Addressing the Government’s “Personality-Disorder” Practice
From the Pres
October 31, 2009
I applaud the efforts of a group of U.S. Senators, including Democrat Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, to ask President Obama to take action regarding the government’s practice of diagnosing soldiers coming back from combat with personality disorders rather than Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
These designations cheat many Veterans out of disability benefits that would come to them with PTSD diagnoses, because the military presumes personality disorders to be pre-existing conditions. Some soldiers, who have served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan have had to actually pay back re-enlistment bonuses due to the practice.
It is particularly unfair, because young men and women enlisting in the military, and then being sent off to war, are not receiving mental health screenings before they go.
Every aspect of the problem benefits the government and puts these volunteer soldiers at a disadvantage.
Assume you are a young person with a personality disorder. The military can enlist you, based on a self-evaluation, then send you into battle using on the same kind of questionnaire. While deployed you will be asked to risk your life for a year or so, and possibly be sent back for additional combat deployments. When you come home and complain that you are experiencing debilitating mental health problems, they will interview you, finally, and if you admit to having any related problems before enlisting, you will be cut off from receiving future benefits.
The whole process is extremely unfair, and even more unjust if you did not have a personality disorder before joining the military, but just happened to answer a few questions ‘incorrectly’ during an interview after coming home.
The good news is that President Obama, as a Junior Senator from Illinois, was a champion of addressing the mental health problems of returning soldiers. And now, he is in a position to be an even more powerful advocate for these men and women.
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deborah L.
November 3, 2009
Continuation of next blog:
After no treatment and a governmental CYA discharge the soldiercame back to WVa, applied for benefits at the Regional Office; 1 or 2 appts at the VA Hospital without success for his personality disorder and killed himself with a semi automatic to the head while 'cleaning his gun' in front of his best friend who was home on RR from Iraq. The soldier who was his best friend is also dead now, he died in guest housing at Walter Reed where he was being treated for PTSD, depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts. While in treatment at Walter Reed, they allowed the soldier to come home for Veterans Day to visit the grave site of his friend. Soldier went AWOL, after 30 days, he finally went back to Walter Reed with multiple drugs in his system, he was suicidal and homicidal. Instead of putting him under observation in a lockdown inpatient unit in the hospital, Walter Reed put him in guest housing, there was not any room in the mental health unit. On New Year’s Day he was found in his guest room with a bottle of Tequila bought at Walter Reed, a lethal dose of Klonipin in his body, and his Ipod playing his favorite music. It was determined to be an accidental death. After Walter Reed investigated itself on this issue, Walter Reed found themselves innocent of any liability or malpractice. But they did pay the family off well. They received the 400,000.00 combat incurred death benefit as well he received a bronze star for his heroic duty at Walter Reed.
deborah L.
November 3, 2009
Continuation of next blog... In the Charleston WV area, a soldier from the beginning of the Iragi War was sent back to the US and treated at Walter Reed for Combat Stress. His discharge read 'personality disorder' his service medical records for Iraq solidly stated that they were treating him for Combat Stress in the Field and it was not working, and had to send him to Walter Reed, Ward 54, for treatment. After poor or no treatment and a governmental CYA discharge the veteran came back to West Virginia, applied for benefits at the Regional Office; one or two appointments at the VA Hospital without success for his personality disorder and killed himself with a semi automatic to the head while 'cleaning his gun' in front of his best friend who was home on RR from Iraq. After his death the VA determined that his death was related to the military as it happened within 1 year of discharge, and awarded death benefits. The soldier who was his best friend and witnessed the suicide is also dead now, he died in guest housing at Walter Reed where he was being treated for PTSD, depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts.
deborah L.
November 3, 2009
The Deparment of Veteran Affairs Health Administration and Benefits Administration also refer to these 'personality disorder' or as written back in the day a 'characterlogical disorder' as the reason for dischage. This information was usually located on the bottom section of the DD 214 as the 'Narrative reason for discharge'. The military medical records could have evidence of PTSD and Depression but the VA would override delivery of care and benefits as service connected by the administrative remark. As well, Military members who received the stressful event that turned on the Schizophrenia Gene, which is a life time dibilitating desease of the brain, were also denied service connection by the Department of Veterans Affairs due to the 'narrative reason for discharge' which was also called a personality disorder or characterlogical disorder. In the Charleston WV area, a soldier from the beginning of the Iragi War was sent back to the US and treated at Walter Reed for Combat Stress. His discharge read 'personality disorder' his service medical records for Iraq solidly stated that they were treating him for Combat Stress in the Field and it was not working, and had to send him to Walter Reed, Ward 54, for treatment... please refer to futher b;og to continue this story.