Ptsd

[Ahimsa]

So this week I started on Psych Nursing rotations at the local VA hospital. The patient I was assigned to had PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). I have noticed there are quite a few armed forces members in this thread, so I was curious if you or someone you know has experienced PTSD. The veteran I cared for today was having major issues with it still 10 years after the incident that brought it on. He shared with me that he feels America loves soldiers when they are out their fighting, but once they return home and have an injury, illness or a psychological disorder, he feels they get forgotten. He said if he could do it all over again (as in joining the army) he wouldn't have done it. He currently bounces around from lock-down psych wards all over.....leaving he wife and 2 children behind.

Your thoughts?

[Stephy]

He shared with me that he feels America loves soldiers when they are out their fighting, but once they return home and have an injury, illness or a psychological disorder, he feels they get forgotten. children behind

Your thoughts?

His opinion that he shared with you, was very saddening. :(

I don't deal in that department. I am usually located in Nursing homes, where I work with very dependent patients. I have never experienced anything where the patient is completely competent enough to hold a conversation for very long...

No more details since there is a confidentiality rule. :)

[Ahimsa]

His opinion that he shared with you, was very saddening. :(

I don't deal in that department. I am usually located in Nursing homes, where I work with very dependent patients. I have never experienced anything where the patient is completely competent enough to hold a conversation for very long...

No more details since there is a confidentiality rule. :)


HIPPA!!! Gotta love it. lol

[moo]

Well I volunteered at a veterans hospital (Basically was a secretery to a person in radiation).
The people there seemed pretty content, well from what I saw at least.

[Kass]

I think everyone handles it differently and how their families react is unique as well. Some people don't handle stress nearly so well. My ex's father died in August. My ex cannot handle stress AT ALL. He collapsed mentally and lost his job and his family is worried he might be suicidal. His four siblings? They are all heartbroken and grieving, but they are holding it together and moving on with their lives.

I also think that in general, many people try to not see or forget about people with disabilities in general, not just veterans. That is sad enough, but when someone incurs a disability for their country, its just that much more disappointing.

Veterans see far more than their share of horrors and that is incredibly difficult to reconcile without some sort of injury. Injuries often become the physical manifestation of everything that is hurting inside. That pain interferes with and harms all other relationships until someone figures out how to deal with it, if they ever figure it out. It's a rather nasty circle, really. You need support to deal with problems but the problems harm that support structure.

I do think Americans tend to turn a blind eye to anyone who isn't "quite right." It bothers them to think that there but for the grace of God, go I (or choose your alternate politically correct version).

[Spaatz965]

Ahimsa,
Thank you for doing a job that can be heartrenching, caring for our countries veterans. As a veteran (Desert Storm), I appreciate it.

(edit...WARNING, this post rambles)

Reading your post, there are two ideas that come through to me. How dibilitating PTSD can be, and how (especially injured) veterans and former servicemembers are treated within our society.

My family has a fairly extensive military tradition. Been working on genealogy, so I can recite back to the revolutionary war if need be, but let me keep to individuals I've had direct contact with. Maternal grandfather was a Marine Drill Instructor during WWII, and an Army National Guardsman during the Korean War. Paternal grandfather had a medical problem, but ended up a foreman repairing bombers flown back from Europe. Father was in the Army just before Vietnam, uncle was in the Navy and a Vietnam vet. Throughout my family, we've been very fortunate...the biggest service related problem we've experienced is my uncle's substance abuse (which led to criminal activity, etc).

Pretty much everyone I know who is a veteran is physically and mentally stable (except my uncle). I was a bit shakey after the Gulf War, but that could easily be attributed to other personal issues as well. So I can't really say that I know anything about PTSD from personal experience. BUT, just as with the specter of "gulf war syndrome" scares the hell out of me. Red Cross has refused to take my blood due to where I was stationed. Every once in a while I wonder if there is some sort of mental or physical time bomb waiting to go off that will leave my wife and two children effectively or actually without me. I can't even imagine what the toll is on our veterans who are incapacitated by their injuries. Every memorial and veterans day I greive for them, and I am glad for people like you who have the courage to do more.

I guess I'm rambling a bit...and actually I'm starting to get a little teary eyed. All veterans, but especially those who have been injured and even more for those who have been incapacitated by their injuries, deserve our recognition for service faithfully rendered.

In a very real sense, at least one, perhaps more generations of Americans have grown up without any viable/real connection with a major conflict (outside of Hollywood's interpretations). For many of us, even Vietnam was before we were born (actually, I was born in '68...but even then, the association with combat or service related casualties wasn't there). Between Vietnam with almost 60,000 americans killed and 304,000 wounded, and the Iraq War with 1,896 deaths and between 14,000 and 42,000 wounded, we haven't seen military action with the consequence it often brings.

Coupled with the anti-war/anti-military sentiments that continue to percalate throughout our society from the Vietnam war, I can see how many veterans can feel ignored or underappreciated, especially when their mobility is limited or completely cut off. As with a lot of our other incapacitate citizens...our injured veterans fall into "out of sight, out of mind"...and that is regretable and a disservice to those who have sacrificed so much for our country.

I don't know if what I just wrote is relevant, accurate, or even coherent... but at least it isn't in Haiku. Think I need to take a break and just post this, as I'm getting pretty emotional.

Once more, thank you :*

Thank you too Moo and Shy.


:::edit:::: What am I, the local thread killer or something? Jesh!