Let's Talk About PTSD Fraud

[Denton]

Has PTSD.
Yes, outside the wire, so to speak. People shooting at them. Them shooting at people. Taking artillery fire, etc.

I work with several veterans of the 160th who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. None of them have PTSD. All of our test pilots were there and none are drawing a check. There are a few guardsmen who served over there as ground-pounders. To my knowledge, none have PTSD.

[Denton]

I see these young bucks I work with that are vets. I see they get a disability, and I can't figure why and they still work. Here I am 66 years old, served in combat and I thought I was doing pretty good. I have two artificial knees and two hips. All service connected, due to a hard fall with a partial shute opening. I NEVER asked for any disability. But last year they started on me (VA Rep) about what percentage do I have? I told them zero. I have a disability, but my employer works with me. I am a Respiratory Therapist and they make sure I am sitting whenever possible. If I get where I can't work any more due my disabilities, maybe I will talk to them. That is what disability is supposed to mean. I thought. I have a problem with all the PTSD survivors out there. I see a lot of vets, but I can not really see all the claims of PTSD being real. My BIL suffers from it, And he waited 45 years to file a claim. He should of done it years ago. PTSD is out there but I don't think it is as common as reported.

I started up a conversation with a guy while standing in line at a Best Western in Venice, Florida. He was a well-dressed guy and I was a tired truck driver, but there was a decal on his briefcase that indicated he had served in a brigade in which I'd served multiple times. He asked me where I served, expecting one duty station. When I told him all the duty stations, he started asking me questions that caused me to ask him if he were a shrink or something. It turned out that he was a psychiatrist. He told me that the brigade in which we served had the highest suicide rate as well as the highest "nutcase" rate in the army. Seems I am a statistical anomaly for serving more than one duty station in that brigade without being committed, afterward.
I'm not going to suggest that I survived without picking up some issues, but I handle them. Money from the government won't change a damned thing and I'm not taking any "happy pills."
A friend's father served in the Pacific during WWII. He was a flamethrower. He couldn't close his eyes to sleep without hearing the Japs screaming in agony while burning alive due to his flamethrower. Who the Hell am I to complain that I'm not a Happy, Shiny People type?
My shoulders and knees are shot due to my service. Sleep comes hard and I can't even throw a tennis ball without feeling the pain. A friend's father lost his arm in Vietnam. Who the Hell am I to whine, and a disability check won't change a damned thing.
I hear people at work talking about how they are working the system to get 100% disability from the military while being more physically fit than I am. All I can do is shake my head.

[Steve40th]

Its a touchy topic. I have a niece that says she was raped, while int he Navy. 80% PTSD. Problem is, no one ever was UCMjd or investigated. I knew the CMC aboard that ship. No one. But, the VA doesnt know that. Right?
Also, I had some shit happen to me while onboard a Submarine off of country X.. One of my guys killed himself 4 days after pulling into home port. Yes, it was scarry, but most of us processed things differently. Its not like we were thinking what happened to WW2 submarines..
So, no PTSD for me, I just have no nightmares of it..
My Dad has it from Vietnam, or whatever they called it then. But, his is documented as to where they were and what happened to him.

[Gunn]

I started up a conversation with a guy while standing in line at a Best Western in Venice, Florida. He was a well-dressed guy and I was a tired truck driver, but there was a decal on his briefcase that indicated he had served in a brigade in which I'd served multiple times. He asked me where I served, expecting one duty station. When I told him all the duty stations, he started asking me questions that caused me to ask him if he were a shrink or something. It turned out that he was a psychiatrist. He told me that the brigade in which we served had the highest suicide rate as well as the highest "nutcase" rate in the army. Seems I am a statistical anomaly for serving more than one duty station in that brigade without being committed, afterward.
I'm not going to suggest that I survived without picking up some issues, but I handle them. Money from the government won't change a damned thing and I'm not taking any "happy pills."
A friend's father served in the Pacific during WWII. He was a flamethrower. He couldn't close his eyes to sleep without hearing the Japs screaming in agony while burning alive due to his flamethrower. Who the Hell am I to complain that I'm not a Happy, Shiny People type?
My shoulders and knees are shot due to my service. Sleep comes hard and I can't even throw a tennis ball without feeling the pain. A friend's father lost his arm in Vietnam. Who the Hell am I to whine, and a disability check won't change a damned thing.
I hear people at work talking about how they are working the system to get 100% disability from the military while being more physically fit than I am. All I can do is shake my head.

