VA Secretary: Vets’ Concerns About PTSD Are ‘Overblown’
VA Secretary: Vets’ Concerns About PTSD Are ‘Overblown’
Over the weekend, Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake visited Alaska with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). While there, they met with Vietnam veteran John Guinn, who questioned the Secretary about the growing problem of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) amongst veterans. Instead of addressing Guinn’s concerns, Peake dismissed them:
VA secretary Peake suggested some of the concern about post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury has been overblown.
Many of the brain injuries are serious but some of them are akin to what anyone who played football in their youth might have suffered, Peake told Guinn.
Guinn wasn’t entirely satisfied with the answers. He said it’s a real issue for returning soldiers as well as their families, and he doesn’t think job training is enough.
On Saturday, Peake also said that many vets with PTSD may just need “a little counseling” and shouldn’t “need the PTSD label their whole lives.”
Peake’s comments are disturbing, especially in light of new numbers released by the Pentagon this week showing that the number of new PTSD cases “jumped by roughly 50 percent in 2007.” Since 2003, “roughly 40,000 troops have been diagnosed with the illness.”
Additionally, as Brandon Friedman at VetVoice points out, Peake’s comments are undermined by VA psychiatrist Jonathan Shay, who has stressed the seriousness of PSTD:
The American Psychiatric Association has saddled us with the jargon “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” (PTSD) — which sounds like an ailment — even though it is evident from the definition that what we are dealing with is an injury. … We do not refer to a veteran who has had an arm blown off by a grenade as suffering from “Missing Arm Disorder.” … Combat PTSD is a war injury. Veterans with combat PTSD are war wounded, carrying the burdens of sacrifice for the rest of us as surely as the amputees, the burned, the blind, and the paralyzed carry them.
Recently, VoteVets and CREW also revealed that Peake’s agency has been discouraging staff from diagnosing soldiers and veterans with PTSD, encouraging them to instead “consider a diagnosis of ‘Adjustment Disorder.’” Peake has promised that he is committed to “absolute accuracy in a diagnosis.”
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We do not refer to a veteran who has had an arm blown off by a grenade as suffering from “Missing Arm Disorder.”
We can, however, continue to refer to members of this administration as suffering from “Missing Brain Disorder.”
May 29th, 2008 at 12:56 pmYes, when suffering from PTSD, you do have “overblown” reactions to stress, and certain environmental stimuli. Another symptom is hypervigilence, another overblown reaction. Yes when suffering from PTSD, everything is way overblown.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:57 pmMany of the brain injuries are serious but some of them are akin to what anyone who played football in their youth might have suffered, Peake told Guinn.
I played football all throughout my youth and on into college ; I don’t recall ever contemplating suicide because of it , you callous , un-American Chimpy tool………..
May 29th, 2008 at 12:58 pmyour gonna sit their and compare football injuries to soldiers watching Men, women and children blown apart in a war they weren’t betting on?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:58 pmsoldiers who want to be loyal to their country forced to witness things they don’t subscribe to. Soldiers who’s suicide rate rapidly climb and they want to compare it to a sport injury?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:00 pmEvil. Pure evil.
God, I hate these people.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:01 pmMaybe Peake should have compared many of the PTSD cases to Dubya’s cocaine and alcohol abuse; but if he did, we can see the terrible damage that has caused.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:01 pmI’m sure those youths who played football were exposed to unspeakable horrors on those football fields…
May 29th, 2008 at 1:03 pmwouldn’t it be nice if Secretary Peake could get accidentally drafted, so that he could get a first hand account? I wonder, would he get a warm welcome from our boys?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:03 pmmaybe I should interview my 6 year old nephew and see what he thinks, he’s in little league.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:05 pmWaitaminnit — Peake dares to compare the experiences of our soldiers in combat to HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL????
By this comparison, Peake appears to paint PTSD as a physical ailment, similar to a concussion. It isn’t. It’s a mental whammy, and Peake should know better. Plenty of our soldiers are sustaining physical head injuries, but that’s something different.
Anyone who can grasp what PTSD is would find it hard to believe that the trauma of seeing people getting blown up and fearing for one’s life constantly over a sustained period of time could in any way be compared to the trauma of getting tackled a few times.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:06 pmVA secretary Peake suggested some of the concern about post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury has been overblown.
