Veterans Attest to PTSD Neglect by VA

Veterans Attest to PTSD Neglect by VA
Wednesday 21 May 2008
by: Maya Schenwar and Matt Renner, t r u t h o u t Report

Firsthand Accounts of PTSD Crisis

Kristofer Goldsmith, a former Army sergeant who was forced to stay in the military beyond his contract because of the "stop loss" order given by the president, testified about his experience with mental health care at Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We were told that if we were to seek mental health, we would be locked away and our careers would not advance. If I admitted that I had severe chronic depression, if I thought I had PTSD ... my career could have been ruined," Goldsmith said.

He received an adjustment disorder diagnosis after experiencing a panic attack in March 2007. Because he was not granted the PTSD label - despite displaying many symptoms of the disorder - he was ordered to deploy to Iraq for a second tour.

What Goldsmith described as a "sharp downward spiral" came to a head the day before he was scheduled to ship back to Iraq with his unit.

"The day before I was supposed to deploy, Memorial Day, I went out onto a field in Fort Stewart and tried to take my own life ... I took pills and drank vodka until I couldn't drink anymore. The next thing I knew I was handcuffed to a gurney in the hospital. The cops had found me and literally dragged my body into an ambulance," Goldsmith said in his testimony.

Finally, in October 2007, months after his suicide attempt, Goldsmith received a PTSD diagnosis from the VA.

According to Goldsmith, his experience was far from unique.

"While undergoing psychiatric treatment, I heard of many people being diagnosed with personality disorder and adjustment disorder instead of PTSD," Goldsmith told Truthout. "I believe this is a way for the Army to hide the levels of PTSD among its ranks, through the usage of misdiagnoses."
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Read more about here
Wounded Times: Sgt. Kristofer Goldsmith another face of PTSD
Last Memorial Day, Sgt. Kristofer Goldsmith tried to kill himself.
He had just been stop-lossed along with 80000 other soldiers as part of the surge of U.S

'Welcome, America, to the Second Vietnam.'

"That Dream Turned Into Nightmares"
By Spencer Ackerman 05/15/2008 12:02PM

"That blue Arabic graffiti right there is on the side of a school somewhere in Sadr City. I didn't know until three days ago when I had a good friend of mine who is Iraqi translate it for me, but in 2005, an Iraqi spraypainted that. And it translates directly to, 'Welcome, America, to the Second Vietnam.' Vietnam and Iraq have been compared not only by Iraq Veterans Against The War and Vietnam Veterans Against The War, but by the very people in Iraq who Americans think are too ignorant to realize what's going on in the world. These are smart, educated people that are dying every day."

He continued to the next slide, which showed more graffiti this time in English. THE US AND ALLAWI ARE TERRORMEN.

"That is the feeling in Sadr City. They feel they have been let down by America and by their own government that George Bush's administration put in power.


"Before I go on I want to say that I do not blame you, as Congress-members, for not ending the war, as many Americans do. I do not blame the president for not ending the war. I blame the people of America and their apathy, because they are -- you are responsible for following what they say. And they have not done a good enough job to convince the rest of your peers -- namely Republicans -- to fight to bring our troops home and save lives in both America and Iraq."
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No it isn't a second Vietnam. Most of the Vietnam veterans did one tour and the war, officially anyway, was over for them. Drafted or enlisted, DEROS came and they got onto planes headed for home. They thought they could just pick up their lives where they left off. Go back to their jobs, their wives and girlfriends, their friends or finally head for college just like everyone else. They thought they were still like everyone else but they didn't know the war still laid claim to their lives. They were done with Vietnam, but Vietnam was not done with them. She followed many of them home like a scorn woman, heartless but oh so patiently waiting to finally claim their lives. Little by little, Vietnam took one more piece of their soul until they would welcome death or find the strength to fight here off. Their battle goes on even today. But for the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, it is not one tour, one year, it's many tours and many years raising the risk of being eaten alive by PTSD by 50% each time they return to combat.

I wanted to see if there was more on Sgt. Goldsmith when I came across this site.

Daughters of Vietnam Veterans
DOVV.net is an online publication for Children of Veterans.
I’m your biggest war wound Dad. I’m covered in your battle scars. I’m stuck in the middle of a war that ended six years before I was even conceived. That war is the only thing I’m ever going to carry inside me, carry on my back.

So don’t you dare tell me to shut up about it. I need to believe this neverending fucking fight is worth it.

Do you understand me, Dad? We’re on the same side. Give me something. I’m your ally.
-Kate Mulvany, "The Seed" A Daughter of a Australian Vietnam Veteran

Daughters of Vietnam Vets. They still pay the price for what combat did to their fathers after all these years. I knew it was happening but I didn't know this site was there. It's one more reminder that combat does not end just because the President calls the troops home.

When will the daughters of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans begin their sites trying to find support and understanding enough so they can vent their frustration and find a shoulder to cry on? No this is not another Vietnam. This is opening the doors of hell to far too many they were not ready to take care of. Now obviously it was not from lack of understanding the depth of the wound or the numbers that would need help. This was neglect, callously planned to carry out and we have the evidence thanks to people like Paul Sullivan and the law suit filed against the VA.
Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington