Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. And if we push for reform, both parties will fight it because they dont want anyone to think they arent standing up for veterans. More women than men traditionally cite their reasons for an affair as lacking an emotional connection with their primary partner, a lack of availability in general, or inadequate romantic support. Perhaps the greatest example I can think of for this is the case of Marcus Hurdle, represented by the Yale veterans legal clinic. It can also directly affect the mental health of partners. You probably guessed it, she was awarded 60% disability for a bad stomach aggravated by active duty. Marine Corps veteran here 2003-2007. This is a classic I served more than you, you dont rate. Kinder, gentler, more entitled, more ready to cry to the EO office over any damn thing, and most significantly, MORE BUREAUCRATICALLY ORIENTED. I have been in on conversations of other Guardsmen planning their retirement the same way, it was their goal, while no one gives a damn about veterans like myself who suffer immensly. Florida veteran (and self-proclaimed bodybuilder) Zachary Barton, 35, exaggerated his mental and physical impairments to increase the disability payments he received from the US Department of Veterans Affairs and now faces up to 10 years in federal prison. So, I think theres a lot more questions that would be useful to ask, and that we dont currently have in our existing data set.. And, did [service members] engage in infidelity? Vogt said. some of us that get it, wish we never had it. Quote from the article: In the past 10 years, the number of veterans receiving disability compensation for PTSD more than tripled, while recipients for mental disorders of all types more than doubled, the VA says. All rights reserved. They also go through physical and emotional violence. How can you get the government to look into this? But todays GI Bill is not a deliberate attempt to cripple our military. But yet these dudes and women out here claiming PTSD, going out to party, shopping for hours, living it up with their free disability money, while I am stuck taking painkillers to get by through the day because of my Migraines too. I got deployed twice to Iraq, I never fired my rifle one time. I have a personal friend who is a psychologist and veteran. Every time she needed Rolaids, Tums, or any other over-the-counter stomach med, she went to the clinic. Anyways back in 2015 I was let go from a job because I threw someone against the wall that was running their mouth. When I was discharged, I was diagnosed with petella femur pain disorder, right in my medical records. The other must survive the trauma and learn to love again. The enemy, then, is this stereotype, which can be fought by combat veterans who arent on disability, and by mental health experts who work with combat veterans to give good information to the public and make those promoting the stereotype uncomfortable. They all claim they have PTSD and depression. Dr. at the Ann Arbor VA (after waiting in a long line in the hall) asked how I was doing and when I said great, he about took my head off. First off I saw how the VHA which actually treats the veteran takes everything on face value and does not challenge a veteran even if their records or documents prove they didnt serve or experience combat like they state. Lastly, it is estimated that an astonishing 30% of Vietnam veterans have had PTSD during their lifetimes. I think many could be faking however I dont think combat is the only factor when it comes to PTSD. (2007). Her name is India Macquette Lemmon. Forward this article to every Congressman and Senator. Traumatic Brain Injury May Be an Answer. He was quoted in a 2014 LA Times articleabout PTSD malingering (which mentioned, among other things, a veteran receiving PTSD disability for falling and breaking her leg while walking to the DFAC), and has spoken out about massive fraud in the system for years. Sexual problems tend to be higher in combat Veterans with PTSD. I saw my fair share of dead people, explosions, Iraqi police that got shot up etc. Please switch auto forms mode to off. Unfortunately, both these groups are dwarfed by the huge number of charlatans gaming the system. The VA gives her medications for Pain, Migraines, and others. Doesnt need them. (no board if you are less than 6 years in and the command doesnt go for the OTH). However, the attack they claimed to have witnessed happened years after their war and discharge and involved a different service. All veterans are heroes! Not surprisingly, many veterans without verified combat experience claimed intense combat experiences, including being wounded, committing atrocities and even being POWs. Resilience after a betrayal is also buoyed up by the kind of social support a person has access to. However, I do not expect my inquiry to go anywhere]. And this is just one example. Violence is committed not just by the males in the family. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Female partners of Veterans with PTSD: PTSD can affect the mental health and life satisfaction of a Veteran's partner. But in the VA, its disabling for life. In addition, the VA is increasingly open to alternative treatments for PTSD, including the use of hyperbaric chambers and yoga, but an Army veteran who went through VA treatment for PTSD said the expansion and outreach leave the program open to scams by veterans looking to get a disability check. Handing out money. The researchers concluded that chronic stress may impact the health of blood vesselsa possible explanation for the higher heart disease risk among Veterans with PTSD. I mean are you serious right now? Their advice? I hate to depart from the subject, but Ive been saying for years that the post 9/11 GI Bill was designed by the same sort of people for equally nefarious reasons. Practical help for coping with your loved one's PTSD. They feel they are doing everything right, that their love is intact, and that trust will never be broken. Consequently, most VA managers bend over backwards to appease veterans who file disability benefits claims, and they undermine or punish VA staff who try to implement meaningful reform. According to the National Center for PTSD, about 8 million adults are affected by PTSD in the United States each year. What I am seeking is a telephone conversation with one of your assistants in order to present the background information related to this fraud and the person whos committing it: my ex-wife of 17 years. They prefer to rely on family and friends. Her lie has been reported. This guy even tricked Iraq Veterans Against the War. You know it. Of course not. Like I said, I hope this wasnt too far off topic or deep in the tin foil hat territory, but I have zero doubt that the decline of our nations war fighting capabilities has been deliberately baked into the cake. Most of these Veterans dont have instances like I listed, and better yet I have more. We should stand tall with the knowledge that our commitment to our country wasnt hypothetical. Am I wrong? The culture war in the military was lost a long time before, decades maybe even, but that was the final blow (in my opinion). But they continued to press him to go for a higher rating. Dependent on how much they appear similar to what is happening in the present, they will mesh with the current pain and make recovery that much harder. WTF. here. My anger has gotten betterI just dont give a fuck anymore you know? He said he lived with PTSD for almost 30 years before seeking the mental . My answer: We will see meaningful improvements only when enough veterans push the veterans service organizations (VSOs) to advocate for reform. Be proud of ANY service you gave and help those that really need because that is what we were trained to do and believe. A few years ago 50 years after being in the Army the one was told how to get PTSD disability. I feel a lot of guilt, a lot of shame. Ive seen Vietnam vets try to file claims for residual injuries from events they were not even in the same hemisphere for. In fact this was not the most PTSD inducing event I experienced while there..by far. VAs hand are tied in this issue because their bosses do not want to push this issue and their ability to identify fraud themselves has been reduced significantly by the law. I know another who worked for me who had this disability before going in, dumb as a box of rocks, only in for 4 years and lives in a half million dollar house. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Imagine a World War II veteran who was discharged in 1945 claiming he was traumatized by his experiences at the Pusan Perimeter in Korea in 1950; thats how stupid this lie was. I think that education and understanding are really the biggest key to having a relationship with someone with PTSD.. Partners have a number of challenges when living with a Veteran who has PTSD. What kind of infidelity was it? Claim the burning of an oil drum, 500 miles from her duty station caused her breast cancer. Army Force Recon are you for real? A C&P psychologist wrote a superb article about the environment at VA, which describes the situation better than anything Ive ever seen: Russo, A. C. (2014). The participants answered questions about their infidelity experiences and concerns, PTSD and depression symptoms and post-deployment stressors. Her book aims to help partners and Veterans understand the effects of combat trauma on relationships and family life. One research study looked at male Vietnam Veterans and their female partners. It is the careful (often slow) testing and retesting of a hypothesis. and Social Security. I used to dream about being in Iraq and my unit was leaving. This monthly disability benefit is for the rest of their lives even if they are perfectly capable of working a regular job. This has been ongoing since approximately 2009/2010 and since that time, this individual has bilked these two agencies (combined) out of approximately $550,000. This in regards to the statement that outside the VA trauma is treated with relatively short amount of exposure therapy. Thank you for the article. Step of your soapbox because youre just contributing to the 22 a day. I used to get mad at people for staring at me or giving me lip. John answered, The number of veterans so emotionally disabled by combat they cant work is minuscule compared to the number of veterans with treatable trauma-related conditions who dont need disability compensation. 