"Why I'm Skeptical of PTSD Claims... And You Should Be Too"

[Brill]

@metalmom , I know such an actor: female 42-series E-5 who got lost en route to BAF from Kabul. No CAB but now a DV due to a PTSD diagnosis from a VA doc.

 

[policemedic]

<snip>

Needed to have my say. Thats all. Thanks.

Completely understandable. PTS is a huge burden to bear. I think the more we hear from those who are legitimately diagnosed the better we are. For clarity, when I say we I mean both the veteran and clinical communities; increasing our fund of knowledge from those who are experiencing PTS can only help us better understand it.

With that said, sometimes when we're very close to a subject it makes it hard to be objective. The truth is--and you're not going to like this--people can and do fake PTS. They do it for the obvious reasons--facilitating malingering while they're in and increasing their disability percentage after they're out.

I'm of the belief that we are so sensitive to PTS now that it is over diagnosed. There are a number of reasons for that; sometimes it's a clinical error and sometimes it's Snuffy leading a doc down the primrose path.

I'm also well aware that gaming the system to increase disability payments or engineer a medical retirement from the service is not uncommon. I've seen it personally.

Back pain, PTSD, seizures, headaches, etc. It can all be faked. The people who do this do a vast disservice to honest people who suffer.

Agreed. The people who play these games make life so much more difficult on legitimate patients. The unwillingness of some providers to provide clinically indicated narcotics is an example.

Whenever I've seen one of these fakers, they've tended to be (suspiciously) well educated on their chosen chief complaint, and they tend to pick things that are very difficult to disprove on exam or with investigations.

On the other hand, I'm very encouraged by, and interested in the work being done on resiliency by Dr. Martin Seligman and his team. I think their approach is helpful and applicable to PTS, suicide prevention, and other problems.

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

Fuck my anger of this thread tonight is beyond being respectful. Some shit is better left alone.....as my 'nice' will not allow me to speak my mind and hurt the people I like on here....please know, this thread is bad for all of us, and poking a bear.

 

[Brill]

@Diamondback 2/2 , interaction with board members has DEFINITELY assisted and increased my coping skils: my reaction is normal and it's ok to feel my "feels".

Feeling anger is very normal. Dealing with it in a productive (non-destructive) way is healthy.

You're clearly healing! You should be very proud of your restraint!!!!

 

[DA SWO]

Talking helped me a lot, still don't know if my marriage is salvageable, but talking to others has helped me.

 

[Brill]

...still wake up sweating after my recurring Running-Out-of-Ammo and about to be Captured Nightmare.

Apparently very common (I have the same) and they appear to be in response to various triggers. I guess that would answer why I have some much 5.56 and 9mm at home???

I recently had a "helpless" dream where I was at a ferry terminal in Seattle and saw a worker fall into the water that was churning from the screws. My first thought was "that sucks...he's dead" and after the screws finally stopped someone jumped in, brought him to the surface unconscious, and using one hand, I pulled him from the water. I immediately jumped into first aid "ABC" mode while yelling "medic!"

I woke up at 4am and said to the wife "Guess I'm going to work now".

The trigger here was things (good things) going on at work.

 

[Marauder06]

Related: "Only Weaklings Get PTSD"

 

[DA SWO]

I should have added that Social media has helped, I've connected with people who were with me at various times, and just talking about what happened helps.

My Grandfathers and Uncles could talk to almost anyone and relate because WW II impacted America, the circle of people we can relate to grows smaller every day, which is why I seek fellow Vets out when I do business, or decide if I am going to spend time with you.

 

[medicchick]

Related: "Only Weaklings Get PTSD"



View attachment 15097

Ya'll are masters at click bait.

 

[Ranger Psych]

J, I was a PTSD poster-boy. Couldn't handle relationships or bosses, went looking for trouble at bars, got tossed in the clink a few times for bar fights, nearly had my ears ripped off, threw a co-worker over a desk, drank too much, even had the .45 pressed against the side of my head a few dark and lonely times...until I finally met a good woman...and almost lost her--and everything else. Then one day I reluctantly walked into a Vet Center and my world started to turn around. They got me into a group, the VA got me on some meds--too many meds at first. Trazadone, Risperadone, Zoloft...but I was able to back off everything but the Zoloft. I started communicating with other combat vets, got hooked up with men who were in my unit in VN...stayed in group for about 4 years. My wife, my children, the VA, the Vet Center saved my ass. Do I still have problems? Of course. War becomes a part of your character. I still miss my lost bros, still have intense bitterness over the political sell-out of South Vietnam, still wake up sweating after my recurring Running-Out-of-Ammo and about to be Captured Nightmare. Still have pain from my physical wounds, still have that heavy lingering sadness...but I've also found joy within my family.

I hope I haven't been poking the bear or said anything to piss you off. Truth is, in my journey through the system I have seen some REMFs and Fobbits taking up valuable time and space at PTSD clinics working claims and it disgusts me. IMV there is no difference between them and the stolen valor people. I've bared my ass in public, bro. Read this before I get sense enough to delete it.

