E-mail from VA worker says to avoid PTSD diagnosis

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - An internal e-mail written by a Veterans Affairs Department employee suggested avoiding a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder for veterans and instead considering a diagnosis that might result in a lower disability payment.

A copy of the e-mail was distributed Thursday by the groups Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a congressional watchdog group, and VoteVets.org. The e-mail dated March 20 had been forwarded to VoteVets.org, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans lobbying group opposed to the Bush administration's handling of the war and veterans issues.

The name of the sender and the recipients were blacked out by the groups. The e-mail has the subject title "Suggestion."

"Given that we are having more and more compensation seeking veterans, I'd like to suggest that we refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out. Consider a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder, R/O PTSD," the e-mail said.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080515/ap_on_go_ot/veterans_e_mail

[Joanne98]

1. That's evil!

[indepat]

14. Letter is just like this administration: corrupt to the core

[LiberalFighter]

2. The employee needs a permanent Adjustment Employment!!

[Bruce McAuley]

3. I was talking to my VA guy yesterday about wives getting benefits...

He said, "Not in our lifetime, with all the new guys applying for disability benefits from Iraq."
I'm just saying we're screwing 'em up faster than we can fix 'em.

Bruce

[EFerrari]

5. But the Pentagon loses millions of dollars and no one says "boo".

MOFOS.

[Greyskye]

4. K&R for importance!

:kick:

[Scairp]

6. Pigs

This is just wrong. You don't dictate to doctors how they should be evaluating and diagnosing patients who come into the VA. This organization has always been really hinky when it comes to any type of mental illness anyway, and they don't seem to have made much progress in helping people suffering from combat-related mental issues. After WWII, those guys couldn't even talk about it because it would make them pariahs. Bad, bad policy. Hopefully when the assholes running the VA for this shite administration are gone, things like this won't happen anymore.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

7. Another disgrace.

:cry:

[Jefferson23]

8. And the fucking Republicans are losing their minds over how to hold onto

their Senate seats. The despicable legacy of a party that encouraged secrets that make Nixon look like a saint by comparison. Our troops have been betrayed over and over again.

[KamaAina]

9. Way to support the troops, douchebags!!

:grr: :banghead:

Remind me again why vets are supposed to vote en masse for McSatan in the fall?

[uppityperson]

10. k&r for f* that shit. excuse my language.

I'm glad this stuff is getting out into the media.

[anitar1]

11. K & R n/t

[tomp]

12. tha'ts what the dsm is for....

you either meet the criteia for a diagnosis or you don't. if all the criteria for ptsd are there, there is no other ethical choice but to diagnose it as such. However, often a person's situation is not clear and requires time to continue to evaluate. i've seen things like mood disorder nos (not otherwise specified), r/o this or that other diagnosis.

but to diagnose a lesser diagnosis in order to avoid increasing benefits is just plain wrong.

[vietnam_war_vet]

13. Gracias, Maddezmom....

I had just come across this article on another veterans blog and came here to share it. Ya beat me to it....gracias. ;-) -- Michael