Is Bergdahl A Classic PTSD Example?

MikeK

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Jun 11, 2010
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The things our military is involved in today in the Middle East no way compares with the glorious purpose and performance of those troops who defended our Country in Europe and the Pacific during World War Two.

Some time ago I watched the video of a U.S. soldier carrying the lifeless body of a little girl wounded when a U.S. helicopter strafed the van she was riding in with her father. U.S. Soldier on 2007 Apache Attack: What I Saw | Danger Room | WIRED This incident calls to mind similar stories I've heard about civilian casualties in Vietnam.

kim.jpg



And while I'm sure there were examples of civilian casualties during the battles of WW-II the critical difference was they occurred during a necessary, defensive war. A comforting justification.

No such justification exists for the consequences of our actions in Vietnam, or in Baghdad, and now in Afghanistan. And no matter how successful the propagandists are at convincing the troops their actions are defending America there is a percentage of those troops who are capable of understanding, and are willing to understand, it simply isn't true and that there was no good reason for us to be in Vietnam or Iraq. And the result of that awareness is the strikingly high number of troop suicides and PTSD cases we are seeing.

The more I read and hear about Bowe Bergdahl the more inclined I am to believe he is a classic example of PTSD.
 
Four year legal struggle ended with plea...

PTSD-afflicted Marine Veteran Gets 15 Years for Wounding Deputy
Oct 12, 2015 | When jurors appeared on the brink of deadlocking, a Marine veteran took a plea deal Friday evening and was sentenced to 15 years in state prison for shooting a sheriff's deputy in 2011. The deal ended a four-year legal saga and represented a compromise between the prosecution, which conceded Matthew Buendia suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and the insanity defense of Buendia, who admitted shooting the deputy. Deputy Lyonelle De Veaux then said she had forgiven Buendia the night he shot her.
In an emotional night-time court scene, Buendia tearfully apologized to De Veaux, and she accepted. The deputy said she hopes the case will call attentions to veterans' mental health treatment and how the community deals with police. "I just want to say to you it's been a long four years," De Veaux said to Buendia, who could have faced a life sentence if convicted of the first-degree attempted murder to which he pleaded guilty. "I forgave you that night. I don't harbor any anger toward you, revenge.''

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De Veaux then referred to the plea deal, which was hammered out after jurors sent out a note after five hours of deliberations asking what would happen if they couldn't reach a verdict. "I understand it's a really difficult choice for you and your defense team and for your family. But believe it or not I've been praying for you and I believe that both our lives were spared that night because of God. That's my true belief. "I never wanted you to go to prison for life," she said. "That's not what I wanted for you. OK? But I do want to bring attention to the fact that I think there are issues with how the mental health community deals with veterans issues when they're returning. There are also issues with how our community deals with our police officers right now. And I think that the situation that both of us have been placed in gives the community an opportunity to fix what's been going on. "But I wanted you to know from Lyonelle De Veaux, not Deputy De Veaux, to Matthew Buendia, I forgive you and I wish you all the best."

An anguished Buendia then addressed the deputy before he was taken back to jail. "I'm completely sorry," he said, sobbing. "I never would have thought this would have happened in my life. I would never want this to happen to anybody. I'm still proud I served the United States Marine Corps and I would still do it again even though -- having PTSD. But I just want to say I'm totally sorry to you. I'm glad you're OK." "I accept your apology," DeVeaux said. In addition to the 15-year prison sentence -- with a minimum of 10 years before release -- Buendia will have be on probation for life with several conditions, including undergoing a mental health evaluation six months before he is released and following therapeutic recommendations. After Buendia was sentenced, jurors were brought into court and dismissed from service without having to decide whether Buendia's PTSD rendered him insane when he fired nine times at De Veaux on Sept. 30, 2011. That night, De Veaux had responded to a domestic violence call involving Buendia and his girlfriend. De Veaux was hit twice in the leg and once in the shoulder.

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The more I read and hear about Bowe Bergdahl the more inclined I am to believe he is a classic example of PTSD.


I don't know. Let the Medical Professional examine Mr. Bergdahl ; make that......or another medical diagnosis / diagnoses


Shadow 355
 
Is Bergdahl A Classic PTSD Example?

No, it is not. Defecting to the enemy is the very last thing that someone with a classic case of PTSD would do.
WWII was no more a "defensive war" than any other this nation has fought.
Your picture shows the result of a South Vietnamese air strike.

 
Kinda like when Nixon proclaimed Manson guilty...