I suppose erring on the side of caution is a concept completely foreign to these clods ; party that supports the troops , my ass…………
May 29th, 2008 at 1:06 pmI hope that one of the first things President Obama does is to fire this twit.
Besides, PTSD doesn’t have to be because someone had a head injury. People can suffer from PTSD who have never even been injured.
This guy is trying to set up the scenario where the soldiers do not get a PTSD diagnosis. They want to stop them from getting that diagnosis because that determines them to be disabled and pays them disability benefits.
I would love to see this jackass forced to walk the streets of Baghdad for a year, not knowing who is friend and who is foe, and see how sane he comes back from the experience.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:07 pmNote to troops - The Republicans think of you as disposable cannon fodder, you have been had.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:07 pmVets’ concerns about PTSD are ‘overblown’
Yeah, just like when vets’ concern about Agent Orange were ‘overblown’.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:09 pmPost traumatic Stress Disorder. I know. they’ve mistaken it for that other syndrome. you know, post terrific stress disorder. It’s that high you get from shooting everyone around you when you mistake yourself for G.I.Joe. I think the Blackwater team suffers from it.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:11 pmThe only thing this disgusting jackass left out is the Cheneyesque meme about “they voluntered for service so they can’t complain about getting PTSD”.
Want to stop this and all other wars immediately? Draft every single College Republican now
May 29th, 2008 at 1:11 pmVets’ concerns about PTSD are ‘overblown’
Sure, you’re just a little anxious, that’s all. You’ll get over it. After all, treatment for PTSD is very expensive. You don’t want to be a burden to the taxpayers, do you?
Here, take a lollipop on your way out.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:15 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
I hope that one of the first things President Obama does is to fire this twit.
Besides, PTSD doesn’t have to be because someone had a head injury. People can suffer from PTSD who have never even been injured.
This guy is trying to set up the scenario where the soldiers do not get a PTSD diagnosis. They want to stop them from getting that diagnosis because that determines them to be disabled and pays them disability benefits.
you reminded me of that other veterans hospital scandal where the people were told to refuse assisting soldiers in filling out their claims. could you believe that shit? but I can’t remember where it happened.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:15 pm______
misshusseinmolly Says:
Waitaminnit — Peake dares to compare the experiences of our soldiers in combat to HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL????\
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He didn’t compare their war experience to playing football. He said some who have a brain injury have an injury that is comparable to a football injury. The point was that not every brain injury is catastrophic. There is quite enough to take issue with regarding the treatment of our soldiers. There is no need to change the words or meaning of the speaker.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:15 pmMan. The RNC is really scraping the bottom of the troll barrel now. I guess you don’t go to war with the trolls you want, you go to war with the trolls you can afford.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pmPeake took the Hypocritical oath. Not the other one Dr’s take.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:18 pmWhat a stupid analogy coming from a stupid pos.
Explain then, Mr. Peake, why your Department can’t get enough staff psychologists to meet demand?
War causes MENTAL ILLNESS. Losing that arm can lead to MENTAL ILLNESS. It always amazes me to hear these career desk jockeys speak from their own comfortable experiences.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:18 pmBut the vets don’t understand what true stress is! Staff meetings! Reviews! And ,horror of horrors, (Sob!) Press Conferences! Then factor in that The Chosen One’s term will be coming to an end and the Rapture still hasn’t shown up! Oh, the unfairness, oh the True Injustice! (Sarcasm off).
May 29th, 2008 at 1:18 pmImpeach Cheney and Bush, Save the Constitution and Clean This Mess Up!
Abu Ben Hussein Leporello.
VA secretary Peake suggested some of the concern about post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury has been overblown.
Yeah…so are reports of record levels of suicide among the troops I’m sure.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
May 29th, 2008 at 1:19 pmanyone who says any case of PTSD is overblown should not be in the medical field.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pmOK, sure, and I would imagine that suicide bombings are “overblown” also. I mean, some of those explosions are not any more powerful than American 4th of July fireworks, right?
/snark off
May 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pmWith all the physicians in the world, only bushbaby would pick one with such an apparent lack of qualifications as Peake.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pmtake care
tony and guidedog lido
Wow Roger,
The entire panel of psychologists and psychiatrists who wrote the DSM disagrees with you regarding the significance of PTSD. Although the crux of mental illness is really about functioning. How well can you function with a mental disorder.
