Why I’m Skeptical Of PTSD Claims… And Why You Should Be Too

It seemed to me that the VA is pushing PTSD. I went in to look at disability for my back, and all they wanted was to push PTSD on me. I have never served in a front line combat unit, nor have I ever been in sustained combat. I wanted help with just my back and they kept telling me that I could file for non-combat PTSD. Sorry, but if I were to take a dollar of treatment from a service member that actually needs it, I would be a sorry sack. It would be against everything I truly believed as a leader. If you have PTSD, I sincerely hope you get the treatment you need, and if there is anything I can do please let me know... SGM Erik Marquez SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL

As a vet and mental health professional I can say that PTSD does exist. The latest version of the Diagnostic Statisical Manual (DSM 5) has done a great job of sorting out the criterion for a PTSD diagnosis. Most of what we know now about PTSD comes from the suffering of those who served in combat before us. In my experience, those who should have been diagnosed with PTSD soon after deployment put off getting screened because of some of the messages they have heard related to stigma and making false claims. It's just a fact that the rate of competed suicides has dramatically increased along with the increase in PTSD diagnoses. I am fortunate to treat some survivors of PTSD. Since I'm in a civilian practice, my clients come in using their civilian insurance if they have it or I treat them on a sliding scale because they have waitered too long to meet the window (5 years last I checked) for a VA diagnosis. God bless all of you who have served and have a great Independence Day. Be good to yourselves.

I tend to side with the diagnosis of the medical professional