VA Ordered Not to Diagnose PTSD

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VA Ordered Not to Diagnose PTSD

_http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/85511/_

(http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/85511/)

Posted by Mike Connery, _AlterNet_

(http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/85511/www.alternet.org) at 2:35 PM on May

15, 2008.

 

 

The VA is ordering its staff not to diagnose veterans with PTSD,

short-changing our soldiers and making worse an already under-treated

condition.

 

 

This is a disgrace. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

(CREW) and VoteVets.org have discovered that _the VA is instructing its staff

to

avoid diagnosing soldiers_ (http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/31690)

returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD:

Both CREW and VoteVets have _issued_

(http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/31690) spot-on statements on the

matter:

 

 

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today:

 

It is outrageous that the VA is calling on its employees to deliberately

misdiagnose returning veterans in an effort to cut costs. Those who have risked

their lives serving our country deserve far better. First and foremost, they

have a right to expect that they receive diagnoses and treatment based on

their symptoms and not on the VA’s budget. The VA should immediately reverse

this and any other similar directives.

 

Jon Soltz, an Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org, added:

 

This is an issue I take personally. I know of many people who received a

diagnosis of ‘Adjustment Disorder,’ who strongly felt they had PTSD, many

of

whom confirmed that suspicion with an independent diagnosis. Many veterans

believe that the government just doesn’t want to pay out the disability that

comes along with a PTSD diagnosis, and this revelation will not allay their

concerns. It is crucial that we quickly get to the bottom of this, and ensure

that

misdiagnosing veterans is not part of some cost-cutting policy.

According to _a study by the RAND corporation_

(http://rand.org/news/press/2008/04/17/) , approximately 300,000 veterans of

Iraq and Afghanistan display

symptoms of PTSD, or nearly 20% of veterans. PTSD is highly stigmatized

within the military (in which is is viewed as a sign of weakness). Soldiers are

encouraged to " tough it out " rather than seek proper car. That's why only half

of those 300,000 veterans have ever sought treatment.

This move by the VA makes worse and already bad situation in which soldiers

are not receiving the proper care from an injury that is as serious as any

physical wound. Earlier this year Senators Clinton and Obama _met with young

veterans_ (http://futuremajority.com/node/1052) to discuss their issues, and

PTSD came up a number of times. Here's a chance for them to show those veterans

their support.

 

Tagged as: _veterans administration_

(http://www.alternet.org/tags/veterans%20administration/) , _veterans_

(http://www.alternet.org/tags/veterans/) ,

_va_ (http://www.alternet.org/tags/va/) , _ptsd_

(http://www.alternet.org/tags/ptsd/)

Michael Connery is the author of _Youth to Power: How Today's Young Voters

Are Building Tomorrow's Progressive Majority_ (http://www.youthtopower.com/) .

He blogs about progressive youth organizing at _Future Majority_

(http://www.futuremajority.com/) and is an adviser to a number of progressive

youth

organizations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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