Starting with a description of the conflicting ethical-moral and utilitarian-political forces inherent in the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), this article describes how these forces act to undermine the accurate assessment of veteran symptoms via both institution-wide systemic practices and local medical center-specific pressures towards collusive lying.. Perhaps the greatest example I can think of for this is the case of Marcus Hurdle, represented by the Yale veterans legal clinic. Common Reasons Why We Deny Our Trauma History, 3 Ways to Break the Cycle of Trauma Bonding, Mass Shooters and the Myth That Evil Is Obvious. My husband of 10 years cheated on me . Punish was educated at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (1980-81) and California State University Fullerton (1981-1984) with studies in accounting and business. PTSD programs and Vet Centers have begun to offer group, couples, and individual counseling for family members of Veterans. They must be willing to stay in the game for however reasonable time it may take, to put their own needs and underlying grievances aside, and to fully commit to the healing of their partners rage and grief. Her lie has been reported. PTSD in veterans is a serious issue, but many former service members and their loved ones do not know how to identify the condition or seek treatment. This is ridiculous. Treating trauma is different for each individual and can really be dictated by several factors. She works near an impact area. Partners have a number of challenges when living with a Veteran who has PTSD. Since the GWOT started, these laws have become less and less restrictive on what evidence is required to grant certain disabilities, particularly PTSD, to the point where the allowance of free money as you described is largely out of the hands of the VA, as they simply execute the laws are directed by congress. According to one study, 82% of those who max out on disability then stop attending treatment. The economy sucks, there is a very small number of decent jobs out there. I see the VA doctor for my psyche meds and see a civilian doctor I pay for for PTSD treatment. The partner who has been betrayed is emotionally tortured and humiliated when knowledge of the infidelity emerges. You guessed it, even with it documented, I was denied, and my VFQ VSO was no where to be found to help me appeal. No, you will keep limping, moaning, but working. Right off the top I know 3 who have blatantly lied about being a victim of harassment/assault. Feeling devastated, humiliated, and broken are hard experiences to survive. Caregiver burden is one idea used to describe how hard it is caring for someone with an illness such as PTSD. Veterans are no different. Those that are competent and professional refuse to drive out the majority who are incompetent and willfully unprofessional. New York firefighter and 9/11 first responder to hike Appalachian Trail This guy even tricked Iraq Veterans Against the War. Without question, this will impact all Veteran negatively, but that is already the case where malingerers and stolen valor types paint the stereotype of the wounded hero. The Facts About Abuse in Military Families Refusal to allow it to breach and tear the fabric of your life is true strength. When the system does its own evaluations, it becomes a feeder for a larger system. He served as a platoon leader and a company commander in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, where he was wounded in action twice and decorated for valor. But I cant. Thieves and Liars: PTSD Fakers and VA Disability Fraud - Breach Bang Clear Im not going to believe a bunch of stories about VA scams from some anonymous source. Fair enough. Vogt and Kachadourian both said they hope their findings have opened the door for additional research on the topic of infidelity and deployment in the future. PTSD in Combat Veterans - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military Read on to find out exactly how out of hand the VA disability fraud has gotten, and what we propose should be done about veterans faking disability. For most men, it is the sabotage of being cuckolded by another male who has taken his woman from under his eyes and sold him out as a brother.. Attention A T users. There is a ton of this going around. If our suspicions about PTSD fakers were confirmed, it would be depressing. Im not. Once both partners understand how likely it is that a betrayed partner will evidence the symptoms of PTSD, they realize that the healing process is the same for all traumas. The participants answered questions about their infidelity experiences and concerns, PTSD and depression symptoms and post-deployment stressors. And the Yale law clinic wants him released because something something COVID, something something veteran. dude, ptsd is treated in a short time in civilians? I retired from the Army Nurse Corps in 2015, and will retire from a VA hospital next June. This is a very well thought out and written piece. This message has to come from those who are strong Veterans where the mysticism of Veteran heroics come from. Just knowing that this can be a significant stressor for those who are deployed can definitely be of assistance for clinicians and mental health professionals and those who are there with [service members] to provide necessary treatment or counseling, Kachadourian said. I am surprised that medical imaging technology is not also used to provide evidence and guidance for effective treatment. While it is their job to determine whether or not a Veteran deserves a disability rating, they make that determination based on the laws passed by congress. And the majority of the remainder were obviously feigning PTSD symptoms., Few of Johns patients were actual combat veterans. We dont know what transpires between a veteran claiming PTSD and his VA counselor. My neighbor who worked at the VA (I didnt know it at the time) was talking to me in my drive way. Another explanation is that the partner has gone through trauma just from living with a Veteran who has PTSD. If that is not the case and you are looking for something more edifying I encourage you to dive deeper into this issue. I was 03 USMC, multiple tours in some of the biggest fights people can remember. The goal of the VA is to provide quality healthcare to veterans and veterans should not feel shy or ashamed to ask for help with PTSD. I feel certain I had PTSD for probably 30 years. And, did [service members] engage in infidelity? Vogt said. How do two people who do not want to lose their relationship navigate the process of broken trust to a possibility of reconciliation? Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. Of course, not a single anti-war activist seems to have checked MacBeths records, which showed he was kicked out of basic training after 44 days (and none thought it necessary to examine his ridiculous Army Ranger/Airsoft clown photo). Those who have remained silent may then pull away for fear of being seen as accomplices. Performance & security by Cloudflare. In Burketts opinion, We cant get the VA to reform the system because so many people in the VA, both employees, and patients, have a vested interest in keeping it corrupt. How do we put a stop to this? I noticed you have lots of story and anecdotal elements to your article, but I only see you reference a single source. Experts said the findings underscore the need to further investigate the effects of infidelity on deployed service members and develop clinical methods to better treat those effects. No offence intended. pretty gory scene in the cockpit. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Veterans Affairs Light is too rarely shed on this topic so any little piece helps with changing public opinion on Veteran disability compensation fraud. 4 years for a lifetime of free money. In his almost thirty years of chasing down scammers and thieves, Burkett has found thousands of veterans committing fraud, police chiefs who fabricated combat service, multiple VA employees stealing money (he knows of one woman who stole fourteen million dollars by resurrecting deceased vets on paper, filing disability claims, then opening joint accounts with direct deposit), and numerous senior members of VSOs who had milked the system with fake claims for decades. Every time she needed Rolaids, Tums, or any other over-the-counter stomach med, she went to the clinic. The issue of the estimated 20 suicides by veterans daily came up briefly when Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich., a retired Marine lieutenant general, questioned Kudler on VA programs to bring down the rate. Travels the world like a rockstar. About 14 of the 20 daily suicides involve veterans who never deployed and experienced combat trauma, he said. This has been ongoing since approximately 2009/2010 and since that time, this individual has bilked these two agencies (combined) out of approximately $550,000. The healing process after such damage is slow. Your IP: For example, they cheerfully recount events they claim traumatized them at the time and emotionally cripple them now. Resources on the National Center for PTSD website may be useful. Sexual problems tend to be higher in combat Veterans with PTSD. Burkett, author of this book: Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation was Robbed of its Heroes and its History. Hell no. On top of getting a living wage payment every month while they are getting degrees paid for by the GI bill. I didnt.I will survive. I view much of PTSD for combat vets having to do with the Adrenal gland being exercised to excess then becoming like a balloon thats been blown up a thousand times elasticity gone, it doesnt take much to fully inflate. Rape stories, Particularly when young, some people may ask, "How do I know if I am gay?" VAs hand are tied in this issue because their bosses do not want to push this issue and their ability to identify fraud themselves has been reduced significantly by the law. Youre a helo guy, airwing, take your Ls and sit down. This is any sexual harassment or sexual assault that occurs while you are in the military. THAT is the gorilla in the corner. I work with a young lady that openly brags about working the system. They are not the same thing. It just so happened to be passed right as we saw short cycled and extended combat deployments becoming a common thing for you guys in green over in Iraq (the bad war, they called it). Not every breakup with someone with PTSD is about PTSD. How is that fair? After taking early retirement three years ago, he said associates in the field have told him the problem has only worsened. I do receive compensation for PTSD but it isnt 100%. She love to drink and eat spicy foods. VA disability fraud: This veteran received over $200k for not being a SEAL, not being in combat, and not having PTSD. Maybe thats why nobody pushed me toward PTSD? I dont know if you realize this, but pre-TailHook, if you got sexually assaulted, you were treated like you were walking for it and it was your fault even if the evidence (which I kept) clearly demonstrated this was definitely not the case. Specialized outpatient PTSD treatment for veterans is available as is specialized intensive inpatient programs for people who are having trouble functioning due to the PTSD. I do not see a strong motivation here, my good military men. I think most actual combat veterans are those towers of strength. And this is just one example. O'Byrne was a central figure in the book "War" by author Sebastian Junger, who also testified at the hearing on "Overcoming PTSD: Assessing VA's Efforts to Promote Wellness and Healing. Veteran Shares His Experience Using PTSD Coach App My heart goes out to all the men and women who have served our country and truly suffer from PTSD or physical injuries sustained in combat. Until there is a significant demographic that is open to these sorts of stories, few outlets will pursue them. They WILL continue to hand out PTSD compensation like candy, despite denial of such, because it is in their best interest to do so. I used to get mad at people for staring at me or giving me lip. I live near an air force base and just about every car in my area is DV