Bergdahl Lawyers: Dismiss Case After Trump's 'Traitor' Charges
Jan 20, 2017 | Lawyers for Sgt. Bergdahl filed a motion to dismiss court martial charges on grounds that Trump has called him a "traitor."
Minutes after President Donald Trump took the oath of office Friday, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's defense lawyers filed a motion to dismiss court martial charges based on Trump's repeated statements as a candidate calling him a "dirty rotten traitor" and a "no good traitor." "It's inimical to the administration of justice" and a denial of Bergdahl's due process rights to a fair trial to allow the case of U.S. v Bergdahl to proceed on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy under Articles 85 and 99 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, said Eugene Fidell, a civilian defense counsel for Bergdahl.

Fidell said Trump's statements amounted to "apparent unlawful command influence" that could prejudice any potential military jury panel called to decide Bergdahl's fate, although Trump made the statements as private citizen and candidate and not as commander in chief. The motion said that "Sergeant Bergdahl has never been charged with, indicted for, or convicted of treason. Nonetheless, President Trump referred to him as 'traitor Bergdahl' and repeatedly described him as, variously, a traitor, a 'dirty, rotten traitor,' a 'no-good traitor,' a 'dirty, no good traitor,' and 'a horrible traitor.' He did this at rally after rally across the country."

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Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl arrives for a pretrial hearing at Fort Bragg, N.C.​

At a 2015 rally in Las Vegas, Trump said "We're tired of Sgt. Bergdahl, who's a traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed. Thirty years ago, he would have been shot." The motion also argued that Trump would be unable to withdraw the statements as Commander-in-Chief. "Given the nature of the statements, which through repetition and positive audience response became a signature campaign theme, any attempt to recant them after the filing of this motion and safely after President Trump became commander in chief would be deeply cynical and unworthy of credence," the motion said.

The motion was filed with Army Col. Jeffery Nance, the trial judge for Bergdahl's general court martial, which is tentatively scheduled for April at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on the desertion and misbehavior before the enemy charges. The latter carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Bergdahl said he walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009 in an effort to reach commandeers to tell them of problems with his unit. He was held captive by the Taliban and its allies for five years. The Obama administration in May 2014 arranged to exchange Bergdahl for five Taliban prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility.

Bergdahl Lawyers: Dismiss Case After Trump's 'Traitor' Charges | Military.com
 
Uncle Ferd willin' to be a lab rat...
icon_wink.gif

Volunteers Needed for Clinical Trial of Marijuana for PTSD Symptoms
Feb 10, 2017 | WASHINGTON — Researchers started this week the first-ever clinical trial of marijuana for treating the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans.
The trial will test four potencies of smoked marijuana and their effects to manage PTSD symptoms in 76 veterans, according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration, the study is intended to develop marijuana into a legal prescription drug. "We are thrilled to see this study overcome the hurdles of approval so we can begin gathering the data," Amy Emerson said in a written statement issued by the association. The nonprofit drives clinical research on the medicinal use of marijuana, LSD and MDMA, known more broadly as Ecstasy. "This study is a critical step in moving our botanical drug development program forward at the federal level to gather information on the dosing, risks and benefits of smoked marijuana for PTSD symptoms."

The $2.2 million trial is funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The first participant received marijuana Monday. Researchers are looking for other volunteers who experienced trauma during their military service. The study is being conducted at the Scottsdale Research Institute in Arizona and John Hopkins University in Baltimore. Veterans will visit clinics 17 times over 12-week period, and then will be scheduled for a six-month follow-up. To apply, email [email protected] or call John Hopkins at (410) 550-0050.

marijuana-smoking-1200x800-ts600.jpg

The association has worked since 2010 to gain approval for the study. The DEA gave its approval in April. Dr. Sue Sisley, the medical researcher leading the portion of the study in Arizona – and a former Department of Veterans Affairs psychiatrist – said at the American Legion national convention last year that veterans were "getting desperate" for PTSD treatment. "I could never reach that level of relief with traditional medications, so I knew I had to keep going," she said of her research.

At the convention, the American Legion issued a resolution urging Congress to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I drugs, which are designated as having no medical use. "There are a lot of tools that are not being utilized," American Legion Past National Commander Bill Detweiler said at the time. "Here is an opportunity for the Legion to step forward and help [veterans] who are suffering from PTSD." Congress blocked a provision last year that would allow VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana to patients in states where it's legal.