The panel(s) consisted of literally hundreds of professionals. Ass.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pmPeake says: Awww, now, don’t worry about getting treatment for PTSD, boys! We’ll just send you back to Iraq for a few more combat tours, and if we’re lucky - you might get killed!! See? No worries!!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pmTotally unforgivable heinous attitude toward those who put their lives on the line every day. Anyone who believes PTSD is overblown should have to live the life of a soldier in the ME for a couple of years!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:21 pmAnd another point is that not every PTSD case is the result of a brain injury.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:21 pmFully developed PTSD requires many years of therapy to overcome. The symptoms are severe. It is indeed a combat injury.
As for brain injured soldiers, many of these soldiers have severe brain injuries. Trying to turn the conversation to those who are less injured is an insult to the severely injured. But we can see that morally bankrupt scum don’t have any problem doing just that in defense of this foul administration.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:22 pmthese people need therapy because they are wanting to kill themselves and he calls it overblown. what an insensitive ass.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:22 pmSensitivity and Imperialism are incompatible.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:24 pmralph the wonder llama Says:
And another point is that not every PTSD case is the result of a brain injury
____
I assume that quite a large number of cases of PTSD are unrelated to brain injury.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:25 pm(ralph stands and cheers)
May 29th, 2008 at 1:26 pmupright left: There is no need to change the words or meaning of the speaker.
Peake meant to change the subject which his questioner brought up and he did, just like you do. Peake is just a higher degreed troll.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:27 pmNow, I have no doubt that some veterans have mild forms of PTSD and brain injuries. But that is not really the point. The point is that the services and VA have consistently lagged behind in estimating the need for medical and psychiatric programs not only to treat but also to properly diagnose and assess these injuries. This not only results in significant numbers of veterans and active duty members who are not diagnosed; but also creates concern on the part of military members and their families. One of the greatest barriers to recognizing and treating PTSD has been the stigma attached to these conditions. Calling concerns about what can be seriously debilitating conditions overblown merely adds to that stigma.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:29 pmLet us not forget who appointed Peake. Of course Bush appointed his people to go along with his treasonous, murderous agenda for corporate gain. What I am hearing is NOT enough of the military are coming forward dealing with PTSD due to shame and fear of not being employable.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:29 pmupright left Says:
I assume
We know. Oh, we know.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:30 pmJust look at that wimp…Peake never played football. He may have been ‘tackled’ by Jeff Gannon, but football? No way.
My company is serving PTSD & TBI Vets right now. I think the saddest trait I’ve observed from these brave young Americans is the hopelessness they experience. They know they’re ‘different’ now, compared to when they enlisted. They know their’s something wrong with their brain, and they also usually realize it’s going to be like this the rest of their life.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:33 pmrogers & upright left-did you serve? If so, where the hell do you get off trying to insinuate this isn’t a serious problem?
And…why do you hate our troops?
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PatrioticLiberalChristian Says:
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upright left: There is no need to change the words or meaning of the speaker.
Peake meant to change the subject which his questioner brought up and he did, just like you do. Peake is just a higher degreed troll.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
If by that you mean pointing out that a speaker’s words were twisted, then, yes, I changed the subject. I don’t defend the VA. Vets receieved poor treatment before the war and it has only gotten worse. That doesn’t make it ok to change the speakers words and go off on a tangent ranting about how he compared war to football. That’s really not the Christian thing to do.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pmupright left Says:
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misshusseinmolly Says:
Waitaminnit — Peake dares to compare the experiences of our soldiers in combat to HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL????\
______
He didn’t compare their war experience to playing football. He said some who have a brain injury have an injury that is comparable to a football injury. The point was that not every brain injury is catastrophic. There is quite enough to take issue with regarding the treatment of our soldiers. There is no need to change the words or meaning of the speaker.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Based upon what comparison ?
What could possibly occur on a football field that mimics what happens on a battlefield ?
Every brain injury that occurs because of an illegal and idiotic invasion and occupation is not only unnecessary , but completely catastrophic ; those men and women will never be the same again , and all for what ?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:37 pmrogers Says:
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***Wow Roger,
The entire panel of psychologists and psychiatrists who wrote the DSM disagrees with you regarding the significance of PTSD. Although the crux of mental illness is really about functioning. How well can you function with a mental disorder.
