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NATIONAL VETERANS LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM
OFFERS TIPS TO HELP VETERANS WITH PTSD
PTSD Awareness Day June 27 Raises Awareness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 27, 2011
WASHINGTON – Aimee Sherrod served her country in Iraq and Pakistan, but
today, the Air Force veteran struggles to leave her home a few times a
week to pick up her son at school. Under frequent mortar attacks during
her deployment and assisting with evacuating wounded service members
from helicopters, Sherrod came home with post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD).
PTSD can occur after someone goes through a traumatic event like combat,
assault, or disaster. According to the National Center for PTSD at the
VA, experts think PTSD occurs in about 11-20% of Veterans of the Iraq
and Afghanistan wars; in as many as 10% of Gulf War Veterans, and in
about 30% of Vietnam Veterans. Women are more likely than men to develop
PTSD.
Most people have some stress reactions after a trauma. If the reactions
don't go away over time or disrupt your life, you may have PTSD. As the
nation observes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day on June 27,
the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) offers the
following tips to help veterans and their families.
Know the symptoms of PTSD. Common symptoms of PTSD include: re-living
the traumatic event, feeling numb, avoiding situations that remind you
of the traumatic event, suddenly becoming angry or irritable, having
difficulty sleeping, having trouble concentrating, fearing for your
safety and always feeling on guard, being very startled when something
surprises you, or feeling hopeless. These symptoms can surface years
after experiencing a traumatic event, and sufferers may also abuse drugs
or alcohol, have family problems, or struggle to stay employed.
Seek medical help. Veterans struggling with PTSD are encouraged to seek
medical help. Veterans can go to VA medical centers and seek
professional medical help for coping with PTSD, or see a private mental
health expert. In some cases, veterans are not diagnosed with PTSD
because they have another condition that masks the problems caused by
PTSD. Veterans, especially those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, who
suffer from the residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) should be
checked by a mental health expert for mental conditions secondary to the
TBI. It is possible that veterans suffering from TBI also have secondary
PTSD and depression. If you suffer from symptoms of PTSD or depression,
you should seek medical treatment and should obtain a medical opinion
linking the mental disability (or disabilities) to the TBI.
Get support for you and your family. Free one-on-one and family
counseling services are available to veterans at Vet Centers around the
country. Support groups are also offered to help you connect with peer
support. While Vet Centers are part of the VA healthcare system,
paperwork is minimal and Vet Center client folders are kept completely
separate from the VA medical system.
Apply for VA benefits if you have PTSD. Recently, the VA announced that
to qualify for VA disability benefits for PTSD, many veterans no longer
need evidence to corroborate that the stressful event occurred in
service. This is especially true for veterans who were diagnosed with
PTSD while on active duty or whose stressor involves fear of hostile
military or terrorist activity. If you need help filing a VA claim for
PTSD, seek out a veteran’s advocate through the American Legion, the
Military Order of the Purple Heart or another veteran’s service
organization to assist you for free with your VA claim. Many veterans
service organizations have representatives at VA Regional Offices who
can assist you with your claim. If you can’t get to VA Regional Office
easily, you can work with your state or county service representative
for veterans.
Consider applying to upgrade a less than honorable discharge. If your
bad discharge is due to PTSD, you may be able to get an upgrade from a
Discharge Review Board or Board for Correction of Military Records. A
veteran has a significant chance for an upgrade if he or she had a good
record during war, followed by a series of petty offenses during
stateside service, and can submit evidence that the offenses were
related to the PTSD. Some boards understand PTSD and are sympathetic to
veterans with PTSD who apply for an upgrade.
Information to help veterans and service members apply for benefits and
get help is available through the American Veterans and Servicemembers
Survival Guide, which is available on the NVLSP website at
www.nvlsp.org.
ABOUT NVLSP
The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) is an independent,
nonprofit veteran’s service organization that has been serving active
duty personnel and veterans since 1980. NVLSP strives to ensure that our
nation honors its commitment to our 25 million veterans and active duty
personnel by providing them the federal benefits they have earned
through their service to our country. NVLSP offers training for
attorneys and advocates, connects veterans and active duty personnel
with pro bono legal help, publishes the nation’s definitive guide on
veteran’s benefits, and represents and litigates for veterans and their
families before the VA, military discharge review agencies, and federal
courts. For more information go to
www.nvlsp.org.
Media contact: Ami Neiberger-Miller, 703.887.4877,
ami@steppingstonellc.com
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