This says more about our country than the war

Don't mention it. Glad to help...even if it was toward your own diversion and subject change from the issue at hand...that being the propensity of PTSD in Iraq War vets and triplehorn's insights and opinions on the issue....opinions and insights you derided as being formed on the basis of a single conversation at a wedding and mockingly cast aside.

Which, obviously, it was not, but yet you still refuse to not acknowledge triple's expertise, but also to use him as source to educate you and others (including myself) on the mental health system and how PTSD is dealt w/ both inside/outside the VA.
 
Since this thread has turned towards triple's credentials, I'ld like a little more info. Is he a psychiatrist or psychologist? What is his practice like? Is he in private practice? In the private sector or public sector (miltirary or other)? Child or adult focused? What is the make-up of his practice - rural vs. urban, percent free services/fee for service, male v female, % types of various mental health problems, etc? I'm not saying that triple needs to anser these questions. I would not. However, these are the sort of questions that will elucidate triple's direct expertise with the subjects in question. To summarize, if I were a vet. with problems, should I see him or are there better options from those whose practices focus on the disease?
 
Glad I could make it back. You know, nothing about my posts on this thread have anything to do with expertise or not. My assertion about the strong likelihood that tens of thousands of Iraq/Afg vets will suffer from PTSD can be ascertained from even the most basic google search on incidence rates.

austex followed my post two hours and two posts later with his "hundreds" leaning towards thousands number. I'm fairly certain he pulled it out of his arse, but I could be wrong. I directly called out his use of those numbers not based on being some kind of expert, but based on the fact that any 5th grader could fact check it in less than a minute. What did austex do? made quite a mess of it all, imo.

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So is this post coming down to statistics? Are we arguing that the post traumatic stress syndrome levels are acceptable, there really is nothing to worry about?
I don't think that is the case. I think there is a big price we as taxpayers will be paying for many years to treat these various ailments, and the society will bear a cost in the gun crimes, the disenfranchised who will be holding signs on street corners, the family relationship problems, numerous others.
I knew people who came back from VietNam, one hid in a darkened room and would not come out. Lived in the same house as I did-frightening experience. Another time one of my housemates was a VietNam vet-he came back addicted to smoking opium-this wasn't unusual, either. You don't get opium here, so you turn to heroin, cocaine, and when I lived with him, alcohol. Another tragic situation.
I wonder if those guys are ones standing on corners now, or if they are dead, or in jail somewhere. War has horrible unintended effects on society.
 
accuratehorn -

The cost of this war over the next generation in terms of treatment and lost productivity for an entire spectrum of related problems is and will be staggering. And I agree, It goes deeper than mere statistics when it becomes a recognizable face of our society.

The need for support of returning veterans in my community and locale is already substantial. We've got a network of private non-military citizen professionals offering personal time and resources to help those suffering from combat related mental conditions:
In reply to:


 
TexasCurl, I can tell you from first hand experience that PTSD is going to be a huge issue in the coming years for us to deal with in regards to the military. There are a whole lot of soldiers coming home really messed up. And then, they are being sent right back in 18-24 months later. I have friends that have spent 30-40% of the last 4 years in Iraq. They are under constant threat of death. Whether it's an IED or a mortar attack or a random bullet.
 
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