Volunteers Needed for Clinical Trial of Marijuana for PTSD Symptoms | Military.com
 
Uncle Ferd willin' to be a lab rat...
icon_wink.gif

Volunteers Needed for Clinical Trial of Marijuana for PTSD Symptoms
Feb 10, 2017 | WASHINGTON — Researchers started this week the first-ever clinical trial of marijuana for treating the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans.
The trial will test four potencies of smoked marijuana and their effects to manage PTSD symptoms in 76 veterans, according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration, the study is intended to develop marijuana into a legal prescription drug. "We are thrilled to see this study overcome the hurdles of approval so we can begin gathering the data," Amy Emerson said in a written statement issued by the association. The nonprofit drives clinical research on the medicinal use of marijuana, LSD and MDMA, known more broadly as Ecstasy. "This study is a critical step in moving our botanical drug development program forward at the federal level to gather information on the dosing, risks and benefits of smoked marijuana for PTSD symptoms."

The $2.2 million trial is funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The first participant received marijuana Monday. Researchers are looking for other volunteers who experienced trauma during their military service. The study is being conducted at the Scottsdale Research Institute in Arizona and John Hopkins University in Baltimore. Veterans will visit clinics 17 times over 12-week period, and then will be scheduled for a six-month follow-up. To apply, email [email protected] or call John Hopkins at (410) 550-0050.

marijuana-smoking-1200x800-ts600.jpg

The association has worked since 2010 to gain approval for the study. The DEA gave its approval in April. Dr. Sue Sisley, the medical researcher leading the portion of the study in Arizona – and a former Department of Veterans Affairs psychiatrist – said at the American Legion national convention last year that veterans were "getting desperate" for PTSD treatment. "I could never reach that level of relief with traditional medications, so I knew I had to keep going," she said of her research.

At the convention, the American Legion issued a resolution urging Congress to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I drugs, which are designated as having no medical use. "There are a lot of tools that are not being utilized," American Legion Past National Commander Bill Detweiler said at the time. "Here is an opportunity for the Legion to step forward and help [veterans] who are suffering from PTSD." Congress blocked a provision last year that would allow VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana to patients in states where it's legal.

Volunteers Needed for Clinical Trial of Marijuana for PTSD Symptoms | Military.com
This is a step in the right direction.
 
Bergdahl in my opinion is a traitor. That he should or should not ever have been allowed into the military is a different matter but what he did were the actions of a traitor in my opinion.
 
Does anyone believe that PTSD causes members of the Military to become traitors? That's kind of insulting on many levels. Bargdahl exhibited sings of instability before he walked off his post and joined the enemy.
 
If PTSD causes such a radical change in behavior it seems that former Military members who were so mentally impaired by their service that they were qualified to receive a pension because of their PTSD disorder should logically be on the no-fly list and should be prevented from purchasing a firearm as long as their admitted mental disorder persists.
 
WW1 -- called it shell shock.

WW2 -- called it battle fatigue.

Viet Nam -- called it PTSD.

Samee same G/I.

There is a big difference between desertion and PTSD.

PTSD happens after you come back home.

My dad was a tank commander during WW2 and in the aftermath even 20 years later he used to yell in his sleep and I would run into his room and wake him so his nightmares would stop.

Desertion happens because of cowardice. It has nothing to do with PTSD.

My own guess about Bergdahl is that his basic training was NOT thorough enough.
 
The things our military is involved in today in the Middle East no way compares with the glorious purpose and performance of those troops who defended our Country in Europe and the Pacific during World War Two.

Some time ago I watched the video of a U.S. soldier carrying the lifeless body of a little girl wounded when a U.S. helicopter strafed the van she was riding in with her father. U.S. Soldier on 2007 Apache Attack: What I Saw | Danger Room | WIRED This incident calls to mind similar stories I've heard about civilian casualties in Vietnam.

kim.jpg



And while I'm sure there were examples of civilian casualties during the battles of WW-II the critical difference was they occurred during a necessary, defensive war. A comforting justification.

No such justification exists for the consequences of our actions in Vietnam, or in Baghdad, and now in Afghanistan. And no matter how successful the propagandists are at convincing the troops their actions are defending America there is a percentage of those troops who are capable of understanding, and are willing to understand, it simply isn't true and that there was no good reason for us to be in Vietnam or Iraq. And the result of that awareness is the strikingly high number of troop suicides and PTSD cases we are seeing.

