.Help for vets with PTSD
As I sit and listen to a fellow veteran recall graphic details of his stay in Iraq, I sense that I (not he) need a break. I am not usually squeamish about stuff like this, but it got to be a little too much.
The veteran was supposed to schedule an appointment with me, a district service officer with the N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs, after he was able to complete his claim for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Instead, he scheduled an appointment before he even started the process for claiming PTSD.
I say, “Let’s take a look at what the VA has sent you in the mail.” He opens his manila envelope and pulls out several papers, including the questionnaire about PTSD. I can feel his frustration at not wanting to go this alone.
I ask if he is seeing a mental health professional, and he says yes. I ask if he has ever brought up what he saw and experienced while overseas to that mental health professional. He skirts the issue, but I bring him back. I tell him it is important that he tell the story so there is a record of it when the VA makes its determination.
I then ask him about his marital status; he is newly divorced. I ask him to tell me what may have resulted in that. He tells me what his ex-wife felt about his behavior, so I ask if it he thinks she would be willing to provide a statement to support his claim of PTSD. The things he tells me sound like symptoms of PTSD, and his divorce is one of those symptoms. He gives me her phone number, and I call her while he is still there. She agrees to give a written statement.
After my talk with him, I ask him to do me favor: Make sure he sees a mental health professional soon. Now that he is back as a civilian, he has to cope with what he had saw overseas and be able to manage everyday affairs, like stress of a regular job, family and paying bills. God bless him if he can get through it. God really bless them if he can’t.
The consensus I get is that this is difficult stuff to talk about; it always has been and always will be. But veterans should be aware that things will only stay the same if they don’t seek help.
The VA is making strides to make resources available for veterans who believe they need help. If you’re a veteran and need help, call 411 to reach a local VA hospital. You may also contact your local veterans’ membership organizations (American Legion, AMVETS, VFW, etc.) and ask for any local Veterans Affairs hospital or clinic, and you will be referred to the nearest VA clinic in your area.
GarnerCitizen
The veteran was supposed to schedule an appointment with me, a district service officer with the N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs, after he was able to complete his claim for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Instead, he scheduled an appointment before he even started the process for claiming PTSD.
I say, “Let’s take a look at what the VA has sent you in the mail.” He opens his manila envelope and pulls out several papers, including the questionnaire about PTSD. I can feel his frustration at not wanting to go this alone.
I ask if he is seeing a mental health professional, and he says yes. I ask if he has ever brought up what he saw and experienced while overseas to that mental health professional. He skirts the issue, but I bring him back. I tell him it is important that he tell the story so there is a record of it when the VA makes its determination.
I then ask him about his marital status; he is newly divorced. I ask him to tell me what may have resulted in that. He tells me what his ex-wife felt about his behavior, so I ask if it he thinks she would be willing to provide a statement to support his claim of PTSD. The things he tells me sound like symptoms of PTSD, and his divorce is one of those symptoms. He gives me her phone number, and I call her while he is still there. She agrees to give a written statement.
After my talk with him, I ask him to do me favor: Make sure he sees a mental health professional soon. Now that he is back as a civilian, he has to cope with what he had saw overseas and be able to manage everyday affairs, like stress of a regular job, family and paying bills. God bless him if he can get through it. God really bless them if he can’t.
The consensus I get is that this is difficult stuff to talk about; it always has been and always will be. But veterans should be aware that things will only stay the same if they don’t seek help.
The VA is making strides to make resources available for veterans who believe they need help. If you’re a veteran and need help, call 411 to reach a local VA hospital. You may also contact your local veterans’ membership organizations (American Legion, AMVETS, VFW, etc.) and ask for any local Veterans Affairs hospital or clinic, and you will be referred to the nearest VA clinic in your area.
GarnerCitizen
posted by madtom at 4:07 PM
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