173.236.215.13 She is a DOD employee, Air Force Res, and 90% Disabled vet. You have no idea what a person is facing inside. Meanwhile, guys who got their legs blown off, encountered enemy fire, etc.fighting for their benefits. What do you want? A 2011 survey by the VA found that 85% of VA professionals never or rarely conducted additional tests designed to better diagnose PTSD. Currently the VSOs reflexively oppose such reforms, presumably because that is what they think their members want. However I guess I justify it by knowing at least my children and wife will have a roof over their head. View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page. Validation? APA ReferenceTracy, N. Look, in my book if someone is a sexual predator or harasser they deserve every ounce of punishment the UCMJ affords. Indeed. Vogt and Kachadourian both said they hope their findings have opened the door for additional research on the topic of infidelity and deployment in the future. In retrospect, Army Veteran Tom Voss realizes that for many years his symptoms from PTSD and moral injury were not getting better because he was going through the motions in his treatments for his family, not for himself. I cant begin to describe WTF happened to me first that night which was horrific enough, then what happened to me for nearly 10 months by my command when I chose to report what happened outside my chain. How do we put a stop to this? Site last updated March 4, 2023, PTSD: A Big Problem for Military Soldiers in War Zones, PTSD From Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, Childhood Abuse. When a trusted partner in a committed relationship betrays the sacred trust of the other, the relationship will undergo severe instability. Airline mechanic in Navy. Another explanation is that the partner has gone through trauma just from living with a Veteran who has PTSD. "For the sake of our military personnel -- if not for the sake of our democracy -- such statements should be quickly and forcefully repudiated by the offending political party.". And it wont be because real combat vets, or even real PTSD sufferers, lost it. More than a few have served honorably only to be scoundrels later in life. We pay people to be sick and to stay sick. Im told her mom works in an office that receives the Disability PackagesI cant prove that. In the military, on the contrary, I observe young soldiers taking leaves for physical therapy, massage, chiropractor, acupuncture, freaking piss test etc. The burden of proof is too heavy to bare alone. One of them is even receiving 100% disability. That is an extremely interesting insight. Im a Soldier. If those feelings are not shared and an affair happens, the unknowing partner has had no opportunity to intervene. He now says he has PTSD, even though he never complained about it before. Aphrodite Matsakis is a psychotherapist with a special interest in PTSD. Iscol said Headstrong currently has about 200 active clients, and "on average it costs less than $5,000 to treat a vet." And that will be a good indication of whats happening in every VA hospital across the country.. Some symptoms, like anger and negative changes in beliefs and feelings, may lead directly to problems in a marriage. In addition to taking VSO advice to lie or exaggerate, veterans are apparently sharing advice about what specific stories to tell to be diagnosed with PTSD. The Department of Veterans Affairs official site references many basic causes of PTSD, which can include but are definitely NOT limited to the following: Combat and other military experiences Sexual or physical assault Learning about the violent or accidental death or injury of a loved one Child sexual or physical abuse Serious accidents The findings showed that Vietnam Veterans with PTSD: Families of Veterans with PTSD experience more physical and verbal aggression. His friend died leading the patrol,Stepped on a landmine.It devastated him and he til this day blames himself.It haunts him.Then there is nothing like sitting down on a log, dog tired and discovering it s a crispy critter! Many function fine. As such, I was present when she initiated this fraud (but at the time believed her claim of rape was truthful) at the downtown Los Angeles Federal Building in California and who has since continued defrauding the US government, like clockwork, for the past 130 months or so. According to one study, 82% of those who max out on disability then stop attending treatment. I know it. A better way to help veterans. Make it uncomfortable to even be in your presence. She love to drink and eat spicy foods. (1992). She has advised and instructed friends at her work, how to work the system. This process is not for those who want a quick fix, nor for those who hold fast to the past. Give it another decade, and I would be amazed if the cancer wont have killed our military altogether . The study grouped the veterans as combat, unclear combat, or