Posted on Dec 19, 2015
What are the reasons that Service Members with PTSD, TBI, or Severely Disabled will not try new services to get help?
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What are the reasons that Service Members with PTSD, TBI, or Severely Disabled will not try new services to get help?
I have a number of questions within this post that I would like to get everyone's input on from a professional standpoint. I also have some very important information for veterans and service members that need help and want to keep it anonymous!
As you know I lost a Father-in-Law (Vietnam Veteran diagnoised with PTSD) to Suicide on Tuesday, 8 December 2015 and he was buried on 16 December 2015 in Killeen, TX with full military honors! It is importand to me and the RallyPoint Members that are working with me and Virtual World Solutions to help stop this waive of suicides due to PTSD, TBI, and many other factors affecting our service members (including MST).
Please check the survey box - need the input please!
RP Memebers there are so many new services out there today for individuals that are suffering from PTSD, TBI, and that are Severely Disabled - how do we get them to feel comfortable about any one service or methodology?
Here is a nice evening program every Sunday called: "Warrior for Life" (WFL) Group Suport. This is now a part of Victory for Veterans Foundation. We stay connected (7) days a week on SKYPE with our group members. We welcome Veterans, Active Duty Service Members, Military Family Members, and Civilians that are suffering from PTSD, TBI, MST, and other disabilities to join us on Sunday evenings.
Please connect with me first on SKYPE at: mikel.burroughs
Have a short BIO about yourself ready to go and then I'll add you to the group with a Welcoming Message. You can get to know others via text first and then join us on Sunday evenings. If you want to join the Video Conference just to observe, you can turn off video and audio and just observe until you feel comfortable with the group. All of our members are members of RallyPoint and we've been meeting now going on two (2) years now.
We have members from all over the world and United States, so come join us for this one hour of group support each week.
Here is how you can join this Sunday to just listen in if you want to or any Sunday in the future:
Warrior for Life Group Support Sunday night at 8:00 PM EST (7:00 PM CST) 6:00 PM MST & 5:00 PM PST!
COL (R) Mikel Burroughs is inviting you to a RingCentral meeting.
Join from PC, Mac, iOS or Android: https://meetings.ringcentral.com/j/ [login to see]
Or iPhone one-tap:
+ [login to see] ,, [login to see] #
Or Telephone:
Dial: + [login to see]
Meeting ID: [login to see]
International numbers available: https://meetings.ringcentral.com/teleconference
SGT Michael Thorin has provided some directions for loading Ring Central.
https://youtu.be/M8D_8iSNQ7k
I have a number of questions within this post that I would like to get everyone's input on from a professional standpoint. I also have some very important information for veterans and service members that need help and want to keep it anonymous!
As you know I lost a Father-in-Law (Vietnam Veteran diagnoised with PTSD) to Suicide on Tuesday, 8 December 2015 and he was buried on 16 December 2015 in Killeen, TX with full military honors! It is importand to me and the RallyPoint Members that are working with me and Virtual World Solutions to help stop this waive of suicides due to PTSD, TBI, and many other factors affecting our service members (including MST).
Please check the survey box - need the input please!
RP Memebers there are so many new services out there today for individuals that are suffering from PTSD, TBI, and that are Severely Disabled - how do we get them to feel comfortable about any one service or methodology?
Here is a nice evening program every Sunday called: "Warrior for Life" (WFL) Group Suport. This is now a part of Victory for Veterans Foundation. We stay connected (7) days a week on SKYPE with our group members. We welcome Veterans, Active Duty Service Members, Military Family Members, and Civilians that are suffering from PTSD, TBI, MST, and other disabilities to join us on Sunday evenings.
Please connect with me first on SKYPE at: mikel.burroughs
Have a short BIO about yourself ready to go and then I'll add you to the group with a Welcoming Message. You can get to know others via text first and then join us on Sunday evenings. If you want to join the Video Conference just to observe, you can turn off video and audio and just observe until you feel comfortable with the group. All of our members are members of RallyPoint and we've been meeting now going on two (2) years now.
We have members from all over the world and United States, so come join us for this one hour of group support each week.