The panel(s) consisted of literally hundreds of professionals. Ass.***
Seriously, If it was a real war, with a real enemy, the PTSD would be much worse…they’re lucky.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Oh yeah , they’re real “lucky” ; maybe they should go looking for lost wallets and play the lottery while they’re dodging IED’s …………
May 29th, 2008 at 1:42 pmSo our safe trolls are going to attempt to argue what kind of injury should be called a PTSD? From the safety of their basement, they are the ones who will decide? How about this trolls: Go there yourself. Fight the good fight, for 3-4-5 tours. Then come and tell us what it is like. If you cannot make that commitment, your claims of what constitutes a PTSD are worthless. These are your fellow American citizens. They deserve your thanks and your prayers.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:43 pm______
Zimzone Says:
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rogers & upright left-did you serve? If so, where the hell do you get off trying to insinuate this isn’t a serious problem?
And…why do you hate our troops?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Where did I refer to the seriousness of anything other than saying there is plenty to complain about regarding the treatment of our soldiers? You just react to any comment that doesn’t follow the established line of thinking. I said that it isn’t ok to change someone’s words. If it is ok, then it’s ok to do it to everyone.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:43 pmupright left - That doesn’t make it ok to change the speakers words and go off on a tangent ranting about how he compared war to football. That’s really not the Christian thing to do
The fact that your main point on this board is some semantic squabble over what Peake actually compared to what speaks volumes. Just by floating this bit of obfuscation (which, doesn’t really change at all the fact that Peake is at best being completely insensitive), you muddy the waters of this discussion and tacitly endorse what Peake said.
Pretty disgusting, trashing Vets with brain injuries and psychological condition, and very unChristian if you ask me.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:45 pmRoger says:
Seriously, If it was a real war, with a real enemy, the PTSD would be much worse…they’re lucky.
They have a real enemy Roger: you and your republican friends.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:45 pmPeake, like Bush was last in his class.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:48 pmYeah, years of recurring nightmares, cold sweats, self-loathing and guilt shouldn’t really be a problem for anybody.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:48 pmSecretary Peake seems like he’s in need of “a little counseling” himself. Hopefully, administered by veterans. Perhaps with a baseball bat. Sh#thead.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:49 pmAlso, upright, nobody intentionally attributed words to Peake that weren’t his. I didn’t see any quotation marks saying that HE said SUCH AND SUCH…basically, you have a problem with someone misinterpreting Peake’s idiotic statement.
While not all brain injuries are severe, to downplay PTSD is pretty cold-hearted and, as in the VA memo that was leaked, is just a way to be able to deny treatment to people who need it. People who have sacrificed their mental and physical health for this country.
Shame on you for playing word games and tut-tutting other posters here while contributing nothing of substance to the thread and basically giving Peake the thumbs up here.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:50 pm______
MCMetal Says:
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Based upon what comparison ?
What could possibly occur on a football field that mimics what happens on a battlefield ?
Every brain injury that occurs because of an illegal and idiotic invasion and occupation is not only unnecessary , but completely catastrophic ; those men and women will never be the same again , and all for what ?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
The severity of a brain injury isn’t determined by how it happened, but the degree of injury. I didn’t address the part of the comment that seemed to minimize the injuries of vets. I only addressed a poster’s comment that misinterpreted and sensationalized the comment of another.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:51 pmThere’s an old saying about the “cream rising to the top.” But Sec. Peake demonstrates what is true about every appointed person in this administration. Just like making soup, scum rises to the top…and must be removed from the pot.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:51 pmThe real “smoking gun” will be the report that shows how much money is saved by subjecting the troops to extended tours until they are: 1) dead, 2) suicidal or 3) too far gone to seek the help they need.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:52 pmok Vets . . . you go right ahead and keep voting for these people. Go ahead and vote for McSame.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pm______
Tweedster Says:
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upright left - That doesn’t make it ok to change the speakers words and go off on a tangent ranting about how he compared war to football. That’s really not the Christian thing to do
The fact that your main point on this board is some semantic squabble over what Peake actually compared to what speaks volumes. Just by floating this bit of obfuscation (which, doesn’t really change at all the fact that Peake is at best being completely insensitive), you muddy the waters of this discussion and tacitly endorse what Peake said.
