Peake still doesn't get it on PTSD

VA SECRETARY PEAKE MINIMIZES PTSD AND MARGINALIZES
VETS WITH DISORDER -- Peake: "It doesn't mean you have
a disorder that is going to be longstanding..." and "...it is not
just a federal responsibility, it is a national responsibility."

VA Secretary James Peake

Although the following article's headline is about VA Secretary Peake's reaction to the New G.I. Bill...the real story of importance is his comments about PTSD.

Peake, very well-trained in public relations, is using what we call the "M&M" strategy, "minimize & marginalize."

When you "M&M" a situation, you try to make a problem appear smaller that it really is (minimize), and then you try to show that those with the problem are really alright because the problem is being taken care of (marginalize).

In the article below, Peake minimized PTSD by saying, "It doesn't mean you have a disorder that is going to be longstanding and problematic for the rest of your life..." The message here is that PTSD is not debilitating...and many Americans will believe this.

He then marginalized PTSD vets by saying, "...it is not just a federal responsibility, it is a national responsibility." This statement was made in reference to private providers stepping in to help PTSD vets because the VA can't handle the load. The message here is, "It's OK. They are being taken care of." But, Peake is wrong. It IS a federal responsibility. When Peake makes it a national responsibility, he turns PTSD veterans into welfare cases, needing to rely on the sympathy of the public instead of the care that the VA should be providing.

A veteran wrote me recently and said, "Peake doesn't have a clue." Wrong! He knows exactly what he's doing. He's trying to sell his "minimize & marginalize" program to the American people.

I hope they see this for what it is...just another way for the government to avoid their responsibility to veterans who come home from war with the unseen wound of PTSD.

For more about veterans and PTSD, use the VA Watchdog search engine...click here... http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearch.php?q=ptsd&op=and
Story here... http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0628/p25s34-usmb.html
Story here on VA Watchdog
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfJUN08/nf062808-1.htm


Can anyone in this country wonder why there has been so many problems with our veterans getting the help they need for PTSD with an attitude like this?