Well the good thing is that the VA is now accepting PTSD as a real injury instead of just ignoring the problem as they have done in every other war in our history. They used to refer to it with other terms like shell shocked which was still a one way ticket back into combat, which an injured person is likely to have worse results from. You seem to have a good and realistic outlook on yourself and are taking help for your injuries which seems the proper thing to do. I wish you had included a link for the RAND study article but be it as it is the numbers seem a bit exaggerated. 1.6 million soldiers deployed to war zones include the sailors on ships and flyboys in neighboring countries. Also the rear escalon MFers in Kuwait and UAE and also countless other support personal who never even get close to the real violence. However if they guesstamate one out of five soldiers will have some form of TBI/PTSD then this is a real cause for concern.
The VFW Magazine did not give a citation for the RAND study. I'll see what I can dig up though.
I too been reading about how many lives have been touched by these disorders . I am glad for you in that you have taken on the hard part of diagnosing your problems and dealing with them the best way you know. It's the ones who won't admit they have a problem or don't realize they have a "problem" because of their exposure to this war, that I worry about also. We as a nation will be paying for this war not only with money but in ruined veteran's lives for a long time to come. We had better be trying to figure out a way to help these vererans in their need. We owe them so much....
sorry to have been out of touch. i'm sure you are right, that there are a lot of vets who have not been diagnosed, and that the risk for ptsd has to go up with multiple deployments. the RAND study was probably extremely conservative in its estimates.
go eat something! it is good you are seeing this is a problem.
i remember seeing one study from long ago, and i have no idea where to locate it now. but, as i recall, it concluded that combat vets from VN who had suffered abuse and deprivation in childhood were more vulnerable to ptsd from combat. i believe that is consistent with what ptsd experts know now -- there is a multiplier effect with several major stressors, so the overall impact is magnitudes greater.
Just in case you want to watch this:
NOW on PBS: Is the Army casting aside its neediest soldiers?See the entire show RIGHT NOW at: www.pbs.org/now/shows/424/index.html
Also, see compelling, web-exclusive interviews with two soldiers who bravely share the trauma of their experiences both in war and at home: www.pbs.org/now/shows/424/soldiers-ptsd.html
you doing OK, life member? sending you some hugs. xoxo
That must be very difficult. I know how frustrating it can be for those of us without TBI or PTSD when we forget even one minor thing... but to be in your shoes, I can't even imagine.
Big hugs.
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