I'm quoting this so you can't delete it, as it's fucking reality and while I'm no fuzzy wuzzy carebear, I am caring that you're sharing this shit.

Going to the Vet Center and seeing "where I could be in 20 years or less if I didn't tackle this shit like an ambush battle drill" is what started my road to being only mildly fucked up.

 

[policemedic]

...still wake up sweating after my recurring Running-Out-of-Ammo and about to be Captured Nightmare.

I've had that dream (minus the about to be captured part). I've also had the gun barrel turns to rubber and bends dream, the 1000lb trigger dream (the one where you can't pull it no matter how hard you try), the one where you fire but the bullets fall to the ground, firing but missing, and many others. I thought I was in the wrong profession until I was properly educated. Fortunately, that happened very early in my career.

I used to think that the dreams would stop once I proved to myself that I'd drop the hammer. They don't, as you well know.

Many service members and others in the profession of arms have those dreams. It's something we have to deal with for life, but knowing that helps a bit I think.

 

[Marauder06]

My bad dreams always had something to do with being physically trapped, usually underground, and being unable to move or breathe. Turned out to be a reaction to sleep apnea.

 

[Ranger Psych]

Fully known and minimal symptoms for a benign injury, all interventions don't work in a failure cascade that causes loss of a patient.
Hand to hand with a ROE where I can't just knock out or kill the guy (obvious play on one incident, I won though) and yet he's playing for keeps. That one puts the wife on the couch ricky tick because she gets sucked into being the op-for for an unconscious Sasquatchimus Ragnar.

Civ derpy dreams, Evacing a trauma patient who by all rights should survive, but the civ chopper ends up doing a right face into the woodline due to a severe wind change and we can't get hoselines out there fast enough.

 

[metalmom]

Thanks all for listening and not passing judgements. For any one of you PTSD survivors that ever want to talk I will be there for you.Sometimes you just have to keep talking.Again-so choked with the fakers. Takes away from those that truly suffer.May they all get busted.

 

[metalmom]

J, I was a PTSD poster-boy. Couldn't handle relationships or bosses, went looking for trouble at bars, got tossed in the clink a few times for bar fights, nearly had my ears ripped off, threw a co-worker over a desk, drank too much, even had the .45 pressed against the side of my head a few dark and lonely times...until I finally met a good woman...and almost lost her--and everything else. Then one day I reluctantly walked into a Vet Center and my world started to turn around. They got me into a group, the VA got me on some meds--too many meds at first. Trazadone, Risperadone, Zoloft...but I was able to back off everything but the Zoloft. I started communicating with other combat vets, got hooked up with men who were in my unit in VN...stayed in group for about 4 years. My wife, my children, the VA, the Vet Center saved my ass. Do I still have problems? Of course. War becomes a part of your character. I still miss my lost bros, still have intense bitterness over the political sell-out of South Vietnam, still wake up sweating after my recurring Running-Out-of-Ammo and about to be Captured Nightmare. Still have pain from my physical wounds, still have that heavy lingering sadness...but I've also found joy within my family.

I hope I haven't been poking the bear or said anything to piss you off. Truth is, in my journey through the system I have seen some REMFs and Fobbits taking up valuable time and space at PTSD clinics working claims and it disgusts me. IMV there is no difference between them and the stolen valor people. I've bared my ass in public, bro. Read this before I get sense enough to delete it.

 

[metalmom]

Just want to say I am proud of you for opening up.Not always easy.PTSD is not a weakness. Its an illness.Ialso had severe rage issues and when younger always went looking for trouble. Just wanted a release. Having my son changed my life and probably saved me.

 

[metalmom]

My bad dreams always had something to do with being physically trapped, usually underground, and being unable to move or breathe. Turned out to be a reaction to sleep apnea.

Did you ever feel like someone was on top of you choking you.Sleep paralysis or something akin. Theories say that might be related to sleep apnea. Had it about 6 times.

 

[Marauder06]

Did you ever feel like someone was on top of you choking you.Sleep paralysis or something akin. Theories say that might be related to sleep apnea. Had it about 6 times.

No, there was never anyone else in these dreams, I was always completely alone and that's one of the things that made it terrifying. What was interesting is that it felt like intense claustrophobia, which was strange because I used to do a lot of caving and tight spots never bothered me. When I woke up and thought about the situation I was in in my dream, it wasn't scary at all. But when I was asleep (and probably not breathing) it was the scariest thing ever.

 

[DocIllinois]

Sleep apnea can possibly be a trigger for sleep paralysis episodes, but there isn't yet a strong association to my knowledge. I would be interested in evidence supporting this hypothesis, though.

Sleep paralysis is associated with certain psychopathologies, frequently PTSD. It is also experienced slightly more by women.


A systematic review applicable to this subject:

Lifetime Prevalence Rates of Sleep Paralysis: A Systematic Review

 

[metalmom]

Just read the article. Was intrigued to learn that about 34 percent of the population may get it from panic disorder which is just another part of my PTSD. Interesting article. Thanks for sharing. Had no clue they could be associated with PTSD.