WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING TO OUR VETERANS…
I received the following information about what’s really happening to the soldiers who are returning from Iraq with serious emotional issues. It is deeply disturbing, but we need to know what our government is doing in order to demand accountability and better treatment for those who have suffered while doing our government’s dirty work.
This is from a joint VoteVets.org/ CREW statement this morning:
http://www.votevets.org/news?id=0132
Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and VoteVets.org released an e-mail obtained from a Veterans Affairs (VA) employee directing VA staff to refrain from diagnosing soldiers and veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
On March 20, 2008 a VA hospital’s PTSD program coordinator sent an e-mail to a number of VA employees, including psychologists, social workers, and a psychiatrist stating that due to an increased number of “compensation seeking veterans,” the staff should “refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out” and they should “R/O [rule out] PTSD” and consider a diagnosis of “Adjustment Disorder” instead.
Here’s what was said in the actual email written on March 20, 2008:
Given that we are having more compenation seeking veterans, I’d like to suggest that you refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out. Consider a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder, R/O PTSD.
Additionally, we really don’t have time to do the extensive testing that should be done to determine PTSD.
Also, there have been some incidents where the veteran has a C & P, is not given a diagnosis of PTSD, then the veteran comes here and we give the diagnosis, and the veteran appeals his case based on our assessment.
This is just a suggestion for the reasons listed above.
June 7th, 2008 at 8:56 am
“Paying the price” as these vets are doing with their lives should not be something our country (US too) hesitates to do. War exacts costs. The monetary ones, at the very least, are ours to pay.
It’s so disheartening to witness such unwillingness to step up (or shall we say, stay the course?).
June 7th, 2008 at 9:48 am
I am a vietnam veteran who has PTSD,some thing I have had since 1969.I am being treated at the VA clinic in College station.Tx.witch is under the central texas health care system in temple .Tx.I was diagnosised with PTSD in 2005 and started treatment in early 2007.i filled a claim in Mar.07 and Have not heard any thing yet.If a C&P doc.says you have some thing else and your doc diagnosis of PTSD then thats just another way the VA puts off paying you for it.it will take years for you to get an appeal through.Another GWB way of not taking care of the people that take care of this country…..