VC winner condems care of soldiers

[AndyZ]

LINK
The Army's most decorated serving war hero has claimed the Government is failing to care for soldiers with mental trauma caused by combat in Iraq and Afghanistan

 

[Nec Aspera Terrent]

The report of the interview in the Indy... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...o-kill-so-civilian-life-is-tough-1634231.html
gives a really clear account of the symptoms we've probably all seen in ourselves or others.

Whilst some may say as a Serving soldier, he has spoken out of turn, I applaud his honesty and eloquence.

If this improves the care that he and others receive, it can only be for the good.

I'm not going to pretend to have the answers to this problem, but surely the fact that we have so few Mental Health professionals must contribute to the problem. I know that our 'nut nurses' are an odd bunch, but they do the very best they can with the resourses they have - employing a few more couldn't possibly hurt!

 

[vim_fuego]

As a matter of interest does anyone thiink that we as a nation has ever properly looked after it's troops post contact/injury/campaign? I'm thinking as far back as WW1 where we discovered 'shell shock' but prior to that was shooting them for perceived cowardice...Of course the problem was somewhat alleviated then as hundreds of thousands of our troops didn't come back to be 'ill'...Through WW2 and Korea, the Falklands and GW1 to where we are today fighting a two fronted 'war on terror' campaign...It would appear that successive governments of every denomination have asked men and women to go (justly or not) to war for them but ignored the annoying aftermath of mental problems and illness...

 

[Nec Aspera Terrent]

I think some of the problem is that we still attach a social stigma to mental ill-health. Very few people find it easy to discuss illnesses of the mind.

Much easier to talk to your mates about piles or premature ejaculation (whatever that is!) than to discuss the thoughts you are having.

Until we as a society begin to see mental illness as just like any other illness there will be a tendency to leave far too much unsaid.

 

[Talk Wrench]

A very good interview.


The simple fact is that Veterans are not cared about full stop by the government. They are not cared about by the arm in which they served.

When I was MD'd some years ago, the only contact that I had during my terminal leave was from a civvy adminer asking me to return my ID card as soon as possible.

I didn't go to war and feel extremely let down by the RAF about how they handled my discharge and the non existant support thereafter.

The guys coming back with mental injuries and subsequntly discharged are far more vulnerable than I was so god help them. They are in a far worse position than I ever was.


The armed forces and the government need to get a grip on this and our plucky VC holder is to be applauded for what he has done by speaking out.



TW

 

[vim_fuego]

I forgot NI in my post...I've not long finished a SSAFA case of a gentlemen who served and was caught in two blasts out there in the 70's...It took some coersion to get him talking but none of us would have wanted to see what he saw in the aftermath of one of these explosions and in Jan 2009 the road to getting some help for his 'troubles of the mind' finally began...30 years of suffering and it's not as if he hadn't approached the official channels for help...

 

[psycho-fluffy]

I forgot NI in my post...I've not long finished a SSAFA case of a gentlemen who served and was caught in two blasts out there in the 70's...It took some coersion to get him talking but none of us would have wanted to see what he saw in the aftermath of one of these explosions and in Jan 2009 the road to getting some help for his 'troubles of the mind' finally began...30 years of suffering and it's not as if he hadn't approached the official channels for help...

Not going to comment on the article as it requires consideration and my role makes it difficult to express an opinion without being called biased.

However want to mention that the longest delay I have seen between trauma and help was during my nurse training in Scotland.

We were called to see a gentleman whose wife had noted a sudden change in behaviour as a result of watching a BBC programme about the Brit OIC a FEPOW camp which had accused the officer depicted in the film 'Bridge over the River Kwai' as little more than a collaborator.

Initially the opinion was that he was psychotic and suffering from delusions but when we managed to get him to open up to us it turned out that he had been the 2IC and was terrified that the filmers were coming back to get him.

Luckily knowing what the poroblem was finally gave us the opportunity to offer him help.

No-one can take away the memories but we can make them easier to live with.


P-F

 

[psycho-fluffy]

As a matter of interest does anyone thiink that we as a nation has ever properly looked after it's troops post contact/injury/campaign? I'm thinking as far back as WW1 where we discovered 'shell shock' but prior to that was shooting them for perceived cowardice...Of course the problem was somewhat alleviated then as hundreds of thousands of our troops didn't come back to be 'ill'...Through WW2 and Korea, the Falklands and GW1 to where we are today fighting a two fronted 'war on terror' campaign...It would appear that successive governments of every denomination have asked men and women to go (justly or not) to war for them but ignored the annoying aftermath of mental problems and illness...