Pretty disgusting, trashing Vets with brain injuries and psychological condition, and very unChristian if you ask me.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
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Forgive me, tweedster, but I’ve seen so many comments here over the years complaining about how conservatives miscontrue things that I thought honesty was valued over trying to demonize others. Is there not enough reality to demonize the administration? The VA treatment of vets is absolutely un-Christian. We would be a lot better of if the was the standard for everything.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:59 pmThe severity of a brain injury isn’t determined by how it happened, but the degree of injury.
Which is why pulling out a football comparison regarding the severity of the brain injury is just wrong here. When the issue is PTSD, the signs and symptoms are nothing like what anyone would face if they merely suffered a “minor” brain injury. When Peake introduces this kind of comparison, whatever the interpretation, it is an effort to downplay the severity of PTSD. It’s wrong, and you tacitly endorse his sentiment by focusing on what other poster’s interpret what his meaning is. Ridiculous.
I didn’t address the part of the comment that seemed to minimize the injuries of vets. I only addressed a poster’s comment that misinterpreted and sensationalized the comment of another.
This sums up exactly what is wrong with your post. Why the focus on some misinterpretation moreso than commenting on the substance Peake’s comment? It’s obfuscation of the issue, and it’s pretty pathetic.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:01 pmupright left Says:
We would be a lot better of if the was the standard for everything.
Could you try that again…in english?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:02 pmSo, upright left, do you agree that Peake was minimizing the question about PTSD, changing the question to one about physical brain injury, and then minimizing brain injury as well? If so, why don’t you just say so and quit nit-picking with the rest of us?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:03 pmupright left Says:
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MCMetal Says:
——————————————————————————–
Based upon what comparison ?
What could possibly occur on a football field that mimics what happens on a battlefield ?
Every brain injury that occurs because of an illegal and idiotic invasion and occupation is not only unnecessary , but completely catastrophic ; those men and women will never be the same again , and all for what ?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
The severity of a brain injury isn’t determined by how it happened, but the degree of injury. I didn’t address the part of the comment that seemed to minimize the injuries of vets. I only addressed a poster’s comment that misinterpreted and sensationalized the comment of another.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Oh really ?
And where have you practiced neurosurgery ?
Do you believe that an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury on a sports field isn’t different than one that occurs on a “regular” type of job ?
Why would you believe that a brain injury would not be similar in nature ? Because you obviously do not possess one ?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:05 pm______
Zimzone Says:
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upright left Says:
We would be a lot better of if the was the standard for everything.
Could you try that again…in english?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
______
Zim, I really gave you credit for being able to deal with a minor typo. Sorry about that bud.
We would be a lot better off if that was the standard for everything.
Better?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:07 pmPeake of utter stupidity and heartlessness.Hopefully most of these republican voting Vets will start to realize that these neo-cons don’t give a rats arse about them unless they are fighting their war for $$$.
As far as the stupid trolls,they suffer from a different PTSD…Poor Trolls Slurp Dong.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:09 pmForgive me, tweedster, but I’ve seen so many comments here over the years complaining about how conservatives miscontrue things that I thought honesty was valued over trying to demonize others.
I sense smug condescension here, but I really don’t want to take that bait. My issue is with you, on this thread, and your comments. The general thrust of Peake’s statement was to downplay PTSD. It’s wrong, it’s callous, and it’s very unChristian.
Is there not enough reality to demonize the administration? The VA treatment of vets is absolutely un-Christian. We would be a lot better of if the was the standard for everything.
This starts making sense, and then falls off a cliff with your last line. Not following what you wish the standard to be/. You’re right when you say that there enough reality to demonize this (mis)administration, but the fact that you take more issue with what some poster interpretted than with what Peake said, is ridiculous. OK, so you acknowledge the VA has had a bad track record as of late, but only after your pithy finger-wagging and semantic, moralistic BS. Bad form. Peake could have used any other comparison, compared anoy facet of PTSD to anything, and the fact remains that downplaying the severity of PTSD is WRONG. Where is your anger over that?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:09 pmVery smooth, Doctor Peake, lumping PTSD with traumatic brain injury and comparing them both to high-school football.
I suggest the good Doctor spend a few 24/7’s riding around in a poorly armoured humvee waiting for the next IED whilst RPGs fly about while reading a letter from his wife and mother of his child telling him that she is being evicted from their home because of foreclosure and finishing the day with a good shower that might electrocute him. Be sure to grab a bottle of tainted KBR/ Halliburton water on your way out for the nightstand, you jackass.
