Real Time Interview with Ken Burns
Click on headline (if linked) to read more..
Blackwater Employee PTSD Care Questioned
From ABC News:
Along with congressional hearings on allegations of recklessness against Blackwater USA security forces in Iraq, questions are also being raised about the way military contractors deal with traumatic stress while overseas and upon returning home.
The House began hearings Tuesday on the military contractor Blackwater following reports about the company's employees in Iraq who were linked to the killings of 11 Iraqi civilians in September...In light of the high-profile incidents, possible explanations for the company's actions are emerging, including psychological harm such as post-traumatic stress that led to erratic behavior by some contractors.
"I have never heard of a company offering psychological counseling," a military contractor who works for another company said on the condition of anonymity because of his firm's involvement with the Blackwater investigation.
In February we looked at the mental health care given to private government contractors returning from work in combat zones like Iraq. While the focus at that time was on insurance coverage denial, related questions are rising from the current Blackwater story.
One problem area is the responsibility private companies have -- or do not have -- for providing returning employees access to sufficient health care resources (to treat PTSD, for example, if necessary). And how proactive do these private companies need to be in designing and delivering such a health care system?
Action Item: Tell Congress to Approve Veterans' Budget Now
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is spearheading a campaign directed at moving our congressional leaders to approve the delayed veterans' budget. They've collected funds to air a television commercial and are collecting signatures for a petition. It's not too late to donate or to add your name if you feel you'd like to support this worthy cause.
The commercial is below, and more details at article link above.
As Combat PTSD Stigma Fades Somewhat, Funding Fight and Political Disillusionment Come Into Focus
Today's New York Daily News quotes two highly-decorated veterans appointed to the House Veterans Disability Benefits Commission.
They've spent over two years studying the problems of the Veterans Administration health care system. In discussing their 113 recommendations (released earlier in the month), comments by one of its distinguished members, retired Marine Maj. Gen. James Livingston, brought to focus how far we've come in our work to destigmatize combat PTSD:
They were an unlikely bunch of soldiers to be making the case for the "talking cure" before Congress last week. They once dismissed it as a copout for shirkers and wimps.
"Absolutely, we've gone through a transition" over the years, said retired Marine Maj. Gen. James Livingston, who wears the Medal of Honor from Vietnam. "Now I'm a believer in early intervention" by therapists in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, the diagnosis for what was called battle fatigue or shell shock in wars gone by, Livingston said.
While we've made great inroads (especially when considering that a rough, tough guy like Livingston has come around full-circle in his attitude towards the psychological wounds of war), the truth is that our changed attitudes are worthless if we don't follow up with the proper response.
Proper response means we make sure that we not only learn from all of these time- and resource-consuming studies, but also that we act on what we've learned. That means putting informed recommendations into action. That means funding these valuable recommendations fully and not being insincere about how we as a nation say we support our military families.
But as we move forward in destigmatizing the way many of us think about combat PTSD, we haven't even begun to move forward in dealing with another very real stigma against those vets who dare to say that part of their combat PTSD is related to disillusionment with the war that they participated in.
From the Department of Veterans Affairs Iraq War Clinician Guide:
Over time, soldiers develop a belief system about themselves, their role in the military, the military culture, etc. War can be traumatizing not only because of the specific terrorizing or grotesque war-zone experiences but also due to dashed or painfully shattered expectations and beliefs about perceived coping capabilities, military identity, and so forth."
'So forth' can include becoming disillusioned with the war itself.
And that 'so forth' can include disillusionment with the way they're treated once they get back home.
If we learned nothing else from the experience of Viet Nam veterans, it is this: Disillusionment with the reality of war and its aftermath and the role individual soldiers play in it is as much a part of combat PTSD for some as are flashbacks or nightmares of blood and gore, or grief and guilt over the loss of battle buddies and admired leaders.
Let's take a look at these two issues, 1) putting our money where are mouths are when it comes to funding and acting on what we've learned and 2) allowing returning troops the nonjudgmental space to process their experience candidly without stigmatizing those who have returned disillusioned and perhaps even bitter about the war they fought in.
Veterans Disability Benefits Commission Releases Report, Recommends Sweeping System Overhaul
From the Associated Press:
Veterans disability payments should be increased immediately by up to 25 percent as part of a sweeping overhaul designed to compensate for a wounded warrior's lost "quality of life," a special commission recommended Wednesday.
The 2 1/2-year study [full report :: executive summary]...by the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission offers the most comprehensive look yet at the ailing government benefits system that provides millions of injured veterans with about $30 billion a year in payments.
Tracking the findings of recent reports that detailed flaws in veterans care, the 13-member congressional commission concluded in its 544-page report that both the Pentagon and Veterans Affairs Department fall woefully short in providing adequate mental health care as well as timely and fair disability payments.
First 'Veterans Village' Set to Open in California in November
This is wonderful news to share, and an update of a June 2006 post. It shows the power of one, boosted by the power of many.
From the Stockton Record:
An unexpected donation of land and a four-story building in Sonoma County has ramped up a Tracy woman's plans for a retreat center to segue soldiers from the battlefield to civilian life.
The building, in final phases of construction on a wooded hillside outside idyllic Guerneville, and 2 acres of farmland will serve as a pilot location for Nadia McCaffrey's Veterans' Village, a self-sustaining counseling and job-training center for armed forces members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Studies, Reports, Promises and Reality: Another Deplorable Case of Veteran Neglect
Years of studies, and endless reports showing that the veteran health care system is broken in America. Endless promises made by politicians and overseers of the system. And yet another unbelievable, maddening, saddening, deplorable case of neglect has led to the stateside death of a veteran injured in an Iraqi roadside bomb attack.
