They all claim they have PTSD and depression. When she found out I was an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, she asked about something that was obviously bothering her. The witnesses and committee members agreed that PTSD is treatable, but disagreed over the types and availability of treatment programs and whether the VA is adequately funded to provide them or should rely more on non-profits. Some of us have become so skeptical, we automatically throw a mental BS flag when we hear someone talk about having PTSD. She is a DOD employee, Air Force Res, and 90% Disabled vet. and Social Security. Symptoms may include nightmares, flashbacks, and severe anxiety. Poor mental health can also change what a person believes in. The results of Dr. Fruehs study closely mirrored Johns experiences a decade later. Aphrodite Matsakis is a psychotherapist with a special interest in PTSD. Sure, he might have PTSD, but he claimed other things like TBI that he never had, because in most instances I was there and he never did. Only 10% had documentation (CIB/CAB/CAR/Purple Heart/Bronze Star, etc.) To every honorable vet (in which group I proudly stand), confront EVERY faker and liar you meet. Burkett has investigated thousands of stolen valor and VA fraud cases and inspired a U.S. Attorney in Washington State to launch Operation Stolen Valor which caught several frauds including Jesse MacBeth. And if we push for reform, both parties will fight it because they dont want anyone to think they arent standing up for veterans. When infidelity is discovered, it is easy for traumatized partners to lose sight of their own worth. That was what I was told. With respect to OIF/OEF Veterans, PTSD has been found to be a risk factor for suicidal ideation (17). She now receives 1,800/month for a 70% disability. Yeah, I see a lot of PTSD-rated vets here. The system is overwhelmed with frauds and liars. One actual Vietnam veteran who helped with Dr. Fruehs study was B.G. My heart goes out to all the men and women who have served our country and truly suffer from PTSD or physical injuries sustained in combat. Step of your soapbox because youre just contributing to the 22 a day. Approximately 50 to 60 percent of military couples seek marital therapy as a result of infidelity, according to a paper released by researchers at the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Connecticut. The 2 Most Psychologically Incisive Films of 2022, The Surprising Role of Empathy in Traumatic Bonding. All who werent yet on disability for PTSD were applying for it, and most on disability were appealing to increase their disability rating., Their claimed trauma often wasnt what most people would reasonably consider traumatic. Veteran Army Captain John Kirby IV used the PTSD Coach app to cope, and helps other Veterans do the same. No offence intended. Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. When I was discharged, I was diagnosed with petella femur pain disorder, right in my medical records. What are you looking for here. I had to file a claim as I needed help, all I wanted was treatment. Female partners of Veterans with PTSD: PTSD can affect the mental health and life satisfaction of a Veteran's partner. 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. after 20+ years, I had no one to turn to and in became desperate. Superficializing a true betrayal can create unresolvable pain. When asked what she did with all that medicine the VA gives her, she said I dont take that shit, I throw it out, you got to know how to work the system. you must not work with patients or been in the er and experienced first hand the countless lives ptsd destroys in both civilians and vets over the course of their lives. Committee members, who are accustomed to hearing allegations of fraud and waste within the VA but rarely about scamming by a veteran, did not directly challenge O'Byrne's allegations, but Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., told him he was unique. If Id known something was wrong, maybe I could have stopped it before it got going. That said I refuse group because the two times I went it was all fakers. But I dare not speak up about this to my family because they gave 4 years of their lives to the military and in their eyes I would be bashing our military. Just seems cherry picked is all and I think in this format it comes across as just standing on a soapbox and shouting to anyone who will agree can have less than optimal consequences for people actually seeking information and not hold hands with a stranger. at 21 years old, I came to the conclusion pretty much on the spot that the VA needed patient backlog to insure growth of budget and position for its staff. Because of the debt the nation owes these men and women, and because of the talent and experience they can contribute to our economy and society, both lawmakers and citizens should ensure that our efforts to support veterans do not undermine their recovery. (I say era because I never served in combat. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Veterans Affairs Some of the more nave vets will tell me they were coached, John said. 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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. top Genomics and PTSD Army Force Recon are you for real? Miranda Escobar 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 That partner is understandably more demolished when an affair emerges. Of the 573 veterans who participated, 22 percent reported that their partners were unfaithful during deployment. Refusal to allow it to breach and tear the fabric of your life is true strength. Ive see several with it including My BIL who was Sgt in Army Force Recon. I hate that I can write this but not speak it. 173.236.215.13 You did the right thing. If I get hurt or lose my job at minimum they wont get evicted. When I retired an E6 transition clerk, black female, went on about a 15 minute diatribe about a false MST claim she witnessed that destroyed a very competent male sailors career. It is a fully developed relationship of secrecy, passion, and emotional connection, stealing love and commitment from the existing partnership. Furthermore, she has admitted (in private) that she lied to the military review board (of which I was present) in order to deceive them about a medical condition (rape) which she later admitted, in private, was false. Dr Frueh is the perfect example. Randi Gunther, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and marriage counselor practicing in Southern California. 