Just a quick one but the earliest descriptions of PTSD type problems date as far back as ancient Greece. Samuel Pepys describes similar following the Great Fire of London and in the American Civil War many came down with "Soldiers' Heart".

The BIG difference with WWI was that those who beleived that mental illness was down to 'bad genes' had to rethink when the officer class succumed.

WWII brought further knowledge as did Vietnam.

Mental Health (as you no doubt know) is made difficult because there are few definative tests that can pinpoint cause or effect.

We are constantly learning and every individual's experience and story is different so there is no standard test, diagnosis or treatment because there is no standard human being.

P-F

 

[Ex-Bay]

I think some of the problem is that we still attach a social stigma to mental ill-health. Very few people find it easy to discuss illnesses of the mind.

Much easier to talk to your mates about piles or premature ejaculation (whatever that is!) than to discuss the thoughts you are having.

Until we as a society begin to see mental illness as just like any other illness there will be a tendency to leave far too much unsaid.

I think the 'Stigma' of mental health is easing, but it is not easy and it will be some years before a certain acceptance is noticed. The problem is that the rest of us do not know how to approach it. I mean, you can see a broken leg, but a 'damaged head' is not so easy.
We do not have enough mental support services in the UK, at all. We need more shrinks and facilities - desperately.

There are still blokes from WW2 who suffer what's now called PTSD. And drugs are still developed which still don't get issued!

 

[Verkramp]

I'm ex Army, I have PTSD for which I get a War Pension. It grips my sh*t that I have to rely on a charity (Combat Stress) for any real, useful help.

4 years after leaving the Army everything went t*ts up, and the NHS had me diagnosed as a run of the mill fruitcake it was only a chance conversation with a SSAFA volunteer who regcognised the PTSD for what it was that started me getting the right treatment.

Anyway it's well past my medication time....nurse....nurse DT_Xtremez_28:

 

[vim_fuego]

I'm ex Army, I have PTSD for which I get a War Pension. It grips my sh*t that I have to rely on a charity (Combat Stress) for any real, useful help.

4 years after leaving the Army everything went t*ts up, and the NHS had me diagnosed as a run of the mill fruitcake it was only a chance conversation with a SSAFA volunteer who regcognised the PTSD for what it was that started me getting the right treatment.

Anyway it's well past my medication time....nurse....nurse DT_Xtremez_28:

I used Combat Stress for the chap mentioned above...My participation is complete on this case in this instance but I also threw him to the TRBL on the war pension front and they sent me a progress email to confirm his progress on all fronts...But all those fronts were charity based...Outside of the CAB who blow hot and cold IMO...

 

[scaleywife]

We do not have enough mental support services in the UK, at all. We need more shrinks and facilities - desperately.
QUOTE]


Obviously I cannot comment on PTSD directly but I can comment on Mental Health services in the UK and the stigma of Mental Health problems in general.

After my mum passed away suddenly I appeared to cope well and was praised on my fortitude by Mental Health professionals. I come from a Military background and us 'additional baggage' types from the 70's and 80's were taught (obliquely) to put up and shut up just as much as you guys were... so that is what I did. Until a pretty comprehensive breakdown about 10 months later. It continued to affect me for... well I suppose ever since really.

The point at which I realised I was on my own to sort this out came after I contacted Cruise for help... my doc prescribed the usual prozac and referred me to group theray, really helpful when one of the symptoms of my breakdown was acute agrophbia with panic attacks... Cruise informed me that I could not tell my doc or the CPO liaison that I was seeing them or they would 'turn off' any NHS help I was getting. From that point on I got angry and helped myself out of the mess.

The point is, I am a resiliant human being who had the mental skills and intelligence to seek help and answers. If I had been any lower or not had my husband and children (and inate common sense) I would have sunk into a cycle of depression with nothing more than a standard prescription and distinct disinterest from the NHS. Corporate disinterest you understand... the people I dealt with were usually great.

Now this is my story as a civillian, times the mis-understandings by the general lack of military knowledge and I can only imagine how much more dificult it must be to get appropriate help... after all, many, many people have lost a close family member and I still found it hard... how many people have had experience of war.

I talk about my experience, I want people to know that even the strong people, the copers of the world need help from time to time and that anyone can have mental problems. Trust me, I am possibly the last person you would expect to have been through this!! Even I feel the stigma though... try explaining a 3 year career break... I have to admit I bend the truth, how many employers would chose a person with my history.

I have no quick answers... I have enough problems sorting myself out..LOL... I do, however, think that the more this is in the public conciousness the better it will get. My advice to anyone who has made it through is to tell your story and help people understand.