Ilona met with them. In their opinion, she gets it. As far as the book is concerned, they are sharing it with other members of the unit. I was hoping that I would get the galley copy back, but they think their guys need to read it now. That’s how important this book is.

Please ask Ilona about how she wants her book signings set up, and find out the best way of getting this book into the hands of the combat veterans who need it most.

I’ll be back for the party.

Ritter came and spoke here in Scottsdale AZ. Planned to be a 1 1/2 hr event that ended up to be over 3 hrs. Absolutely Fascinating and VERY informative.

James F. Trumm @ 14

What does your father think should be done?

My fathers therapy has been Habitat for Humanity. His group of old geezers are on their 12ht or 13th house now. Building and talking and doing good things for others helps them.

As a nurse, what I think they need is a safe place to “vomit” all the bad on a regular basis. Clean it out….. other Vets talking to Vets like in drug rehab.

The VA used to have some really great PTSD units across the country with residential therapy when things got too bad.

I work at a Rehab hospital – physical therapists, occupational therapist, neuropsych – brain injuries, strokes, etc. We’ve been getting Iraq vets. I’m not real sure why they are showing up at our hospital rather than the VA, which is literally around the corner.

(Sorry – got badly sidetracked)

Alicia @ 56

I’m not lolo, but I can tell you that yes, it is.

Did the VA help them back in the 70’s? Why did they end up in the streets?

I don’t think they had the knowledge, therapeutic and/or drug treatments that they have today about PTSD – or other mental disabilities.

What I see as an issue (and I may be wrong) is that the mental and emotional ‘breaking down’ that a (emotionally healthy) soldier has to endure during training to be able to pull the trigger and be able to live with him or herself has to be balanced with an assurance that their cause is just. If you are asked to damage your psyche by killing another human being for a cause that is not just, I can only imagine the mental and emotional torment that would ensue.

SnarKassandra @ 55

Lolo — is PTSD why so many Vietnam vets became homeless?

Severe PTSD is perhaps one of the most difficult conditions to treat and can be among the least responsive to therapy and medication. People with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder often can be more responsive to treatment and rehabilitation than someone with severe PTSD.

There are all kinds of stressors that can result in PTSD but combat is among the worst. When abuse and neglect occur during developmental years, sometimes patterns of emotional response and coping can lead to personality disorders of varying severity. But people who frequently dissociate and have high affective instability can be permanently disabled. Without resources, they can have profound difficulty sustaining functional relationships for work and family life which leads to destitution or homelessness. Chemical dependency is frequent as well. It’s a very serious problem.

Thanks Muzzy. I LOVE my counselor and I am going to work really hard at getting better.

Iraq and the Lessons of Vietnam
Or, How Not to Learn from the Past

Edited by Lloyd C. Gardner and Marilyn B. Young

She’s quite impressive in her talk with Mr. Moyers – might be a good fit here too.

(I used to do acute hospital (consultation liaison) and long-term outpatient care myself – that was fun.)

Your point about increasing Axis II recruits by decreaseing recruitng standards seems valid to me, and I also agree with your estimation of the magnitude (small) of this effect in explaining the recorded figures.

One thing that comes to mind about the military increasing its absolute numbers of PD diagnoses apart from scam is that there could be a sliver of truth to it. The military has become so desperate for recruits in recent years that they have had to be much less discriminating in who they enlist. There likely IS a higher number of diagnosable PD in the ranks as a result of this pressure, but I’m guessing nothing that would account for the rise we are seeing.