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. Concern that others would lose confidence in them. 5. Vowed to never go back there. The men and women who report and document the corruption are the ones fired, in spite of multiple state and Federal whistleblower protection laws. Got jobs with health care insurance. One-to-one mental health assessment and testing, One-to-one psychotherapy and family therapy. According to Wikipedia, he received over $10,000 in unspecified VA benefits. I found your post while searching for any answer why people are faking assaults, abusing the process. Vet Centers typically offer the best evidence-based approaches to PTSD treatment. The VSOs will also fight it, because many people in the VSOs are fakers themselves.. Am I wrong? I told the lady everything, and shes like hmm, okay, your good. At this point, I know what some readers are saying: This is nonsense. In the end, who was left? I was not in war. Effects of PTSD on Military Veterans, HealthyPlace. Its an extremely well written piece and deserves more attention. So can PTSD be misdiagnosed? What has gotten me so frustrated things recently is of how some people, particularly women, are using SHARP and other well meaning Programs to fake harassment and/or assaults advance their own agendas. Its time to stop giving them a pass. I didnt.I will survive. After a few months he went down to Atlanta, GA for a funeral where he was shot. Unfortunately, both these groups are dwarfed by the huge number of charlatans gaming the system. Light is too rarely shed on this topic so any little piece helps with changing public opinion on Veteran disability compensation fraud. Give it another decade, and I would be amazed if the cancer wont have killed our military altogether . I dont think you have a problem. Realizing there are a lot of posers you are not one. No, I dont have a PTSD rating from VA. In fiscal 2016, the VA provided mental health treatment to 1.6 million veterans, up from 900,000 in 2006, Kudler said. I draw retirement from the Army for loss of use of a limb. Because it should totally be the militarys responsibility to fix dirtbags like Hurdle.) Male Veterans with PTSD are more likely to report the following problems than Veterans without PTSD: Most of the research on PTSD in families has been done with female partners of male Veterans. This process is not for those who want a quick fix, nor for those who hold fast to the past. Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. For help with talking to a Veteran about getting needed care, you can contact VA's Coaching Into Care program: 1-888-823-7458. Caregiver burden also includes the emotional strain of caring for someone who is ill. Disgusting. The trauma may be experienced alone, such as in cases of rape or assault, or in the company of groups of people, such as in military combat. You cannot fake PTSD to whomever sitting at that typewriter wrote that BS! They also do more taking care of children and the extended family. He added, Better yet, reform the VA disability system entirely. I suffer depression, anxiety, chronic pain, social isolation because no one can stand to be around me and I cannot blame them because I am miserable and nearly ready to end it all. Sad. It has literally taken me 30 years deal with it and Im still having major problems. My daughters friend is an Iraq veteran, she said. And the majority of the remainder were obviously feigning PTSD symptoms., Few of Johns patients were actual combat veterans. Nothing I can do about it, but refuse to play. Site last updated March 4, 2023, PTSD: A Big Problem for Military Soldiers in War Zones, PTSD From Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, Childhood Abuse. Of course, not a single anti-war activist seems to have checked MacBeths records, which showed he was kicked out of basic training after 44 days (and none thought it necessary to examine his ridiculous Army Ranger/Airsoft clown photo). (1992). 4. The comments on that LA times are a good example of this, where the article is frequently perceived as anti-military or anti-veteran. Sexual problems tend to be higher in combat Veterans with PTSD. 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. But its not. I have, via mail, contacted both these agencies without success, along with the OIG. Well said. She claims to have PTSD, Sleep Disorder, Pain and other made-up disability disorders. Youll find so much fraud youll be shocked. Weve all had car wrecks or near misses. When people experience a life-threatening event earlier in life, they create defenses that allow them to survive those traumas. I dont know what trauma he has treated, but with all of my clients who suffer from PTSD there is no such thing as short treatment. "And when Donald Trump charged repeatedly that Barack Obama -- the commander-in-chief -- was not even an American citizen, he surely demoralized many soldiers who were fighting under orders from that White House," Junger said. So you military people better be thankful to those civilians with chronic conditions, bad knees, hips and back that work hard to support you. This site complies with the HONcode standard for PTSD symptoms in veterans include: Veterans with PTSD find the disorder can affect their work, family and social relationships drastically, particularly if the veteran is not receiving PTSD treatment. 