Obama vs. Military Medicine August 15, 2007
Posted by fmmh in : Ramblings , trackbackI don’t know how I missed this last month. Oh yeah, I’m insanely busy learning stuff.
Senator Obama introduced legistation to suspend the US Department of Defense overuse of military personnel discharges of personality disorders.
YEAH! It’s about freaking time. If you ever met a soldier who returned from the war who was so scared to talk about what was really bothering him, then you’d understand the importance of this legislation. The men who come back from Iraq who have problems . . . what kind of men do you think these are? These are men who cannot mentally resolve the issue of killing. These are sensitive men. Typically, they come back to the States and resort to drinking to self-medicate. Then because they do not talk to the scary doctors about their issues, they get slapped with a personality disorder and an admin discharge. I love these men. I wish I could help them find the support they deserve. But I have my issues.
One friend of mine used to roam the streets of DC. He was labeled schizoid personality disorder (SPD) and given an admin discharge with no benefits. One of the main symptoms of SPD is the disinterest in social relationships. My friend did not have SPD. He and I had a very close relationship. He shared with others when they took an interest in him. Once after he told me about some horrible things in Iraq, I asked him if he wanted a hug, and he said yes, and I gave him a hug. I’m certain he has a misdiagnosis. They had a chance to help a beautiful person, my friend. But they did not listen to him. If they would have listened, maybe they would have heard what my friend told me . . . he had nightmares, he was scared of memories and feelings from Iraq, and he was confused about the meaning of life. That is why he would roam the streets of DC all alone. He was searching for meaning of it all. He was trying to understand how to find himself, how to find purpose as he is no longer a soldier fighting in Iraq. My friend has PTSD. Those symptoms of avoidance, hypervigilance, hyperarousal, re-experiencing the trauma, depersonalization, and dissociation were easily recognized in him. Shame on you military psychiatrists!!!
Anyway . . . Bravo Obama for championing this cause. It’s my cause. Click here to read the article on Obama’s Web site.
“With thousands of American service members suffering from service-connected psychological injuries, reports of the Department of Defense improperly diagnosing service members with personality disorders are troubling, especially when the VA benefits owed to our service members are at stake,” said Senator Obama. “This legislation will force the Department of Defense to suspend its use of this discharge procedure until Secretary Gates can conduct a comprehensive review of these policies and establish a review board to evaluate questionable cases. It is our moral obligation to ensure that all of our returning service members receive the treatment, care, and benefits they deserve. Meeting this obligation is one thing we can still get right about this war.” ~Sen. Obama
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