Mental Illness post Iraq

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Specializes in Occupational Health Nursing/ Med/ Surg.

Just wants to get your take on the government care of persons who get mentally ill after returning from Iraq. I was watching the News and saw the FBI apprehending a Gentleman who had materials for making a bomb in his luggage at Orlando airport. One look at the gentleman tells me that he is mentally ill.

His family have complained about his change in behaviour since his return from the war. Do you think enough is done for persons who serve in the army in the war torn countires? Do they get enough counselling and psychiatric attention? Should more be done for them?

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From my personal experience my brother-in-law has pretty bad PTSD and there was major behavior change when he came back. Thankfully my sister was strong enough to brow beat him into seeking treatment on his own. A close friend of there's did not. After his second tour in Iraq he flipped out and went AWOL. Know he is serving 5 years in jail. He did not seek treatment due to the amount of crap my brother-in-law went through before he got a medical discharge(from other injuries not the ptsd). My brother-in-law had to stay in 6 months past his enlistment term (despite being injured almost 3 years before his enlistment came up). He "leadership" of his unit would do almost anything to get him in trouble, despite receiving several commendations (including the bronze star) and promotions before the injury. Frankly the whole thing is just a huge mess coming down the road. Maybe not as bad as Vietnam (because we got better at treating ptsd) but probably pretty bad.

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My husband was discharged long before the current Iraq war (2000) but he suffered combat injuries and PTSD during his time in the military. He has been fighting the VA for assistance since 2000 to get his disability rating and just recently I convinced him to seek treatment for his PTSD. The VA played it off and said he had an adjustment disorder. I sent him to a private doctor and she said he has PTSD, is Bi-Polar and due to this combonation he is clinically depressed and suicidal. The VA is still denying the PTSD and Bi-Polar diagnosis. I am at my ropes end with the VA and unfortunately I am not alone. But what can we do???

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Our troops are being used and abused,dirty water from Halliburten, troops being electrocuted from bad wiring, again Halliburten subsidiary, repeat rotations, not enough follow up care from brain injury or mental disorders.

We keep pouring money into rebuilding of Iraqi infrastructure ,keeping the war going year after year, 4,000 plus lives lost, bankrupting our own country and it seems there is no way out until we get a Democratic president.

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My husband was discharged long before the current Iraq war (2000) but he suffered combat injuries and PTSD during his time in the military. He has been fighting the VA for assistance since 2000 to get his disability rating and just recently I convinced him to seek treatment for his PTSD. The VA played it off and said he had an adjustment disorder. I sent him to a private doctor and she said he has PTSD, is Bi-Polar and due to this combonation he is clinically depressed and suicidal. The VA is still denying the PTSD and Bi-Polar diagnosis. I am at my ropes end with the VA and unfortunately I am not alone. But what can we do???

Have you contacted your state Senators or Congressmen?

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yes I have contacted my congressman.....he is about worthless. He took 6 months to respond and after me calling and harrassing his staff for 5 months I get a lovely one page letter from him telling me nothing. He is supposed to be checking into it and will let me know if he learns anything. That was 4 months ago. His office won't even take my calls any more and I get asked to please leave a written message when I go to his office. I guess he is a really slow learner.

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Specializes in Trauma.
My husband was discharged long before the current Iraq war (2000) but he suffered combat injuries and PTSD during his time in the military. He has been fighting the VA for assistance since 2000 to get his disability rating and just recently I convinced him to seek treatment for his PTSD. The VA played it off and said he had an adjustment disorder. I sent him to a private doctor and she said he has PTSD, is Bi-Polar and due to this combonation he is clinically depressed and suicidal. The VA is still denying the PTSD and Bi-Polar diagnosis. I am at my ropes end with the VA and unfortunately I am not alone. But what can we do???

This is awful! I'm so sorry...The reaction you're getting from someone in government is not surprising. My uncle fought in the Vietnam war and was exposed to agent orange. He has degenerative disease and now diabetes. The government won't cover his medication b/c they say it is not caused from exposure to agent orange. Well, helloooo...there are facts that prove it. They have been fighting the government on this for 4 years now and they're still fighting. It's unbelievable, yet believable that our government would treat the ones who lay their lives on the line, with ANY war:(

I hope you and your husband get the necessary help he needs. It's far more than angering!!

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