From the Associated Press:
An Indiana National Guardsman who died while in the care of an Army unit for wounded soldiers was alone, in excruciating pain and had not been seen by doctors for days, his family said.
Sgt. Gerald Cassidy, 32, of Westfield, died in a chair on the third floor of a renovated barracks at Fort Knox, Ky., in September – five months after arriving at the post with what his family said was brain damage suffered in a roadside explosion in Iraq.
Cassidy’s mother, Kay McMullen, of Carmel, said Tuesday that the manner of his death – and inconsistent treatment that included the Army denying him pain medication – cast doubt on the quality of care for service members if the severely wounded are being left to fend for themselves.
"He died because the Army didn’t care for him," she said tearfully. "He came back from Iraq, and they killed him."
College Students: Mental Health Care Field Needs You
From my Northern Star column today:
There is a need for health care professionals in our military. Don’t know what to do after college? Maybe you can answer the call.
Leo J. Shapiro & Associates is a premier Chicago-based market research firm. Every month, the 50-year-old company surveys Americans on how they feel about a variety of issues, such as spending and saving, consumer prices and the stock market, and income and job security.
In August, they reported that nearly 40 percent of us are worried about losing our income because of a job layoff or cut in work hours.
It was the fourth month in a row that Americans were so downbeat. Clearly, a lot of us are anxious about our future. And college students are no different. If anything, their anxieties are compounded: College students not only worry about their future job security, they also worry about choosing the right major.
South Dakota VA Hosts Retreat for Female Veterans and Military Family Members
From the Rapid City Journal:
The specialized Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Outpatient Treatment Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs Black Hills Health Care System is hosting a women's retreat Friday through Sunday, Oct. 19-21, at Fort Meade VA Medical Center.
The semiannual weekend retreat, beginning at noon Oct. 19, is for women veterans of all eras and family members (wives, significant others, mothers, adult daughters, etc.) of male combat veterans. The major objectives of the retreat are to help provide participants a better understanding of PTSD and an opportunity to develop new perspectives in relationships.
Participants must be screened and preregister by calling the SUPT Program at 720-7449 or 1-800-743-1070, Ext. 7449.
More upcoming veteran-focused events.
Are PTSD Veterans Slated to Lose Their Right to Possess Firearms?
I haven't peered deeply enough into this issue, but I've been hearing bits and pieces of this story for the past couple of months. The following explanation of this hot button issue is from a Military.com column by VAWatchdog.org editor Larry Scott:
There is no such thing as the "Veterans Disarmament Act." There is no pending legislation that would take firearms away from veterans. There is no pending legislation that would prevent a person with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), veteran or not, from purchasing a firearm or ammo.
But, there is a huge campaign of misinformation and scare tactics being forwarded by a small gun owners group who view themselves to be in competition with the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Let’s use some common sense instead of nonsense. If veterans were to lose the right to own firearms, you’d have a lot of unemployed cops. If those who have PTSD were to lose that right, there’d be even more unemployed cops and other first responders, as well. The arguments about a "Veterans Disarmament Act" are, quite simply, ridiculous and illogical.
The piece of legislation is question is H.R. 2640, the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007. H.R. 2640 was carefully-crafted by the NRA and Members of Congress to protect the rights of gun owners, especially those who may have mental health issues such as PTSD.
Alert: Tell your public officials how you feel about this legislation.
Deep Breathing Techniques for Stress Release
YouTube is not only a great source of news and entertainment clips, it's also got some wonderful instructional videos. I've collected a few here that focus on better breathing techniques to aid in stress release.
Yoga Chicago recently reported on the usefulness of deep breathing and meditation exercises for those coping with PTSD:
The U.S. Department of Defense has not yet fully embraced yoga, but the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. is seeing impressive results from it. A recent feasibility study conducted there indicated that a particular approach of yoga had a positive effect on military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The study, funded by the Samueli Foundation, a private grant-making institution dedicated to facilitating positive change and enabling individuals to achieve their potential, used a protocol of Yoga Nidra meditation to examine its healing effect on US active-duty soldiers who were experiencing PTSD from their experiences in the Afghanistan and Iraq war zones. Yoga Nidra uses deep relaxation, deep breathing and meditation to systematically reduce physical, emotional, mental and even subconscious tension.
Click on article link above for videos.
A Look at the Unease of Transitioning to Homefront Living Following Combat
Last week, the New York Times examined concerns some of the 3,300 soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division’s Second Brigade have after winding up their 15-month combat tour. It's a good window into the anxious feelings many troops have at homecoming.
On bases big and small south of Baghdad, the scrambled reality of war has become routine: an unending loop of anxious driving in armored Humvees, gallons of Gatorade, laughter at the absurd and 4 a.m. raids into intimate Iraqi bedrooms.
This is Iraq for the 3,300 soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division’s Second Brigade, and many have come to the unfortunate realization that it now feels more like home than home.
No brigade in the Army has spent more days deployed since Sept. 11, 2001, and with only a few weeks to go before ending their 15-month tour, the soldiers here are eager to go. But they are also nervous about what their minds will carry back, given the psychic toll of war day after day and the prospect of additional tours.
Real Time Interview with Ken Burns
Bill Maher had director Ken Burns ("The War") on his show this past weekend; well worth a viewing.