Health and Men

WAR! What Is It Good For?…

by Scott on January 3rd, 2008

Absolutely Nothin!

Now that I got that song stuck in your head, stick around and read up on the casualties of war.

I posted a short excerpt awhile back about Iraq war veterans and mental health problems. They say 1 in 4 vets suffer post traumatic stress disorder. From suicidal thoughts, acts of violence, troubled marriage, fear and depression. These are just a few of the mental problems war veterans from every war have encountered. As we all know these problems can have the snowball effect and turn into bigger problems. On top of that a lot of the vets try to ignore the problems and don’t seek help.

Besides mental health issues, there are also the physical health issues. Veterans of the Gulf war had sudden illnesses such as immune system problems, and even some birth defects. This was simply called Gulf War Syndrome and most were just diagnosed and pushed to the side. It was sometimes even stated that there is no such thing as Gulf War Syndrome. Yeah, the holocaust didn’t happen either, Right? We’ve all seen the effects of Agent Orange  from Vietnam, so I need not get into that subject.

Sub-standard medical treatment, misdiagnoses, and difficulties with the VA (Veterans Assistance) plague every veteran. Budget constraints and in my opinion sub-standard medical training contribute to both the decline of soldiers/sailors health and the reputation of the military. People think that the military is so great because they have good health benefits.Well they are half right. The benefits aren’t bad…but they aren’t great.

Some veterans, sadly to say are charged outrageous amounts of money for medical treatment after being medically discharged and in some cases have been charged for loss of equipment during casualty evacuation from a combat zone after being wounded. Long waits for VA services due to  the high amount of  claims and slow paper-flow are discouraging to vets trying to file claims and often paperwork gets kicked back for the most ridiculous reason. Loopholes in the system often prevent vets from getting the coverage and benefits they deserve. I don’t feel there is anything to argue on this subject because the proof has been shown in the press. (but how reliable is the press?) The press is great at showing the bad things and do not show the good things enough. Well perhaps there shouldn’t be any bad things for them to show. It’s sad when the US Government that vows to take care of it’s own turn it’s back on the people that served. The veterans were there when the Government needed them, but it’s not always a two way street.

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POSTED IN: Men's Health, Mental Health