The more I read and hear about Bowe Bergdahl the more inclined I am to believe he is a classic example of PTSD.

He is a snively little coward who is a traitor to his fellow soldiers and this country. He deserves a noose.
 
The things our military is involved in today in the Middle East no way compares with the glorious purpose and performance of those troops who defended our Country in Europe and the Pacific during World War Two.

Some time ago I watched the video of a U.S. soldier carrying the lifeless body of a little girl wounded when a U.S. helicopter strafed the van she was riding in with her father. U.S. Soldier on 2007 Apache Attack: What I Saw | Danger Room | WIRED This incident calls to mind similar stories I've heard about civilian casualties in Vietnam.

kim.jpg



And while I'm sure there were examples of civilian casualties during the battles of WW-II the critical difference was they occurred during a necessary, defensive war. A comforting justification.

No such justification exists for the consequences of our actions in Vietnam, or in Baghdad, and now in Afghanistan. And no matter how successful the propagandists are at convincing the troops their actions are defending America there is a percentage of those troops who are capable of understanding, and are willing to understand, it simply isn't true and that there was no good reason for us to be in Vietnam or Iraq. And the result of that awareness is the strikingly high number of troop suicides and PTSD cases we are seeing.

The more I read and hear about Bowe Bergdahl the more inclined I am to believe he is a classic example of PTSD.
To my knowledge you have to have had a traumatic incident to have PTSD...until his capture (to my knowledge at least), Bergdahl had no traumatic experiences. Now, I would agree that after his release he most likely suffers from it...but leading up to his capture it wasn't him being overwhelmed with stress...it was some half-baked idea because he didn't like his command.

To understand this you really need to have been in the military. There are not always the most stable or well-socialized individuals in the organizations and erratic behavior is not uncommon.

With that being said, suicide, at least when I was in, is a huge issue and needs to be addressed.
 
To my knowledge you have to have had a traumatic incident to have PTSD...until his capture (to my knowledge at least), Bergdahl had no traumatic experiences. Now, I would agree that after his release he most likely suffers from it...but leading up to his capture it wasn't him being overwhelmed with stress...it was some half-baked idea because he didn't like his command.

To understand this you really need to have been in the military. There are not always the most stable or well-socialized individuals in the organizations and erratic behavior is not uncommon.

With that being said, suicide, at least when I was in, is a huge issue and needs to be addressed.
A good training program in boot camp will turn any ordinary civilian even one with hang-up's into a finely tuned killing machine praying for war.

So I think Bergdahl's training was simply lax.

He never got with the program.

He never learned to take charge of his post and all property in view.

He never learned to be a good soldier.

Then of all things the stupid hippy walks off and gets captured by the enemy.

Seems to me he was a poorly trained dumb sh!t.
 
Cops and military have higher than otherwise normal suicide rates.

This is probably because they have been trained to solve problems with their guns.

It is an endemic risk inherent to these professions.

I am not sure there is anything that can be done about it.

Catholic catechism is and was always my own main defense against suicide.

But not everyone is Catholic -- only about 1/7th of the world population.
 
[...]

To understand this you really need to have been in the military. There are not always the most stable or well-socialized individuals in the organizations and erratic behavior is not uncommon.

With that being said, suicide, at least when I was in, is a huge issue and needs to be addressed.
I was in the military. Marine Corps, 1956 to 1960. I cannot recall a single suicide.

Regarding susceptibility to PTSD (aka "shell-shock") during WW-II and the Korea debacle), it understandably depends on an individual's level of personal sensitivity and emotional stability. This differential factor is (or was) clearly evident in the disqualification rate of Marine recruits during the intentional rigors of boot camp. My recruit platoon started the 13-week Parris Island ordeal with 89 young men. 74 completed that psychologically brutal course -- which is (was) designed to determine who is capable of remaining stable in spite of the endless pressures and who is not.
 
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He is a snively little coward who is a traitor to his fellow soldiers and this country. He deserves a noose.
Everyone who enters the military is not psychologically equipped to deal with the intense pressures of combat conditions.

The reason why Marines are thought to be superior soldiers is not because they are physically superior to Army personnel but rather because they have survived 13-weeks of the uninterrupted and increasingly rigorous, often brutally intense ordeal which is Marine boot camp. There is (or was) an anticipated disqualification rate of between 10% and 20% of those who step off the bus at Parris Island. The purpose of the intentional psychological torture is to eliminate fellows like Bergdahl who simply are not adaptable to the rigors and the horrors of armed combat.
 

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