Here is how you can join this Sunday to just listen in if you want to or any Sunday in the future:
Warrior for Life Group Support Sunday night at 8:00 PM EST (7:00 PM CST) 6:00 PM MST & 5:00 PM PST!
COL (R) Mikel Burroughs is inviting you to a RingCentral meeting.
Join from PC, Mac, iOS or Android: https://meetings.ringcentral.com/j/ [login to see]
Or iPhone one-tap:
+ [login to see] ,, [login to see] #
Or Telephone:
Dial: + [login to see]
Meeting ID: [login to see]
International numbers available: https://meetings.ringcentral.com/teleconference
SGT Michael Thorin has provided some directions for loading Ring Central.
https://youtu.be/M8D_8iSNQ7k
PTSD
TBI
Victory for Veterans (VFV)
Support
Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
Edited 8 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 98
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Soldiers and Veterans do not want to show that he/she has a problem. Being labelled. Are afraid of how their peers will look at them. Battle Buddies will not trust him/her like before. Affecting his or her military career. I hate to say it, but some command kick out soldiers out of the armed forces so they do not have to deal with the BS. Also, there have been some reserve units, where soldiers have asked for help and did not get the help within a timely manner. Some reserve units just will not have
anything to to with a soldier who has found the courage to say, hey, I need some help.
anything to to with a soldier who has found the courage to say, hey, I need some help.
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TSgt Keith Wright
The reason why I believe PTSD should be its own clinic is because when your in combat and have an injury which has been attributed some kind of Brain tissue damage then you come home to a mental health clinic and your treated like some wife beater, drunk, or drug user. These things happened in combat not in the alley behind the brothel in Chicago where their dealing meth. While a Psychologist is used to working with deadbeats and then works with someone with PTSD using the same books and standards they use with deadbeats, its frustrating.
Mental Health services needs a major overhaul, they need to introduce clergy into the Mental Health process of a PTSD Clinic.
I found certain things that help a Sensory deprivation float tank, like an oversized bath tub in a blackend room foating in salt water, total relaxation. Also an energy pod, it’s a metro sleep pod which is about 1,400, it helps people reach a rim sleep in 20 minutes. Computer massage chairs, and a hydromassage table. To include a 10,000 computer EEG integrated machine that maps the Brain and helps people to pin point items that can reduce PTSD symptoms. Clergy which can do rituals that are known as cleansing rituals to cleanse the home and the body of any type of negative energy. Clergy needs to be involved. The Current Status qoue is not working. In fact Some VA Clinics is now referring people with PTSD to the Church.
Mental Health services needs a major overhaul, they need to introduce clergy into the Mental Health process of a PTSD Clinic.
I found certain things that help a Sensory deprivation float tank, like an oversized bath tub in a blackend room foating in salt water, total relaxation. Also an energy pod, it’s a metro sleep pod which is about 1,400, it helps people reach a rim sleep in 20 minutes. Computer massage chairs, and a hydromassage table. To include a 10,000 computer EEG integrated machine that maps the Brain and helps people to pin point items that can reduce PTSD symptoms. Clergy which can do rituals that are known as cleansing rituals to cleanse the home and the body of any type of negative energy. Clergy needs to be involved. The Current Status qoue is not working. In fact Some VA Clinics is now referring people with PTSD to the Church.
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TSgt Keith Wright
Brain Tissue damage is often associated with PTSD, But the Purple Heart is not awarded for PTSD. Is that because its a spiritual issue?
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TSgt Keith Wright
Does Anyone remember when George Bush signed the Patriot Act into law? President Bush said at that time “I guess our Nations Heroes will be walking around like Alzhimers patients”. Snowdin in Russia is noted for disclosing information that Bush already hinted at. So the ones that Serve and Protect this Nation are considerd for surveylence? However the type of surveylence causes Veterans to walk around like alzhimers patients and commit suicide at a rate of 22 per day. No one cares if their cell phone is listened on, however that does sound like some kind of budget which requires lots of people on staff to listen to phone calls. Having your cell phone listend on does not make one walk around like an alzhimers patient, or commit suicide. So it must be a type of activity that disturbs the mind. What kinds of activities disturbs the mind? Hypnosis, meditation, Satanic rituals, seonces?? What organizations do this? I saw OSI has a Laddens Lamp and that documentaru on Mirage men was interesting, The Manchurian Candidate involved hypnosis. Scientology is a Mentalist organization, some other religions also practice meditation hypnosis stuff, Iran just threatened Saudi Arabia with Devine Revenge, is that something spiritual?
