Memorial Day 2014 - Who Would Have Known

Who would have known. We thought our Army son being posted in a safe place for the four years of his active service would spare us from the significant stress that families experience who have their sons or daughters deployed to war zones. We had not expected that 42 months after his discharge, we would come to realize the strains of war are not only experienced by deployed military personnel, but can be for any involved in the making of war - we also learned about the frailties of an overloaded Veterans Administration health care system strained beyond its capacity to meet the needs of Veterans due to the cumulative effects of aged populations of Vietnam Veterans, Baby Boomer Generation Veterans, and Veterans from more than ten years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the midst of recent revelations about problems with the VA health care system and Congressional inquiries and 42 months after the reality of our son's condition surfaced, a fourth review panel has acknowledged the long string of diagnoses by his care givers since December 2010 - validation and relief, regardless of the reason for approval now.

We determined that the following condition 

Was related to your military service, 

So service connection has been granted:

Other specified trauma and stressor related disorder,

Adjustment-like disorder,

Dysthymia (claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder),

Depression,

Anxiety,

Insomnia

We denied entitlement to the 100% rate 

Because it wasn't shown

That you are unable to work

As a result of your service connected disabilities.

We determined that the following condition

Was not related to your military service,

So service connection remains denied:

Posttraumatic stress disorder.

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I came across a series of insightful postings for Time Magazine by a retired Army psychiatrist named Elspeth Cameron Ritchie under the discontinued banner Battleland - Military Intelligence for the Rest of Us . Her postings regarding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) discuss the complexities of military-related service and the diagnoses of PTSD and other mental health issue for military personnel - it is not just about PTSD. Another article that points out additional complexities of health and military service is found here. The broad awareness of PTSD is important, but as Ritchie points out, a focus on PTSD alone is not helpful.