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Is America Letting PTSD Kill Our Troops?

** IS AMERICA LETTING ** PTSD KILL OUR TROOPS? IIIIII|| THAT IS 22 EVERY US VETERANS KILL THEMSELVES EVERY DAY 65 MINUTES OF 9-11 VETERANS ARE 25% FAR GREATER SUFFER PTSD DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD WITHOUT DIAGNOSIS POST-911 VETS & PTSD The violence that happens in war causes high levels of stress - Soldiers' lives are in constant danger and they often witness death or horrific physical suffering. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is diagnosed when the stress levels remain high for longer than 3+ months, while on active-duty or back home, causing debilitating symptoms that lead to disruptions in relationships, employment and put the sufferer a high risk for addictions and suicide. WHY ARE US VETERANS MORE AT RISK FOR PTSD? Traumatic Brain injury (TBI) from explosives War/combat Multiple deployments exposure THE END OF THE ROAD FOR A SOLDIER WITH PTSD FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (DVA) DISABILITY SCOTT EISWERT, A NATIONAL GUARD, SERVES HIS COUNTRY IN THE IRAQ WAR IN 2004 >> Honorable Discharge United States Experiences roadside bombs, death of friends, horrific civilian casualties Receives an Honorable Discharge HAILEAERRAIKEE SUFFERS SYMPTOMS OF PTSD IN 2005 . шиииини Shows anger, irritability, acute insomnia and has chronic Starts drinking heavily every night to fall asleep nightmares about death >> -II- SEEKS HELP I IIIII PTSD Applies for Disability Benefits to the DVA Meets with non-VA counselor and is diagnosed with PTSD DVA DENIES 1ST APPLICATION IN SEPTEMBER, 2006 >> DVA claims Scott's counselor "does not specify which Diagnostic and Statistical Manual was used" to Claims Scott "failed to provide dates of the incidents or names of diagnose his PTSD any casualties" >> CLOSED Attends counseling that he finds belittling Scott waits months to Sees VA doctors and is given a handful of medications that prove non-effective see VA doctors RECEIVES PTSD DIAGNOSIS FROM VA DOCTOR IN 2007 DVA DENIES 3RD APPLICATION IN FEBRUARY, 2008 The DVA states: “Although we recognize your contentions and conceded the 2 rating decisions you have a diagnosis of PTSD, there is no objective evidence submitted from you that will allow the VA to attempt verification of the stressors from research facilities STOPS ALL COUNSELING & MEDICATIONS IN MARCH 2008 COMMITS SUICIDE MAY 2008 >> SCOTT EISWERT Hears from his friend that his unit is being redeployed to Iraq SHOOTS HIMSELF IN THE HEAD I I TRACEY EISWERT, SCOTT'S WIDOW, RECEIVES HIS DISABILITY BENEFITS IN AUGUST, 2008 "I was relieved to get the check, but if they would have done their job and given him the help he needed immediately, maybe this wouldn't have happened." -Tracy Eiswert, widow of Scott Eiswert DELAY, DENY, UNTIL I DIE: FIGHTING YOUR OWN COUNTRY FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS SEPTEMBER, 2013: 19,500 VETERANS DIED WAITING FOR THEIR BENEFITS $437 MILLION PAID RETROACTIVELY TO THEIR SURVIVORS CCCO H WHY ARE US VETERANS NOT RECEIVING DISABILITY . BENEFITS BY THE DVA? MASSIVE MISDIAGNOSES THE DVA'S GRIEVOUS ERROR RATE Veterans have been systematically denied disability benefits by the review board due to massive Error rate according to: misdiagnoses of "personality" and "adjustment" disorders. VA: 14% Personality disorders are considered a pre-existing condition. Center for Investigative Reporting Adjustment disorders are considered temporary. Either diagnosis renders a veteran ineligible for disability benefits. 38% Board of Veterans Appeals: 73% THE DVA'S ENORMOUS BACKLOG OF CLAIMS 608,000 disability claims were pending for more than 125 days at the DVA's peak of backlog in March 2013. 2/3PDS of DVA claims processors were given over $5.5 million in bonuses in the same year. WHAT HAPPENS TO UNTREATED & UNSUPPORTED VETERANS? VETERANS & HOMELESSNESS 13% OF THE US HOMELESS ARE VETERANS КАЯ ON ANY NIGHT, 62,619 VETERANS HAVE NO HOME OF THEM: SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS ! 70% SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS 50% MENTAL ILLNESS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE & INCARCERATION 6 IN n VETERANS IN PRISON WERE HONORABLY DISCHARGED SINCE 2004: 38% INCREASE IN VETERANS TREATED FOR MENTAL ILLNESS & SUBSTANCE ABUSE 81% OF VETERANS ARRESTED HAVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS VETERANS &SUICIDE 30% OF POST-911 VETERANS HAVE CONTEMPLATED SUICIDE 45% SAY THEY KNOWA COLLEAGUE O WHO HAS ATTEMPTED SUICIDE IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, the number of veteran suicides are likely 2-SA that of civilian suicides THE NEXT WAVE OF PTSD VETERANS POST-911 WAR VETERANS: 45% 28% 1 IN 3 7% are seeking disability benefits seeking disability benefits are National Guard or have suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) have a serious psychological injury Reservists Over 300,000 29% 400,000 of high-level soldiers in combat take soldiers have sought treatment for mental health been redeployed 3x or more antidepressants/ sleeping medication problems, primarily PTSD MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS EMPHASIZE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT FOR PTSD IS KEY TO RETURNING TO NORMAL LIFE. THEY FOUGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY. HOW CAN WE FIGHT FOR THEM NOW? VETERANS ALLIANCE SOURCES http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/sto- ry/2012-05-28/veteran-disability/55250092/1 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/07/new-ptsd-treat- ment-rules-for-vets-come-too-late-for-some.html http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/background-on-veterans http://fcir.org/2013/08/26/iraq-afghanistan-war-veterans-florida/ http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/21//us/22-veteran-suicides-a-day/ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/12/veterans-af- fairs-reduces-disability-claims-backlog-by-one-third-since-march.html http://fcir.org/2013/08/26/iraq-afghanistan-war-veterans-florida/ http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/20/number-of-ve- terans-who-die-waiting-for-benefits-claims-skyrockets.html http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/

Is America Letting PTSD Kill Our Troops?

shared by VeteransAlliance on Jan 08
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It's estimated that 24% of 9/11 veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD, and many more have yet to be officially diagnosed. Not only that, but every day, 22 U.S. veterans will kill themselves. Many o...

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