With all the talk of PTSD theses days... Did you know - More Than 200,000 Vietnam Vets Still Have PTSD

2015-07-23T08:58:35-04:00

With all the talk of PTSD on Rally Point, and in the Media, stemming from post 911 combat operations, I thought this was interesting. PTSD is not a new issue or disability, nor it is solely a military veterans issue. It has gone by other names thru the years in the military like "soldier’s heart, exhausted heart, shell shock, combat stress, combat neurosis, and combat related stress disorder."

A 1991 (below) study and scholarly article put that number from Vietnam much higher.

"Unfortunately, the attitude that combat veterans with psychological problems are really malingerers trying to gain economically is still with us today. That attitude, combined with veterans’ pride and distrust, accounts for the fact that, while a Research Triangle Institute study concludes 830,000 Vietnam veterans have full-blown or partial PTSD, only 55,119 have filed claims, and the adjudication boards have only believed 28,411 (July 1990) of those claimants."

http://time.com/3967590/vietnam-veterans-ptsd/

http://www.vva.org/archive/TheVeteran/2005_03/feature_HistoryPTSD.htm

More Than 200,000 Vietnam Vets Have PTSD 40 Years Later

New research reveals considerable PTSD in some vets, even decades after war

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Jul 23 at 2015 9:05 AM

2015-07-23T09:05:19-04:00

PTSD is one of those things that I feel people have a hard time getting their head around. For years it was one of those things you just didn't talk about. It has been called a bunch of different things throughout the years and sadly, for those 200,000 Vietnam Veterans the help wasn't readily around as it is now. The one thing that I think holds many Veterans back from getting help is the stigma that surrounds it.

Response by CPO Jon Campbell made Jul 23 at 2015 9:05 AM

2015-07-23T09:05:31-04:00

It is not just a military issue either. Cops and other civilians in stressful jobs also suffer from PTSD and the more research that is done will benefit everyone.

Response by Sgt Joe LaBranche made Jul 23 at 2015 9:29 AM

2015-07-23T09:29:00-04:00

The VA process is frustrating and too many veterans refuse to deal with the VA red tape. Long lines, long waiting time before you can see your primary care doctor and addition waiting if you must see a specialist are issues veterans don't want to deal with.
Vietnam veteran still feel betrayed by the government and lack trust in the system.

Response by SSG Izzy Abbass made Jul 23 at 2015 10:26 AM

2015-07-23T10:26:42-04:00

I do with more folks would acknowledge what the Vietnam Veteran went though. One of the big issues and I think we did see it with the WWII vets is now that they are retiring more, a lot of folks don't have a lot on their plates and the memories flood back at an increasing pace. Sadly, this will be one of the fastest growing populations turning to suicide.

Response by MAJ Jack Horn, LPC, NCC, CCMHC, CCTP, CCTP-II, CCFP, CDBT made Jul 23 at 2015 12:20 PM

2015-07-23T12:20:17-04:00

First, PTSD is not a "military issue." There is a high incidence of it in the military due to combat creating an environment where there are lots of opportunities for PTSD to develop. I have treated a large number of clients with legitimate PTSD diagnoses who were rape victims, horrific car accident survivors, childhood trauma survivors, natural disaster survivors, and emergency responders. While there are differences in my my profession (counseling) as to exactly how it occurs and how best to treat it. It is clear that you can get there a umber of different ways. It is also clear that many people are getting stuck with the PTSD label who do not, in fact, suffer from PTSD, but from some other form of possible legitimate anxiety or emotional trauma, which tends to really muddy the waters for the public.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Jul 23 at 2015 12:44 PM

2015-07-23T12:44:02-04:00

COL Charles Williams please see my response in https://www.rallypoint.com/topics/veterans/answers/it-s-not-getting-better-for-most-vietnam-veterans-with-ptsd-symptoms-worse-over-time, which is a duplicate thread...

It's not getting better? For most Vietnam veterans with PTSD, symptoms worse over time! |...

“An important minority of Vietnam veterans are symptomatic after four decades, with more than twice as many deteriorating as improving,” the study says. That finding raises policy questions about access to mental-health services and attention to the stresses of aging that may amplify symptoms. It is also key to predicting the future of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, in which troops have been diagnosed with PTSD at similar rates,...

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 23 at 2015 3:21 PM

2015-07-23T15:21:39-04:00

I have known a few who took solace in the woods. I guess the wind at the back, leaves fluttering, glint of sunlight through the arboreal canopy, and the birds singing was soothing. It's a damn shame cause I call them the lost generation.

Response by PO2 Brandon Boucher made Jul 31 at 2015 7:40 AM

2015-07-31T07:40:39-04:00

It has had numerous names through history's many conflicts but the results are still the same. I've been working with ways to help veterans deal with TBI and PTSD live a hight quality of life. The best method I have found, aside from a service dog, has been implementing a daily meditation program, 10 minutes a day is all you need to achieve tangible results. When I tried this, I was skeptical, but I can't argue with results so now I advocate and teach this to veterans in my area. Harvard recently published a study on the benefits of meditation... great read. http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/11/meditations-positive-residual-effects/

Response by SMSgt Tony Barnes made Aug 1 at 2015 12:03 AM

2015-08-01T00:03:06-04:00

Every cop probably has it to some degree.

Response by SPC Joseph Jones made Aug 1 at 2015 2:19 AM

2015-08-01T02:19:48-04:00

I would go back in a heart beat. I would drop everything for it.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 2 at 2015 11:08 AM

2015-08-02T11:08:21-04:00

Thanks for sharing. Too many don't know the realities of this disease.

Response by SSG James Arlington made Aug 2 at 2015 11:11 AM

2015-08-02T11:11:43-04:00

You're kidding, right? It is a life-long condition.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Aug 2 at 2015 12:33 PM

2015-08-02T12:33:55-04:00

COL Charles Williams COL, you know my thoughts about PTSD. It's sort of like, "Until they all come home..."

A must read for all folks with combat PTSD and their families is "Once a Warrior Always a Warrior" By Charles HOGE, COL (MC) USA RET. This is an outstanding HOW TO manual for travelers and their families. It's not a clinical manual. Rather it gives understanding of this demon in plain language, and provides exercises for all involved to cope with PTSD.

This book is an excellent adjunct to talk therapy with a trained counselor, along with psychiatric care for needed medical management.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 3 at 2015 4:32 PM

2015-08-03T16:32:46-04:00

We never let them cross the bridge back to America. We never welcomed them home until recently. They were government issued, but the government never really fixed them.