That what I am trying to say, that there are people out there with PTSD and a lot of them keep quiet about it. Then you have the ones gaming the system. I work with a retired E-8 from the Air Force. He was an airplane mechanic. He says he has PTSD and also gets a benefit because he has Obstructive Sleep Apnea! He is also an RT, so he knows all about sleep apnea. He knows what causes it and he knows what to do about it. But he just grins and goes "Cha Ching". Then I think of people like my BIL, who I misspoke about, it was 55 years without treatment not 45. He was a Corpsman in Viet Nam, I can understand him having PTSD. It just ticks me off with people playing the system. I mean you listen to them talk, and they are proud of it. They tell each other how to get more money from the government. Where are their moral values?

[rice paddy daddy]

I work with several veterans of the 160th who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. None of them have PTSD. All of our test pilots were there and none are drawing a check. There are a few guardsmen who served over there as ground-pounders. To my knowledge, none have PTSD.

It will be readily admitted by professionals in the field of mental health that a persons level of PTSD after a series of traumatic events is directly related to their medical fitness before hand.
If you were a little unbalanced before, you are more likely to develop PTSD, and it will be more severe.
I have had several professionals tell me this.

But, of course, political correctness forbids this being mentioned publicly.

[Denton]

It will be readily admitted by professionals in the field of mental health that a persons level of PTSD after a series of traumatic events is directly related to their medical fitness before hand.
If you were a little unbalanced before, you are more likely to develop PTSD, and it will be more severe.
I have had several professionals tell me this.

But, of course, political correctness forbids this being mentioned publicly.

I was sitting here trying to say what you just said. Thanks, Brother.

[Steve40th]

That what I am trying to say, that there are people out there with PTSD and a lot of them keep quiet about it. Then you have the ones gaming the system. I work with a retired E-8 from the Air Force. He was an airplane mechanic. He says he has PTSD and also gets a benefit because he has Obstructive Sleep Apnea! He is also an RT, so he knows all about sleep apnea. He knows what causes it and he knows what to do about it. But he just grins and goes "Cha Ching". Then I think of people like my BIL, who I misspoke about, it was 55 years without treatment not 45. He was a Corpsman in Viet Nam, I can understand him having PTSD. It just ticks me off with people playing the system. I mean you listen to them talk, and they are proud of it. They tell each other how to get more money from the government. Where are their moral values?

I know people on Sleep Apnea. Not everyone gets compensation for being on one as Veteran,, Trust me...
My Mom has one, CPAP machine, and she loves it... She used to be tired all the time.. Lots of coffee.. Now, at 80, she just went on a trip to Yellowstone, Custers 1st grave, Mount Rushmore etc etc.

[bigwheel]

My wife thinks she has PTSD because of being raised by a crazy and alohol infused Mama and step Daddy. She acts pretty funny sometimes...so I dont doubt she prob has it.

[csi-tech]

I got the diagnosis but I don't receive a check. Just wanted to know where these things were coming from. I found out that sharing on this site and others with similar experiences was a great benefit. I bottled too much up and didn't process it correctly at all. Maybe if folks are still troubled they can let the demons loose in the bunker somewhere. I know it seems like PTSD is a popular thing for everyone to have. Who am I to judge, I just have my doubts about a great many of them. Gaming the system.

[csi-tech]

I work with several veterans of the 160th who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. None of them have PTSD. All of our test pilots were there and none are drawing a check. There are a few guardsmen who served over there as ground-pounders. To my knowledge, none have PTSD.

Yet. I worry about my son. He did a combat tour in Afghanistan and washed his best friend out of the floorboards of a Hum V. So far so good though.