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. I myself am a veteran and served 5 tours in combat with OIF, OEF and other hot spots with in GWOT. Quote from the article: VA benefit policies distort incentives and encourage veterans to live off of government support instead of working to their full capability. PTSD is just an illness, like any other, and needs to be treated by a doctor. Since the GWOT started, these laws have become less and less restrictive on what evidence is required to grant certain disabilities, particularly PTSD, to the point where the allowance of free money as you described is largely out of the hands of the VA, as they simply execute the laws are directed by congress. The woman was almost embarrassed to tell the story. It was removed and she is ok. She claimed it was caused by burning oil from her last overseas assignment. Another cause of PTSD in the military can be military sexual trauma (MST). Only those with them with the most honor cleaned up that ship. Also, veterans may seek help less frequently for PTSD than the general population because of the culture of the military. Money makes the wheels go round. And that will be a good indication of whats happening in every VA hospital across the country.. By inducing doubt into the American people, they will be forced to scrutinize Veterans as individuals more than before. Hell no. here. Weve been crime victims. Revamp VA disability benefits. Los Angeles Times. Laurie Slone and Matt Friedman are in the leadership of the National Center for PTSD. Relationship - Is It Common At All For A PTSD Sufferer To Cheat On We should have a comprehensive system that treats and provides compensation for veterans who have suffered during their military service, yet weeds out the dudes who did 6 months in 1979 and is claiming PTSD 40 years later and actually getting it. These thoughts can often overpower the emotional coping capacities of Veterans. According to her, none of these are true. The issue of extremist groups has gained attention after the riot on Jan. 6 aimed at preventing the peaceful transfer of the Veterans who have had a head injury are at higher risk for suicide, but these deaths can be prevented, experts say. Dantes version of Hell doesnt even come close. A partner betrayed by infidelity may experience symptoms similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder. It can also affect the mental health of partners. 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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know that Im supposed to just represent these guys, argue their cases and if they win, take my cut. get back to your type writer and find somebody else to pick on. We should stand tall with the knowledge that our commitment to our country wasnt hypothetical. Your email address will not be published. Man your story really resonated with me. "In order for soldiers to avoid something called 'moral injury,' they have to believe they are fighting for a just cause, and that just cause can only reside in a nation that truly believes in itself as an enduring entity," Junger said. 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. (Because no information can withstand that level of scrutiny). Wife kicked out of college for cheating. Because if we dont stand up to the liars and thieves poisoning our generation of veterans, the same way they poisoned the Vietnam generation, in a few short decades well see respect for veterans disappear altogether. Not like my TBI where I got hit with a backblast of an RPG by a dumbass checkpoint guard, I remember checking my head and neck for bleeding like it occured 30 mins ago. Said it was cancer. While it is their job to determine whether or not a Veteran deserves a disability rating, they make that determination based on the laws passed by congress. Nor does it make you exempt from criticism. 36 Years old. A lions share of the best and the brightest of the young, single and ambitious types finished one enlistment and understandably moved out to the civilian sector where they could pursue a degree and live comfortably on the GI Bill and a part time job. I know of people that I think should not be getting disability they mainly use it as an early retirement. 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. Regarding PTSD being treated quickly- nope! No employer would keep you if you take multiple medical leaves. The results of the surveys also indicated that veterans whose partners were unfaithful during deployment were significantly more likely to experience depression and symptoms of PTSD. I ended up working for the VA in this capacity and what you wrote about was the reason I left. How can you get the government to look into this? Travels the world like a rockstar. Lastly, it is estimated that an astonishing 30% of Vietnam veterans have had PTSD during their lifetimes. But the evaluator either didnt bother to read my notes or wanted to be nice to the veteran. These are things I have keep bottled up inside me until right now and thats because I disagree with all of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dr. Frueh was a VA psychologist for fifteen years, from 1991 to 2006. A few years ago 50 years after being in the Army the one was told how to get PTSD disability. Be proud of ANY service you gave and help those that really need because that is what we were trained to do and believe. Not every breakup with someone with PTSD is about PTSD. Oh they may occasionally nab some moron and put them in the news for show but I promise you the overwhelming majority of claims are going uninvestigated. The American Legion identified limits on attorneys fees related to Camp Lejeune Justice Act claims as one of its top goals. Further the VA is a federal agency that answers directly to the president and indirectly to congress. Dear Chump Lady, I'm sure you have a variety of chumps who were military spouses. Currently living in Fayetteville, NC I have three family members all under the age of 30 who served 4 years in the military. "When it became fashionable after the election for some of my fellow Democrats to declare that Donald Trump was 'not their president,' they put all of our soldiers at risk of moral injury," he said. Kudler said there is a "counter-intuitive" involved in addressing the veteran suicide problem. The architect and primary driver behind the Post 9/11 GI Bill was Jim Webb, a highly decorated and wounded VN vet. Of the 100 (alleged) veterans Dr. Frueh studied, all claimed to have been in combat, all were seeking treatment for Vietnam combat-related PTSD, and 94 were receiving disability. The navy could not fix the broken turd it was handed by some idiot judge. Veterans who live by the mantra My country was at war, I joined the military, I knew what I was doing and Im better for it seems to be dwindling into a veritable lone platoon, defending a battered perimeter from an army of frauds. PTSD and marriage: Advice from someone who's been there - VA News 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. Seems like every Vet I run into , action or not action, is getting paid. When the betrayed partner discovers that two deeply trusted people could collectively collude behind his or her back is almost unfathomable. I used to get mad at people for staring at me or giving me lip. Reform measures proposed by the Government Accountability Office and others including basing disability on functional limitations rather than the extent of the injury, or offering one-time payouts rather than a lifetime of checks have gone nowhere., Huang, D. (2014, October 27). And now I will smash this soapbox and throw it in the wood burner. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a29992d1e6d05fa 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. Some reserve time and back active 96 to 2000. Its insane that people openly talk about faking disabilities without fear of punishment. They are legitimately on trial for invalidating the worth of their primary relationship, succumbing to a self-serving motivation, and the willingness to risk severely wounding the other partner. I was the only one working in the house. Nobody tried to convince me I had PTSD, although they did surprise the hell out of me by telling me they thought I was suffering from depression (which, right after Afghanistan, I was). While the rest of civilians breaking our necks live pay check to pay check. . She doesnt take meds. I know it. VT RADIO: Cheating Death | VT | Alternative Foreign Policy Media Everything you knew to be true and . Intrusive thoughts and an inability to stop scanning for new data that could cause. Just go in for 4 , get out and lie, and the VA will hand out our tax payer money like candy. I saw my fair share of dead people, explosions, Iraqi police that got shot up etc. I live near an air force base and just about every car in my area is DV on the plate and mind you they drive luxury cars and drive drive fast and reckless. Whether it's your girlfriend or your wife, this top ten, Rape victim stories can be very difficult to read, frightening and emotionally draining for some but stories of rape show other victims that they are not alone in their struggles. It should be the same with those who are faking it. The effects PTSD has on veterans is similar to the effects that PTSD has on anyone else. I guess no more 20 for retirement. The VA declined to comment on Mr. Gilberts caseload, citing privacy. The allegation that some veterans are bilking PTSD programs is not a major concern for Zach Iscol, a Marine captain who fought in Fallujah and now is executive director of the non-profit Headstrong Project. "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.". I have two friends who were in Vietnam. Research at the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System at the West Haven Campus examined the impact of infidelity on combat-exposed service members. In general, PTSD can have a negative effect on the whole family. Gender responses are often different. When I interviewed him he talked about how important the GI Bill was to his fathers generation, and his belief that todays veterans deserve the same opportunities. 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). PTSD is a debilitating anxiety disorder that occurs after a traumatic event, like war combat. It's important to be as honest as you can with the VA examiners about the severity of your symptoms. Dont think Im joking its total relational aggression. I receive it for my back that was broken in 7 places, my hip which the joint is damaged, my knees I had surgery on, TBI, as well as other service and combat related injuries. PTSD in women veterans may be related to sexual assault. The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) compared Veterans with PTSD to those without PTSD. It is thoroughly researched, balanced, direct, and well-written. Email: ncptsd@va.gov
The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Now I feel the need to bridge this with compassion. 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. Further, these individuals were not on an accepted registry of repatriated prisoners of war.. She has no problems taking benefits from people who have actually earned them. Im a Soldier. For partners, PTSD may also lead to more time and stress from giving care. Your IP: For most men, it is the sabotage of being cuckolded by another male who has taken his woman from under his eyes and sold him out as a brother.. The study grouped the veterans as combat, unclear combat, or no combat. Dear Chump Lady, Is PTSD a reason for cheating? Let me say this: first, I am a real female who was really physically assaulted (MST) while I was active duty Navy in the late 1980s when I was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. For a military vet why in the hell you would accept your PTSD as treated condition when it gives you the VA paycheck? Contact the police or the FBI. 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. She also said that young female sailors know that if they make a claim to the VA that they were assaulted during their career that it was a green light for lifelong VA disability compensation. Its so out of character for me. They are medically and professionally incompetent. Kinder, gentler, more entitled, more ready to cry to the EO office over any damn thing, and most significantly, MORE BUREAUCRATICALLY ORIENTED. Caregiver burden includes practical problems such as strain on the family finances. 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.. VA offered my 100% when I got out(the alternative) and required an evaluation visit. The only time medication was mentioned was when the doctor asked if I was having trouble sleeping; of course I was, I had worked nights for almost my entire adult life and had just come back from a deployment where I was on a bunch of nighttime missions. Burkett, author of this book: Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation was Robbed of its Heroes and its History. Ill call him John. For example, a Veteran who cannot feel love or happiness may have trouble acting in a loving way towards a spouse. They Said the Rise in Military Suicide Is a Mystery.