NOW, let’s discuss PTSD.
These people are truly despicable.
FC
May 29th, 2008 at 2:10 pmAs far as the stupid trolls,they suffer from a different PTSD…Poor Trolls Slurp Dong.
Hilarious.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:13 pm______
MCMetal Says:
And where have you practiced neurosurgery ?
Do you believe that an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury on a sports field isn’t different than one that occurs on a “regular” type of job ?
Why would you believe that a brain injury would not be similar in nature ? Because you obviously do not possess one ?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Does the treatment for a torn ACL differ depending upon how it occurred? Is a concussion with the same degree of injury worse for how it was recieved? You won’t find me minimizing the suffering of our soldiers. I don’t think they need to be there in the first place. Unlike some here, I won’t even attack the ones who oppose me on political issues. It’s still not right to misconstrue someone else’s words. You well know that Peake didn’t compare the experience of fighting in a war to playing football.
“Waitaminnit — Peake dares to compare the experiences of our soldiers in combat to HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL????”
May 29th, 2008 at 2:18 pm#66
I think I used the word pithy wrong, but it sounded despicable enough to use in reference to uptight wrong’s comments.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:19 pmBeing that I’m married to a wonderful woman whose father suffers PTSD from Vietnam, I’ve witnessed firsthand the life long effects of this disease. He is now just getting treated for it.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:19 pmHe is wonderful guy, but basically keeps to himself. His marriage has been in disarray for decades due to his inability to communicate. Busch beer is his best friend, by the caseload.
He’s a great grandfather, but even he will admit he sorely lacked in the “dad” department.
On the rare occasion when he does open up to me about the war (usually after we’ve consumed a few), it’s not pretty. Friends dying, atrocities committed, sleepless nights. Then there never was a “deprogramming” for him and others once they returned home. He didn’t care if he lived or died, even with a new wife and child. Some days, I wonder if he still doesn’t care.
My point is this disorder is not overblown. The mental aspect lives on in the anguished carrier.
This, my friends, cannot be allowed to happen again.
Treat them right away! Continue to treat them! Follow up therapy and support if needed. NEVER let them feel alone!
They fought for our country, dammit!!! They deserve the best! NO QUESTIONS ASKED!
Is Secretary Peake a real Doctor, or does he just play one on TV? PTSD is a mental condition. TBI is a physical injury. If he doesn’t know the difference, he should give up his medical license.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:21 pmYou won’t find me minimizing the suffering of our soldiers.
Well, by taking bigger issue with the interpretations of others, you have minimized their suffering. If your big problem with this thread lies not with the actual content of the story, but how other’s characterize what Peake, that minimizes the issue by obfuscation.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:24 pmIs Secretary Peake a real Doctor, or does he just play one on TV? PTSD is a mental condition. TBI is a physical injury. If he doesn’t know the difference, he should give up his medical license.
I think he went to Regents College. He and Ms. Goodling were cell mates. Both found their way into the Bush administration. Coincidence? You tell me.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:24 pm______
Tweedster Says:
Is there not enough reality to demonize the administration? The VA treatment of vets is absolutely un-Christian. We would be a lot better of if the was the standard for everything.
This starts making sense, and then falls off a cliff with your last line. Not following what you wish the standard to be/. You’re right when you say that there enough reality to demonize this (mis)administration, but the fact that you take more issue with what some poster interpretted than with what Peake said, is ridiculous. OK, so you acknowledge the VA has had a bad track record as of late, but only after your pithy finger-wagging and semantic, moralistic BS. Bad form. Peake could have used any other comparison, compared anoy facet of PTSD to anything, and the fact remains that downplaying the severity of PTSD is WRONG. Where is your anger over that?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
My anger over the war and the treatment of our veterans is expressed regularly to my representatives. I intend to vote for Obama to get us out of Iraq even though I believe he will back social programs that are not good for the U.S. That doesn’t change the fact that we need to be honest in our comments.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:31 pmYeesh, the couple trolls on this thread were really pathetic, and passively contemptuous of our troops by trying to justify Peake’s statements or downplay his downplaying of PTSD and Vet’s care.
Looks like they slithered back into their holes for now though.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:32 pmBrain Injury(TBI) and PTSD are two entirely different things. They can occur together, which we call co-morbidity.
