Advocates see trouble for misdiagnosed soldiers

[Modbert]

Advocates see trouble for misdiagnosed soldiers - Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON – At the height of the Iraq war, the Army routinely dismissed hundreds of soldiers for having a personality disorder when they were more likely suffering from the traumatic stresses of war, discharge data suggests. Under pressure from Congress and the public, the Army later acknowledged the problem and drastically cut the number of soldiers given the designation. But advocates for veterans say an unknown number of troops still unfairly bear the stigma of a personality disorder, making them ineligible for military health care and other benefits.

"We really have an obligation to go back and make sure troops weren't misdiagnosed," said Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a clinical psychologist whose nonprofit "Give an Hour" connects troops with volunteer mental health professionals.

The Army denies that any soldier was misdiagnosed before 2008, when it drastically cut the number of discharges due to personality disorders and diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorders skyrocketed.

Unlike PTSD, which the Army regards as a treatable mental disability caused by the acute stresses of war, the military designation of a personality disorder can have devastating consequences for soldiers.

Defined as a "deeply ingrained maladaptive pattern of behavior," a personality disorder is considered a "pre-existing condition" that relieves the military of its duty to pay for the person's health care or combat-related disability pay.

According to figures provided by the Army, the service discharged about a 1,000 soldiers a year between 2005 and 2007 for having a personality disorder.

Article is much longer, this is only parts of it. Thoughts USMB?

 

[uscitizen]

I worked for several years (volunteer) with small groups of disabled/troubled vets from Iraq/Afganistan. A friend whos son was in a group talked me into it. He is one of the few that knew how long it took me to rebuild a life after Nam.
I performed well as a soldier however the mental trauma of combat took it's toll on me.
Some of us are not cut out for combat, but in the draft days one had no way to be an honorable American and not allow ones self to be drafted.

Perhaps Cheney has a different view on that though. And not a few other infulential persons.
Me I was just a lower working class boy going to tech school because I could not afford college.


Lots of walking wounded with no visable wounds. Lost one in my support group to suicide. Had to talk another one down in an armed confrontation. He was armed , I put mine down. That one worked out well. He is apparently doing well now.
bad shit man. Really bad shit.

The group thearpy also helped me to better resolve my remaining war issues.
But I still HATE the military. Not the prople in it though...
It amazes me to for people to think that they are worth Jesus coming back to save them and they still continue make war on each other with no end in sight.

Our boys deserve support in many ways for the "wounds" suffered in the armed services of the USA.
I am and was against the Iraq war before it began.
However I have always been all for our troops that behaved honorably and served their nation.

Thanks for putting up with my ramblings.