no combat. Punish has over 100 original songs written. I am a Marine veteran poisoned for 3.5 years at Camp Lejeune and now suffer from multiple auto immune disorders. It was called Breast Cancer. Numbing can get in the way of intimacy. The head of one VSO has argued that anyone deployed to any war zone, in any capacity, should be presumed to have suffered enough trauma to have PTSD. In one of the most ridiculous contradictions, John observed: They also frequently wear military paraphernalia while saying they cant be around things reminding them of the military.. Dear US Congressman XXXXXX: I have a family member who is committing ongoing fraud specifically in regard to the V.A. Overall, the message for partners is that problems are common when living with a Veteran who has been through trauma. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. I do receive compensation for PTSD but it isnt 100%. The person outside of the primary relationship, who has been willing to be a co-betrayer, often feels that he or she has claimed possession of the infidel. I know its not desirable to wear that title of a true combat veteran hero, but at least the guys you served with will always know you were just a man trying to do the right thing for yourself, your family, and those same guys you served with. I would encourage you to seek out a licensed therapist to talk about these matters, Im sure it would be way more validating than randos saying Youre right, that tracks with what I want to believe too.. Both James and GomezTorres are among the 11% to 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who experience PTSD in a given year, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Its a psychiatric disorder that causes biochemical and neuroanatomical changes in the body. I say burn it all down. Nor does it make you exempt from criticism. I have a feeling. You are right however because I have overheard some vets saying just that work the system and I go off my rocker because while they freaking work the system I am struggling just to get mental health and FYI I have never asked for a freaking dime from the military!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Were not trained. The exact connection between PTSD symptoms and relationship problems is not clearly known. The Strength of the Primary Relationship. The treatment options listed above may be useful to partners as they search for better family relationships and mental health. She works near an impact area. Ive see several with it including My BIL who was Sgt in Army Force Recon. I spin between being devastated and being enraged. Of all patients referred to me in 2015 for PTSD evaluation, 25% (estimated generously) had a real trauma-related condition, John wrote. 1. Im certified to practice before the VA and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. But this level of monitoring does not continue after deployment even though the risks to the well-being of military personnel and veterans persists.. I myself am a veteran and served 5 tours in combat with OIF, OEF and other hot spots with in GWOT. That partner is understandably more demolished when an affair emerges. One attempt which got me put into the mental hospital and a year ago fell back into it and started thinking about it. All that would not happen, of course, if folks in power did stand up and make major changes NOW rather than later on the brink of collapse. If you wanted to create a perfect way to keep people from getting better, youd invent the VA compensation system., And hes frustrated nearly to the point of disgust with the VAs willingness to turn almost any claimed trauma into a monthly check for life. If this the case how do we have a strong military in case a war breaks out if everyone is disabled? He wasnt in combat, but hes disabled by PTSD. With the help of advocacy groups he got the VA to diagnose him with PTSD at 100% and change his status to honorable for VA purposes which he fraudulently represents as an Honorable upgrade. American Psychological Association: PsycTESTS International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies: Clinical Resources (Assessments) National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Measures Review Database PTSD Information Voice Mail: (802) 296-6300 Email: ncptsd@va.gov Also see: VA Mental Health Site Map It just so happened to be passed right as we saw short cycled and extended combat deployments becoming a common thing for you guys in green over in Iraq (the bad war, they called it). I know of people that I think should not be getting disability they mainly use it as an early retirement. VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin has made combating veteran suicides a major priority and has focused on making treatment available for veterans with less than honorable discharges. If a relationship is wavering and the people within it are no longer as bonded as they once were, one or both of the partners may be searching for meaning outside the relationship. Burkett, author of this book: Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation was Robbed of its Heroes and its