That brings up a question. Are we seeing many cases of PTSD co-morbid with TBI? If so, that was a rare occurrence before this war. If we are now getting flooded with these combinations of disorders, one would think the need to address it would increase that much more.
You have to be greedy, or stupid to be a Republican. I’m sure our friendly trolls suffer from a co-morbid occurrence of these two things.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:34 pmThat doesn’t change the fact that we need to be honest in our comments.
Weak as water! First off, you are acting as if how people interpreted Peake’s idiotic comment was so off base and mischaracterized as to make it your primary issue in your posts.
Can you take issue with Peake’s dishonesty here? His false linkage of brain injuries, severity, and PTSD?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pmWatch out R’s, those soldiers who gave a greater sacrifice than death, a life of suffering, might get more than they deserve in the form of healthcare, they might milk the system or something.
/sarc
May 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pmRecently, VoteVets and CREW also revealed that Peake’s agency has been discouraging staff from diagnosing soldiers and veterans with PTSD, encouraging them to instead “consider a diagnosis of ‘Adjustment Disorder.’” Peake has promised that he is committed to “absolute accuracy in a diagnosis.”
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Good grief! Is there anyone else here who recognizes the significance of the Adjustment Disorder diagnosis under the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders?
If memory serves, the sort of client which a psychologist typically diagnoses as suffering from Adjustment Disorder is a client seeking help following a stressful life event such as a divorce. Now there’s no question that certain life events can trigger very high levels of stress lasting for a significant period of time — but with all due respect, I find it hard to believe that most of these genuinely compare with the stress of literally and regularly putting one’s life on the line in combat while serving a tour of duty in wartime. Granted, the Adjustment Diagnosis disorder encompasses a range of clients whose level of suffering is anywhere from mild to moderately severe in scope. However, at least in my opinion, Adjustment Disorder simply isn’t sufficient to capture what we’re seeing in a lot of the veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s nothing less than a deliberate attempt to downplay and minimize the suffering of these men and women who’ve served our country — an insult and a desecration.
Then again, this is the Bush administration we’re talking about…so why should anyone with two functioning brain cells to rub together be surprised by this? We all know by now that their “support for the troops” rhetoric has been proven time and time again to be little more than a political tool which they’ve used for their own benefit at the veterans’ expense.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:54 pmMy two cents worth. This is just what one could expect coming from anyone remotely connected to the present Bush Administration.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:02 pmThey are using medical legitimacy to de-legitimize medicine. “Well, uh, adjustment disorder doesn’t require long term intensive treatment.”
May 29th, 2008 at 3:05 pmThe sleaze just keeps on oozing out of this administration!
May 29th, 2008 at 3:08 pmWow, Rogers, you never cease to amaze.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:15 pmHow can you see the keyboard with your head so far up your arse?
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Tweedster Says:
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That doesn’t change the fact that we need to be honest in our comments.
Weak as water! First off, you are acting as if how people interpreted Peake’s idiotic comment was so off base and mischaracterized as to make it your primary issue in your posts.
Can you take issue with Peake’s dishonesty here? His false linkage of brain injuries, severity, and PTSD?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
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It’s off base to equate a comment explaining the severity of “some” brain injuries with saying that “the experience of war” is the same as playing football. Six of the first eleven posters made similar comments. Are you ok with having a thread that is dedicated to comments mischaracterizing a single statement? Your last sentence doesn’t make much sense. Peake didn’t link PTSD and brain injury. He did question whether the severity is as bad as some are making it seem. I agree that one soldier is too many to suffer either condition. I don’t think that makes it ok to misconstrue remarks. If it’s ok to knowingly misconstrue Peake’s comments, then you have no standing to complain when the right misconstrues Obama’s remarks.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:56 pmBlah-blah-blah-frickity-blah.
Same old sh*t every day, right, er, upright?
May 29th, 2008 at 4:03 pm______
ForTruth Says:
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Watch out R’s, those soldiers who gave a greater sacrifice than death, a life of suffering, might get more than they deserve in the form of healthcare, they might milk the system or something.
/sarc
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As we see in this exchange from Tuesday, some vets are R’s and they might not be appreciated because of it.
“Twice as many veterans of the Iraq war are running for Congress than in 2006, and this year Republican candidates outnumber Democrats…”
upside99 Says:
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I am heartened to see that we will have many more vets running for office, no matter which party they represent.
