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ARMY PSYCHIATRIST SAYS TIME WON'T HEAL THE
EMOTIONAL WOUNDS OF IRAQ WAR -- They and their
families, and ultimately society, are adversely
impacted
if veterans miss out on critical PTSD
treatment.
For more on PTSD, use the VA Watchdog search
engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/ses
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Story here...
http://www.mysanantonio.com/
opinion/stories/MYSA082607.04H.c
roftcomment_.1dd20a4.html
Story below:
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Comment: Time won't heal the emotional wounds
of Iraq war
Harry Croft
Special to the Express-News
While Americans may strongly disagree about our continued military
involvement in Iraq, most say they are 100 percent in support of the
troops.
Our troops are in dire need of our support, not only while fighting in
the Middle East but even more so when they return home. Many are
psychological "ticking time bombs" at risk of emotional explosions upon
their return and for many years thereafter.
How do I know? Over the past few years I have talked with nearly 2,000
Vietnam-era and Iraqi veterans about their experiences in combat and the
problems they face at home.
Surveys confirm what I have seen and diagnosed. One in six veterans
returns with combat- related stress problems, and yet less than
one-third report their symptoms. Fewer still receive necessary
treatment, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Many do not report their symptoms because they fear it may impact their
employment or chance for promotion. They fear loss of high-level
security clearances or the stigma of being thought of as crazy,
imbalanced, weak or incompetent. And, sadly, they are probably right.
As a result, many veterans suffer in silence as they experience
difficulties at home and work and in day-to-day activities. Many are
confused about their conflicting emotions and turn to alcohol and/or
drugs. They self-medicate, and self-medication can lead to even greater
disaster. Family relationships suffer, friends are lost, and self-esteem
plummets, sometimes leading to suicide. Indeed, according to a recently
released Department of Defense report, suicide rates are 35 percent
higher in veterans of Iraq than in the general population.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is an emotionally difficult issue to
handle. Unlike broken bones, this disorder is "invisible." PTSD
behaviors — such as event recall, avoidance and increased arousal
manifest in nightmares, detachment from others and increased anger and
irritability — are often ascribed to personality factors rather than
illness. Thus, even under the best of circumstances, the illness is
often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
During the past six years, I have evaluated more than 1,500 Vietnam
vets. I quickly realized that PTSD symptoms do not diminish over time.
Even 40 years later, many Vietnam veterans suffer from worsened
symptoms, which have become habitualized and much more difficult to
treat.
Most received no diagnosis or treatment until recently. A more timely
diagnosis and treatment of returning Iraqi vets should go a long way
toward preventing many of the problems faced by Vietnam veterans.
The recommendations made by the recent Dole-Shalala commission that
investigated problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center include more
effective screening and early diagnosis of PTSD symptoms; researching
effective treatments; and the education of active-duty members, veterans
and their family and friends on the symptoms of PTSD to remove its
stigma and provide for treatment.
I hope Congress and the Bush administration act now to implement these
and other changes. These would go a long way toward helping veterans of
Iraq.
We need more research to identify treatment techniques that work and are
accepted by veterans, such as Operation BATTLEMIND, developed at Walter
Reed, which converts a "combat mind-set" to more appropriate civilian
thoughts and behaviors.
Most important, successful treatment involves offering accessible care,
with adequate and properly trained staff, to veterans and their
families. As a result of their anger and irritability, many veterans are
easily frustrated when trying to navigate the treatment system. The VA
is attempting to offer easily accessible and appropriate treatment, but
it needs continued government support.
If the experience of Vietnam veterans taught us anything, it is that the
brave men and women we send to fight our wars deserve and require our
support and encouragement. But they also deserve treatment, including
mental health care, upon their return from the battlefield.
They and their families — and, ultimately, society — are adversely
impacted if veterans miss out on critical PTSD treatment.
Don't we owe them that, and more, for the sacrifices they make on behalf
of our country?
Harry Croft, a psychiatrist in San Antonio, has
more than 30 years of clinical experience. He is board certified in
psychiatry and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric
Association. As a major in the Army Medical Corps, he served as a
psychiatric physician at Brooke Army Medical Center.
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Larry Scott --