History. Caregiver burden includes practical problems such as strain on the family finances. It sickens me. That was what I was told. On vacation all the time. | For example, up to 95% of veterans who served in Iraq has seen a dead body and up to 93% have been shot at. Male partners of female Veterans with PTSD reported lower well-being and more social isolation. For example. PTSD programs and Vet Centers have begun to offer group, couples, and individual counseling for family members of Veterans. Thank you sir, both for your comment and your honorable service. Nothing I wrote should be construed as representing the views or opinions of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the federal government. Such families also have more instances of family violence. Perhaps this could be an avenue for doing future research. I have to call shenanigans on your assertion. 36 Years old. "The VA is no different. Though grief must not be denied, those who are lucky enough to be more resilient can endure it without falling prey to extended emotional heartbreak. Period. Know what would be even more depressing? I do not get any compensation and live in horrific pain. The men and women who report and document the corruption are the ones fired, in spite of multiple state and Federal whistleblower protection laws. Now I feel the need to bridge this with compassion. It was not until he make the important shift to wanting to get better, wanting to feel better for himself that therapy . I have another family member who did 2 tours in Desert Storm. Weve lost loved ones. Yeah, I see a lot of PTSD-rated vets here. They and their spouses also report more worry around intimacy issues. Everything you knew to be true and . That I had to listen to him gurgle and stare up at me. A partner betrayed by infidelity may experience symptoms similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder. However. Nonetheless, I think your proposed solutions lack the context necessary to understand why they would or wouldnt work and further solutions must be identified, some of which I will propose: 1) The role of the media: The media has little incentive as a whole to publish reports about Veterans malingering or misrepresenting their disabilities. Money makes the wheels go round. 4 years for a lifetime of free money. According to a GAO report released in June, some examiners spent 15 minutes completing an evaluation that, if done correctly, should have taken multiple hours. Heres my suggestion. The VA wasnt too happy with Dr. Frueh. Compared to Veterans without PTSD, Veterans with PTSD have more marital troubles. the stats dont support your narrative, vets kill them selves twice as much as their non vet counterparts, and almost twice as likely to be homeless. If you use them to make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I have, via mail, contacted both these agencies without success, along with the OIG. Going LIVE - Taking Questions. Brendan O'Byrne, a sergeant with the 173rd Airborne Brigade who served a 15-month tour in the remote Korengal valley of eastern Afghanistan, told the committee he was overwhelmed by "crippling anxiety, blinding anger" compounded by drinking when he left the service in 2008. According to her, none of these are true. What must happen for recovery and recommitment to even be possible? I cant even stay in a store long enough without sweating and my head going buzzzzz. We can see the writing on the wall, PTSD Diag equals no guns, and we love our guns. Whenever I get any chance, even from facebook, I rat out fakers, there are whole groups on facebook full of people faking the system on veteran pages, its sick. I had to file a claim as I needed help, all I wanted was treatment. The House Veterans Affairs Committee heard testimony Wednesday that was both encouraging and disturbing about PTSD programs and allegations that some vets are faking symptoms to get a disability check. Because it should totally be the militarys responsibility to fix dirtbags like Hurdle.) Revamp VA disability benefits. Los Angeles Times. Im not a doctor, but someone needs to check this women out. PTSD symptoms in veterans include: Persistent re-experiencing of events (such as through flashbacks or nightmares) Avoidance of anything that reminds the sufferer of the trauma. Despite losing his right leg at the hip, he won his category at Ironman Arizona in 2010, and in 2012 he completed the Race Across America cycling race, covering the 3,000 miles from San Diego to Annapolis in eight days as part of a four-man team. Its crazy. When she found out I was an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, she asked about something that was obviously bothering her. The partner who has been betrayed is emotionally tortured and humiliated when knowledge of the infidelity emerges. According to Lorig Kachadourian, study author and research fellow at the Clinical Neuroscience Division of the VA National Center for PTSD, the studys findings on the effects of infidelity on service members suggest new directions for clinical methods in post-deployment mental health.
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