This will provide a much better environment for not only veteran’s issue but a truly bi-partisan look at where we go militarily, in the future.
barfly Says:
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Iwish I could share your sentiments, but there isn’t any evidence that these vets will be any better at governance, should they be elected. Duncan Hunter’s son would be a reliable republican rubberstamp, as would many of the current republican hopefuls.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:04 pm____
Leftside Annie Says:
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Blah-blah-blah-frickity-blah.
Same old sh*t every day, right, er, upright?
May 29th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
May 29th, 2008 at 4:06 pm______
Absolutely, Annie, honesty every day. Try it.
Honesty? From you?
That’s funny. REEEEEEEEEALLY funny.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:48 pm______
Leftside Annie Says:
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Honesty? From you?
That’s funny. REEEEEEEEEALLY funny.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
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Now that really hurt, Annie. ;)
May 29th, 2008 at 4:52 pmAnother part of the problem, I believe, is that many of our Vets are realizing that they did not and are not fighting for our Country - they are fighting for Bush and his fat fu(k friends. To survive through all this nonsensical horror and realize you were a tool, you were used to line the pockets of a bunch of sick criminals. Shameful!
May 29th, 2008 at 5:09 pmHear that Vetrans, the person who represents the healthcare of Veterans (and officially reports on same to the WH and Congress) says you have nothing to worry about.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:16 pm.
Why does the V.A. Sec. Hate the Vets?
.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:11 pm“Ask a police or other people if they have ever seen another person take a shovel and stick it into a person that’s dead and tied with barb wire against a telephone pole and pull their insides out and throw them into a river?”
These are words of a veteran from Vietnam with PTSD. i’m married him. He has problems to sleep, (sleep only 2-3 hours and sometimes less than that), problems to approach people and deal with them. VA thinks he doesn’t have any problem, which seems to be the conclusion of the psychiatrist during his last visit (1 week ago).
“there’s close to 1000 suicides a month of veterans”. He tried to do it more than 2 times, fortunately for me (nor for the VA) he couldn’t do it.
It’s a shame that people that fought for your country and accepted to do what the government wanted, then this same government doesn’t want anything to do with them and it seems, nobody is interesting in doing something for changing this situation. They deserve something better than just “I don’t mind”, “I don’t care”, “it’s not my business”.
May 30th, 2008 at 9:12 pmUm, so I’m a nave in the Blog Forest, but I wanted to put my two seeds in . . .
So, upright left,
It appears that you’re trying to clarify some semantic interpretations within the comments, but I can’t really see how any poster misrepresented what Peake was saying - namely that not every vet who has suffered some form of brain injury should be diagnosed PTSD. (The doctors are in the business of making those distinctions.)
But that misses the point of what Peake was doing, which is to (try to) confuse PTSD with brain injury. Guinn asked about PTSD, and Peake responded by shifting to brain injuries (which are sometimes associated with PTSD), then comparing (some of) those to football injuries (proving my dad’s feelings that football is inherently violent and destructive :P ). What Peake did there was to associate PTSD with a brain injury, which is medically incorrect, and then take a portion of brain injuries as comparison to “normal” activities (as if football related brain injuries are not a horrible tragedy for those involved).
The person to blame is Peake (not the posters) for confusing brain injuries with PTSD.
The despicable thing here is to say that some PTSD diagnoses are comparable to injuries in everyday activities like football . . . it implies some (or nearly all) of the PTSD “applicants” are “gaming the system” - PTSD is a separate diagnosis from brain injury! Peake is the one who stirred the pot, muddied the waters, clouded the clarity of one from the other, by converting a question about PTSD into brain injuries into minor brain injuries (like football injuries).
It’s akin to redefining some cancers as “unregulated cell growth”, and therefore cutting reimbursements to the afflicted, because it’s not, you know, cancer.
That being said, I am slightly unnerved by the degree of anger (as opposed to dialogue) in response to your post(s). It leads me to believe that you are perhaps infamous in the blogs as an apologist or minimizer, but, as my name indicates, I don’t know.
In sum, Upright Left makes a valid, though semi-insignificant point in trying to keep “us” focused on the truthiest truths. (The problem being that Peake, by his statements, is doing the opposite - trying to blur and muddle PTSD/brain injury diagnosis.
Sorry - I realize that I made the same points over and over, but I guess I really got into this.
June 4th, 2008 at 7:35 pm