Complaints flare over soldiers' mental health care

[Barrett808]

Complaints flare over soldiers' mental health care
JON SARCHE
Associated Press
Posted on Tue, Dec. 28, 2004

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - When National Guard Sgt. Jeffrey Sloss returned home last May after nearly a year of duty in Iraq and Kuwait, his wife and 10-year-old stepdaughter immediately knew something was wrong.

The 33-year-old seemed different, unable to concentrate or perform simple tasks on his job as a South Carolina state trooper.

He feared seeking psychological help because of what it might mean for his career, said his wife, who nonetheless persuaded him to call an Army program that helps soldiers find treatment. But he wasn't truthful on the phone, answering no when asked whether he thought of harming himself.

Just a few hours later, with his stepdaughter playing outside, Sloss shot himself in the heart as his wife rushed to try to knock the gun out of his hand.

The psychological toll from the war in Iraq is climbing, according to new research and experts who cite the severe stress of fighting a deadly insurgency. Though the Pentagon says mental health care, including battlefield counseling, is expanding, critics counter that military suicides and post-traumatic stress disorder cases have exposed gaps in how treatment is delivered to soldiers.

"There have been improvements. We have now combat stress teams in Iraq, we have programs for soldiers when they come back," said Stephen Robinson, executive director of the National Gulf War Resource Center, a veterans advocacy group. "But it's still the military's dirty little secret that lives are shattered and often we don't do enough when the war is over and these people have to deal with the consequences of what they saw and did."

(more)

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/10514105.htm

[rkc3]

1. Remember - bush loves veterans. The stupid fucker.

[autorank]

2. PTSD, depression,, etc. are a natural outcome of war, this one for sure.

The 911 tragedy showed how limited we are in terms of providing trauma treatment to those in mass disasters. The NY mental health community did a beautiful job of responding to the crisis and many people who needed help had the opportunity. I fear for the well being of our soldiers returning from Iraq. The situation over there is pure Hell. In order to honor them and their willingness to serve, the military needs to put together a comprehensive trauma treatment resource program NOW. They can talk to people at the various professional associations (American Psychological Association, American Mental Health Counselors Assn., National Assoc. of Social Workers, American Psychiatric Assn.) and find the best models. They can also talk to professionals in New York City who set up a system to treat hundreds of thousands of trauma survivors. It can be done if there is the will. Our guys deserve it.

[LynnTheDem]

3. Military est's there will be over 100,000 troops seriously mentally ill

caused by bush's wars of aggression.

[skylarmae]

4. its stories like this that freak me out.

my eyes well up and I have to fight crying. I don't know any of these people, but this fucks with me !!!

[rocktivity]

5. The guy who shot Dimebag Darrell had been out of the Marines for a year

after being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. I wonder if he saw any action in the Mideast, and kind of followup care he was getting.

:headbang:
rocknation

[gennifer6]

7. The general public's ignorance about mental illness doesn't help....

That kid who shot Darrell, his Mom said that she had bought him the gun he used for his BIRTHDAY......last time I realized I had a brain cell, you don't buy a paranoid schizophrenic a gun and wrap it in a pretty bow. The families of these soldiers have to be very very aware of their behaviour and moods and be ready to act at a moment's notice.

[rocktivity]

9. The mom gave him the gun a year before his Marines discharge

What she should have done was inform his doctor, the police, and the licensing bureau that she knew of a gun owner who had a disease with the word "paranoid' in its name!

:headbang:
rocknation

[autorank]

8. It's fucking insane to let a true paranoid schizophrenic go w/out drugs.

Just insane. I was just appalled at Dimebag's death, so senseless and awful. Now this! Paranoid schizophrenia is a real medical condition that totally distorts reality. Medication helps a great deal. How on earth does something like this happen?

[rocktivity]

10. Dimebag's shooter WAS given medication

Whether he took it properly, or had proper outpatient care, is unknown.

:headbang:
rocknation

[gennifer6]

12. Medication treats the symptoms of schizophrenia but there is no cure

[autorank]

15. You're both right.

Some of the least likely people to take medication are paranoid schizophrenics, for obvious reasons. There states where this can be mandated or strongly encouraged. The new form of delivery is called "depot," which allows one dose to be administered per month. Pretty helpful.

There is no cure. Interestingly, before meds came along, there was an excellent psychiatrist who followed folks for decades. The average course of full blown schizophrenia is 28 years. Hmmm... By the time that's up, remission is irrelevant.

This is such an important problem to address. To bad our country is becoming anti-science. Anti-mental health is next!

[StaggerLee]

6. Another casualty of war

Unfortunately we'll see and hear much more of this.

Is it too much to ask for proper care for our troops when they come back home? I mean crap, don't we have plenty of health care professionals? If not, why not start up scholarships for people who can eventually work in VA hospitals to assist our vets?

Free up some of that money going to the war profiteers and let's put it to good use.

[txaslftist]

11. If you don't know what it's worth, it's easy to spend...

If you've never been in a war or had a friend die in a war or lived with a veteran who isn't all the way home, it's easy to spend the lives of soldiers. I heard a RW pundit (don't remember which one, I think it was convicted felon GGordon Liddy, although it might have been allegedly former addict Limbaugh) say that one of the realities about soldiers is that some of just "want some action", ie- combat.

Maybe for about ten minutes before they start Basic they do. Talk to a real vet and they'll tell you there's nothing good about actual combat. Most of them would rather be doing something else. Most thinking vets wouldn't have started the Iraq debacle without more time spent in reflection, more time in preparation and more exploration of democracy.

GWB is completely unqualified to be CIC.

[rocktivity]

13. Nobody likes coming to terms with the fact that they've been had

I'll bet a lot of these soldiers are angry that their commander in chief is a self-serving nut case and that they were sent to war under false pretenses. And I'll bet they're also angry that it's socially and politicially incorrect to express that anger.

:headbang:
rocknation

[gennifer6]

14. You're probably right....they know better than we do what is really going

on over there and they're not stupid, knowing you could have all your limbs blown off your body at a moments'notice in not a war of neccessity but a war of choice......I'm sure reality sinks in very fast when its your own arms and legs you face losing

[depakid]

16. Because of these soldiers' ages

many have latent bipolar disorder that wouldn't be expected to express for some years.

With the lifetime prevalence at 5% or more- and the fact that the median age of onset is 25, I wonder whether these soldiers will be eligible for treatment. I believe that they have to prove that their conditions are service related- and possibly they could do that because even though bipolar is genetic, stress and other environmental factors can hasten the onset and worsen the symptoms.

On the other hand, if the VA is short of funds, my guess is that they'll be some of the first patients denied care or disability.