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We should be able to click on more than one reason because there are several reasons the vet's I deal with can't or won't get help. Kicked out of the service (typically due to ptsd/anger and the alcohol/drugs used to "self-medicate"/deal with the issues) - lost benefits (though Dept. of Army has begun a review of discharges that may be ptsd-related). Treated badly by the VA in the past - no confidence or trust in them now. The "solution" to ptsd, tbi, etc. seems to be pills, pills and more pills -don't want that kind of "help" because being stoned on medical prescriptions is no way to live/function. Reiteration of incident(s) that caused ptsd is difficult to do over and over and over (although some older ptsd vets confide that talking about things tends to lessen the severity) TBI and breathing issues are going to be studied ad nauseam because there isn't anything currently out there to "fix" the issues. One Agent Orange vet said the checks from the VA don't do a thing to recover his health and he'd much rather have good health than a deposit in his account, knowing that exposure to chemicals will be what kills him. The money can't buy him any more time to enjoy his wife, kids and grandkids.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs Sir, I have neglected posting on this issue based on my experiences, but here is my response. I had a counselor with the VA and she could not understand anything I had experienced. She was never in the military. She promoted (of course) and I received a new therapist via telemed. That sucked. She was a former US Navy psychologist and understood about being in the military but had never deployed. This disconnect was two fold. Telemed (huge issue for me) and lack of deployed experience. I never developed trust with either provider. I have trust issues anyway and am generally somewhat skeptical that anyone other than me has my best interests at the center of their actions. I have completed a PTSD treatment program (Prolonged Exposure Therapy) which provided some coping mechanisms but little symptomatic relief.
While still in service, I was ostracized for being a proponent of Soldiers seeking treatment when they returned from deployment. My Soldiers observed the treatment I received and avoided treatment to keep their "respect" intact.
Regardless of official policy, many commanders and SNCO leaders still do not support Soldiers who need support. As a Detachment First Sergeant and later as an Operations NCO, I was in support of getting any Soldier the help and or assistance they needed at anytime.
Further, my best friend was a PTSD suicide based on stress, physical injury, and a lack of empathetic support.
I feel my career ended prematurely and the Soldiers I could have assisted were left with little or no support when I departed. I kept in contact with many and have been able to assist them in obtaining support, but on a very limited basis.
I received no retirement award, no retirement ceremony, and the only congratulations I received from my unit was from an Operations SGM. This adds (note present tense) to the depression, angst, and anxiety I feel.
While still in service, I was ostracized for being a proponent of Soldiers seeking treatment when they returned from deployment. My Soldiers observed the treatment I received and avoided treatment to keep their "respect" intact.
Regardless of official policy, many commanders and SNCO leaders still do not support Soldiers who need support. As a Detachment First Sergeant and later as an Operations NCO, I was in support of getting any Soldier the help and or assistance they needed at anytime.
Further, my best friend was a PTSD suicide based on stress, physical injury, and a lack of empathetic support.
I feel my career ended prematurely and the Soldiers I could have assisted were left with little or no support when I departed. I kept in contact with many and have been able to assist them in obtaining support, but on a very limited basis.
I received no retirement award, no retirement ceremony, and the only congratulations I received from my unit was from an Operations SGM. This adds (note present tense) to the depression, angst, and anxiety I feel.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
@Sfc joseph finck SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS thanks for sharing your story and information. Please feel free to contact me off of RallyPoint, so we can discuss this further at [login to see] . I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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SrA Marlin Taylor
I have also had to deal with this "Telemed". I do not understand why the VA puts people over vets that have no clue what kinds of mental problems the Military can give a person. I go to the Dallas VA> I have complained many times in Writing to the Hospital over treatments to me and other Vets I know. My written complaints change nothing. It's like painting a horse a different color. The result is the same horse, just colored differently.
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I'd say because of the lies of how it "won't affect your future in the military." A good friend of mine was just refused Warrant Officer because of having seen a psychologist in 2012. The individual was told that it was the only reason.
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Sorry to here of the loss. PTSD can be challenging at times to deal with. The only way for anyone is to get help.
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I think it has something to do with the Warrior mentality also. As a former Infantryman, I, nor any of my fellow Infantryman went on sick call unless they were close to death. A warrior does not want to admit weakness, and getting help (at least in the 70's 80's and 90's was a sign of weakness (I can handle this by myself syndrome0. When you get over that hump and realize there is no shame in asking for and getting help, that will fix a lot of the problem. I wish there was an easy fix, but until we train soldiers that requesting help is not a sign of weakness, we will fail.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
CW2 Ernest Krutzsch Thanks for sharing your views and thoughts! I agree with your last sentence!
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I deal with PTSD and TBI, and after bad experiences seeking help, that added to anger within I have learned to shut down. I think the PTSD becomes a Monster that has chosen to protect me from those that have offered help but instead gave judgment.
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CPT Pedro Meza
A1C Doug Towsley - Through trial and error, I have been found by VA mental health providers, as for the book worms that only know the book stuff, I have always suggested to them to be taken hostage, have a knife out to their throats and to get hit on the head with a 2x4, to truly understand what PTSD and TBI are. Otherwise talk to a lot of their season peers and listen to the Veterans that come.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs - Mikel; I really wish that there was a single answer, but there isn't. I checked "Trust" because that comes (as I see it) closest to fitting into all of the other categories.
People don't trust the VA not to retaliate against them. They don't trust that their confidentiality will be respected. They don't trust the information that they are getting. They don't trust the "helpers" not to be in for ulterior motives.
Part of that loss of trust stems from the "Suck it up." attitude that the troops are inculcated with and part from the rejection that they feel/fear if they are no longer able to "Suck it up.".
Without an internalization (at all levels) that the troops ARE going to be harmed and that it IS the responsibility of those who commit the troops in the knowledge that the troops ARE going to be harmed to do everything that they can do to rectify that harm no change is ever going to be made - no matter how many "band-aids" the "non-system" people apply. (Which is NOT to denigrate the "non-system" people because without them the situation would be at least a magnitude worse - only to say that they aren't the ones who have to change into conscientiously caring people who acknowledge their duty to the troops.)
People don't trust the VA not to retaliate against them. They don't trust that their confidentiality will be respected. They don't trust the information that they are getting. They don't trust the "helpers" not to be in for ulterior motives.
Part of that loss of trust stems from the "Suck it up." attitude that the troops are inculcated with and part from the rejection that they feel/fear if they are no longer able to "Suck it up.".
Without an internalization (at all levels) that the troops ARE going to be harmed and that it IS the responsibility of those who commit the troops in the knowledge that the troops ARE going to be harmed to do everything that they can do to rectify that harm no change is ever going to be made - no matter how many "band-aids" the "non-system" people apply. (Which is NOT to denigrate the "non-system" people because without them the situation would be at least a magnitude worse - only to say that they aren't the ones who have to change into conscientiously caring people who acknowledge their duty to the troops.)
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Suspended Profile
Many with TBI and PTSD are very afraid to put themselves out there. Many therapies bring back the pain, and for some, this is just far too challenging.
Another thing I hear far too often is that vets are afraid that if they admit to the level of PTSD they are experiencing, authorities will take away their guns. Since they feel so unsafe as it is, this is a very visceral threat to them. They see their homes as FOBs or COPs, their property line as the perimeter and their fence as the wire. Anyone on the street is a potential enemy, etc...
TBI complicates things even more, because it can affect cognition so severely...
Another thing I hear far too often is that vets are afraid that if they admit to the level of PTSD they are experiencing, authorities will take away their guns. Since they feel so unsafe as it is, this is a very visceral threat to them. They see their homes as FOBs or COPs, their property line as the perimeter and their fence as the wire. Anyone on the street is a potential enemy, etc...
TBI complicates things even more, because it can affect cognition so severely...
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