Comments on Patience Mason's PTSD Blog: Short History of PTSD

PTSDOn false pretext they sent me offTo murder and...

2008-12-01T12:01:00.000-05:00

PTSD

On false pretext they sent me off
To murder and create,
But there, ´twas hard to hold aloof
Vacuity of hate,
And now the matter rests with me
But I don´t rest at all,
And it may be PTSD
But I´m not blessed at all.

We are the men "that don´t fit in,"
There´s no more fitting now,
Because nobility struck tin
With which men did endow
Their fantasy, as left a mess
All scrambled in my mind,
So I was left with PTS
And D not far behind.

The army sez that my SD
Existed pre post-trauma,
So not a dime will give to me
Except I have my Momma
To tell me, hold my temper down
But she has never been there,
Where cognizance emerged full-blown
Smack in the midst of sin there.

I thought that I could be a hero,
That I could go to school,
But concentration nearly zero
Has made me look the fool,
And I may know the alphabet
My teachers taught to me,
But first, in their disorder, set
Now PTS and D.

I never knew the kind of rage
As in my brain inhabits,
But not a player on the stage
It is not shooting rabbits
That got me to an awful fix,
Though you might find it funny,
PTSD plays funny tricks,
I wouldn´t hurt Bugs Bunny--

And yet at minor provocation
I´d take a schoolbus out--
It´s all because I served a nation
That didn´t have a doubt:
Derangement by rage reinforced
Has got me drinking liquor,
But while I cauterize the worst
Hostility grows thicker.

So all young men who go to war,
Although your cause be noble--
They´ll show you that esprit de corps
But leave you with the trouble,
A peck of trouble, as with P
Preceding T and S,
And then at last a final D,
To lodge at your address.

Wherever you may go, and with
Self-medication helping,
There is no helping with the myth:
Hostility keeps whelping
Despite nobility pronounced
On all the TV stations--
PTSD, when they have pounced,
One´s burden, not the nation´s.

.

I am a vet, and employed at the VA Medical Center,...

2008-09-07T20:37:00.000-05:00

I am a vet, and employed at the VA Medical Center, Louisville. I too, had a derogatory impression of the VA from the horror stories that I heard from my father, grandfather and uncles. It was not until 2004, that I went to the VA for my health care after loosing my job from becoming disabled with respiratory failure.
At my first appointment at the VA Hospital, I found myself lost, looking for the ENT clinic. I ask a nurse where it was. She gave me directions, of which she could obviously see that I was confused. She said "That's alright, I'll show you".
I told her that she didn't have to trouble herself.
Her response was, "Honey, You’re the reason we are here!"
I was so impressed with the compassion that I received, that I was compelled to go back to school, get an education in computer science and apply for a job at the VAMC, Louisville.
I now work at the "New" Behavioral Health Lab, which is a linking service of Primary Care and Mental Health. We are proud to make the claim that our clinic answers most all referrals for PTSD, Depression, Substance Abuse and other Mental Health concerns within 24 hours.
I am personally sorry for any lack of compassion, respect and service that any of our veterans have received from the VA. I vow that you shall never receive anything less than honor and respect from the BHL, Louisville.
sgtblogger.com

Patience: Semper Fi, I am Six Time Wounded SSgt/03...

2008-07-09T17:57:00.000-05:00

Patience: Semper Fi, I am Six Time Wounded SSgt/0369 Vietnam 65-66 and 68-69. Your book and it's contents are helping my wife and myself understand what is going on with me.
I worked for 35 years in the Law Enforcement Porfession and then retired in 2005. I moved to North Georgia Mountains and found myself in distress.

I did stupide things like became angry with my spouse for no reason, and burned all her clothing in our front yard. I have always told her to call the Police if I became violent and she departed and did so.

I secured the doors and windows and awaiting the enemy. the same people I worked with for 35 years. The shift commander having sense enough called me and by then I was calmed down. They left without even coming to the house. That morning I drove for hours and went to the VA where they wanted to lock me down for two weeks. First of all I cannot sleep with anyone in a room, except my wife or Marines I served with in Vietnam. Secondly, people there were driving me into a deeper rage by just seeing them walking around acting odd!

At anyrate PTSD has grabbed me deeply and as usual the VA started me out at 50% with a 45 GAF score. MY last gaf score was 35, and I'm not sure what is next for me, I hope sincere help. The PTSD Center in Port St. Lucie is there for me, but I still very lost most of the time.
Keep up the good work and I hope this will help other veterans reading your book.
Tom Matteo
SSgt/USMC