on the plate and mind you they drive luxury cars and drive drive fast and reckless. According to clinically accepted parameters, to be diagnosed with PTSD, an adult must have all of the following symptoms for a month at minimum: one or more re-experiencing symptoms, one or more avoidance symptoms, two or more arousal/reactivity symptoms, and at least two cognition and mood symptoms. and Social Security. My concern about pension payments for remaining uncured are that they rob these kids of initiative to be overcomers and contributors. The system does need to be revamped and quite frankly sought all my personal help outside the VA and it was night and day from what is being offered and delivered in the VA. Now I will challenge on aspect of this article and will call it as it is, complete BS. This site complies with the HONcode standard for Several other military fakers were caught in the same investigation; six of those disabled veterans scammed the VA out of almost $280,000. If, additionally, theyve been the object of previous trauma, they must also sort out what is happening in the present from what they may have endured in the past, so as not to blame their partners current betrayal for something they did not cause. No, I dont have a PTSD rating from VA. Perhaps this could be an avenue for doing future research. The person outside of the primary relationship, who has been willing to be a co-betrayer, often feels that he or she has claimed possession of the infidel. Here are some other great resources, in addition to what you mentioned in your post: Gade, D. M. (2013). In general, PTSD can have a negative effect on the whole family. Those frauds, with their battle cry of Get money!, feed off a supply chain of endless government handouts, misguided public sympathy, and journalists eager to swallow any pitiful veteran story without question or research. if they have conflicting sexual feelings. She now receives 1,800/month for a 70% disability. Back from the Front: Combat Trauma, Love, and the Family. It was removed. This monthly disability benefit is for the rest of their lives even if they are perfectly capable of working a regular job. The VA has asked me to file for PTSD several times several years ago. Resilience after a betrayal is also buoyed up by the kind of social support a person has access to. Maiden name is Spaulding. NO ONE COMES IN HERE DOING GREAT! was his reply. Yes, I have seen partners do this kind of healing, and do it beautifully. VA offered my 100% when I got out(the alternative) and required an evaluation visit. The event consumed my life for a long time. Well said. I have been in on conversations of other Guardsmen planning their retirement the same way, it was their goal, while no one gives a damn about veterans like myself who suffer immensly. Signs You Are Gay, Positive Inspirational Quotes for People with Depression, HONcode standard for I have a personal friend who is a psychologist and veteran. Dear Chump Lady, I'm sure you have a variety of chumps who were military spouses. I kept getting pushback for what I was saying about PTSD fraud, Dr. Frueh said. Wow that was a lot of talking. I still know her, she still drinks and eats spicy foods. I Look, in my book if someone is a sexual predator or harasser they deserve every ounce of punishment the UCMJ affords. Psychological Injury and Law, 7(2), 178-190. doi:10.1007/s12207-014-9190-2 | http://bit.ly/vet-symptom-validity, Quote from the article: This article identifies the institutional and veteran-based threats to the accurate assessment of veteran truthfulness, with suggestions on managing the former and discerning the latter. Many professionals who work with veterans, such as: C&P (compensation and pension) examiners, the VA psychologists and psychiatrists who conduct the PTSD evaluations with vets who have filed a claim for disability compensation due to post traumatic stress disorder; attorneys (its great that the attorney wrote to you); Veterans Benefits Administration adjudicators (the VA employees who make the ultimate decisions regarding service connection and disability ratings), have been concerned about this problem for many years, and have tried to work within the system to achieve the goal you articulated: Save the money for the real veterans, with real problems, who need real help., Unfortunately, when the Department of Veterans Affairs, the President, Senators, or Congressional Representatives propose changes to improve the system, the veterans service organizations and a very vocal group of self-appointed veterans advocates quickly assail them with accusations of being anti-veteran, unpatriotic, and uncaring. I have to call shenanigans on your assertion. 12:25 am, Oct 06, 2015. This refers to the indirect impact of trauma on those close to the survivor. P.S. | The survey asked combat-exposed veterans to describe their emotions during combat after their return home, but Pietrzak said this may not provide fully accurate data because perceptions of infidelity may be influenced by psychological symptoms at the time of survey completion. The more committed the betrayer is to the process, the sooner his or her partner will be able to heal. When you first found out you were betrayed by your partner, it probably felt like the rug has been pulled out from under your feet. In addition, the VA is increasingly open to alternative treatments for PTSD, including the use of hyperbaric chambers and yoga, but an Army veteran who went through VA treatment for PTSD said the expansion and outreach leave the program open to scams by veterans looking to get a disability check. I got shot with a shotgun when I was 15. Watch this video on the best treatments for PTSD. Its like a car driving by, no reaction. Finally physical changes that correlated to symptoms could be observed, not for all maladies but for many. Email: ncptsd@va.gov They have to strip these people of all Veterans benefits and convert their discharges to dishonorable. Dear Chump Lady, Is PTSD a reason for cheating? For partners, PTSD may also lead to more time and stress from giving care. Anyhow, after returning to his