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Home Lock & Load Be Advised The War Within Delays? PTSD -Heart Board of Veterans Appeal


What They Don't Tell You


What they don’t tell you.

A Veteran is appreciated for his or her service, and that is the way it should be. However the Veteran that has experienced the horrors of war may develop PTSD, and PTSD untreated can lead to an acceleration of the aging process. The Veteran is not aware of the damage because at a young age the body is able to handle the stresses of PTSD and continue to function. As the years go on and the organs are not given the needed recuperative sleep they break down early, much like any mechanism that has not been properly maintained.

The effects of untreated PTSD has been swept under the rug since the days of the Civil War of 1850.

The veteran is released with the thanks of a grateful nation, and years later as medical complications become more recognizable the causes of medical conditions are rarely if ever traced back to PTSD. Why? Mostly because there can be so many contributing factors to any disease like hypertension. So a doctor can easily recognize hypertension, but the cause goes unexplained, especially the connection to PTSD. Heart illnesses are the same. The doctor may look at family history and other factors but rarely, no, I could say never, consider PTSD.

This is not fair, in my opinion, to our Veterans that served our country in time of need, but it is a reality.

What can we do about it? We can help our younger veterans returning from duty in Iraq by elevating awareness. If these brave service men and women get early treatment they will live a longer and more productive life. For the older Veterans that served during earlier Wars like World War 11, Korea and Vietnam it is too late and too expensive. At least this seems to be the position of our VA and Government.

Here is my reconnaissance:

Younger Veterans: Present yourself to a local VA and be evaluated. Do not hesitate to get an attorney and a second opinion if you are given the cold shoulder.

Older Veterans: Gather your evidence of medical condition, be evaluated by the VA for service-connected PTSD and other illnesses like Agent Orange. Get a second opinion from a qualified doctor outside the VA and an attorney. At that point decide if you want to file a claim for a service-connected disability. If you decide to file, only file with the help of an experienced attorney.

Also know that where you live can make a difference. A McClatchy analysis has found that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with mental ailments can have varying results with the VA in getting treatment depending on where they live. This could affect payments as well as treatments.

Help is in place, but obtaining the help is a battle, and it is in your best interest to be well armed.

March On !!!

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