command, and being the subject of a sexual assault investigation, he eventually popped positive on a piss test and was booted after just a year or just shy of, under notice proceedings. They prefer to rely on family and friends. The person committing US government Disability Fraud: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Social Security Number: 123-45-6789 Rank: enlisted. A C&P psychologist wrote a superb article about the environment at VA, which describes the situation better than anything Ive ever seen: Russo, A. C. (2014). Most of these Veterans dont have instances like I listed, and better yet I have more. Of course not. Helicopter gunship pilot in Vietnam. Veteran uses PTSD Coach app to cope - VA News Of all of the threats to a committed relationship I have treated in four decades of working with couples, the most difficult to heal is infidelity. No, the VA doesnt always verify claims and doesnt always catch liars. It's important to be as honest as you can with the VA examiners about the severity of your symptoms. He is 100% disabled veteran and gets paid the same as my other family member who never left base. It has literally taken me 30 years deal with it and Im still having major problems. The fakers feed the stereotype of the emotionally crippled combat veteran, which makes people assume all combat veterans have PTSD, which makes life harder for the majority of war veterans who lead normal lives without being obnoxious, insincere blowhards. The enemy, then, is this stereotype, which can be fought by combat veterans who arent on disability, and by mental health experts who work with combat veterans to give good information to the public and make those promoting the stereotype uncomfortable. Compared to Veterans without PTSD, Veterans with PTSD have more marital troubles. Weve heard of troops coming home from deployments to peaceful countries, never hearing a shot fired, but immediately claiming PTSD. (Most likely under a join the military or go to jail situation those were still a thing. In general, PTSD can have a negative effect on the whole family. Oh they may occasionally nab some moron and put them in the news for show but I promise you the overwhelming majority of claims are going uninvestigated. It was not until he make the important shift to wanting to get better, wanting to feel better for himself that therapy . Being a veteran does not give you special privileges. Most people have some stress reactions following trauma. The other must survive the trauma and learn to love again. I think that education and understanding are really the biggest key to having a relationship with someone with PTSD.. We should have a comprehensive system that treats and provides compensation for veterans who have suffered during their military service, yet weeds out the dudes who did 6 months in 1979 and is claiming PTSD 40 years later and actually getting it. Kulka, R.A., Schlenger, W.E., Fairbank, J.A., Hough, R.L., Jordan, B.K., Marmar, C.R., Weiss, D.S., and Grady, D.A. Problems in families of male Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Sadly, this is not specific to the left or right wing, as the aversion to Veteran fraud is bi-partisan. 1. I don't think you can design a one-size-fits-all for mental health.". Went through combat as I did, had friends wounded almost killed? Man your story really resonated with me. Not seeing progress being made. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. When people experience a life-threatening event earlier in life, they create defenses that allow them to survive those traumas. I hate it. Infidelity has profound effect on veterans' PTSD Id rather ere on the side of caution when speaking to others because I am not an expert and I dont want to hurt anyone. Maybe our suspicion that the VA PTSD system is corrupt and overrun with liars, scammers, and thieves is off base. John cant give specifics, but two Army veterans who served during a particular war told stories of being traumatized by their experiences at a notorious attack. Always on vacation. PTSD Stressor Requirements - The Definitive Guide - VA Claims Insider So yeah, I know I am a chronic insomniac and yeah, I got PTSD related to all that crap I cant count how many times over the years that I was told by both private and VA clinicians thats whats going on in my head. I found your post while searching for any answer why people are faking assaults, abusing the process. She doesnt take meds. Just reading this has kicked my blood pressure up 10 points and I got to go to work. Similarly, carrying mistrust, anger, and pain forever will eventually destroy any hope of true healing. Many Veterans experience highly intrusive thoughts and extreme guilt about acts committed during times of war. She partied a lot. Lower sexual interest may lead to lower satisfaction within the relationship. . Going LIVE - Taking Questions. Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. PTSD can affect how couples get along with each other. Hard to believe the VA allows this. Call: 988 (Press 1), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. This article is so wrong in my opinion but also right. To your specific point on reducing benefits to identified malingerers: the VA is not allowed to do this by law, even if there was a strong desire by VA leadership to do so. The effects PTSD has on veterans is similar to the effects that PTSD has on anyone else. When those prior traumatic experiences are triggered and re-emerge, they significantly complicate the healing process. Dr. Fruehs suggestions were more technical and clinical. PTSD may affect how couples get along with each other. If I lost my job my family would be homeless and I would have nothing to show for it. Im reading some of these comments, someone had the balls to say you can get PTSD just from going through Basic Training. Because it should totally be the militarys responsibility to fix dirtbags like Hurdle.) In one of the most ridiculous contradictions, John observed: They also frequently wear military paraphernalia while saying they cant be around things reminding them of the military..