VA, DoD Host National Mental Health Summit
October 26, 2009 by Bob Higgins · 2 Comments
Shinseki, Gates Address Unprecedented Forum
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) are hosting a first-of-its-kind national summit to address the mental health care needs of America’s military personnel, families and Veterans, harnessing the programs, resources and expertise of both departments to deal with the aftermath of the battlefield.
“This is about doing what is best for those who serve this country and using every federal, state and community asset to do it,” said Secretary Shinseki. “We’re proud of the people and the organizations who have stepped up today to make sure everyone who fought for this country gets a fighting chance for a sound mind and an independent life.”
The summit, which opened today at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., invited mental health experts from both departments, Congress, the president’s cabinet and more than 57 non-government organizations to discuss an innovative, wide-ranging public health model for enhancing mental health for returning service members, Veterans, and their families.
Striking down the stigma associated with the mental health risks of service in a combat zone is among the priorities of the joint VA-DoD campaign on mental health for service members, Veterans and families. Various studies show a large incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder occurs during the lifetime of many combat Veterans.
A final report following the summit will summarize policies, programs and practices that show promise for enhancing the well-being and care for individual service members, Veterans, and their families. VA and DoD view mental health in returning service members and Veterans as a matter of public health and an opportunity to engage in a broad response throughout America.
VA operates the largest mental health program in the nation. VA has bolstered its mental health capacity to serve combat Veterans by adding thousands of new professionals to its rolls in the last four years. The department also has established a suicide prevention hotline (1-800-273-TALK) and Web site available for online chat at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans.
I hope they take up the subject of the use of psychiatric drugs for symptoms of PTSD. The VA’s own studies show that drugs are of no value in the treatment of PTSD, yet almost every vet in PTSD treatment at the VA is being prescribed them. Most vets in pursuit of a service-connected disability status mistakenly believe that taking these drugs compliantly is a condition of successful award of that claim, and that continuing to be compliant with drug treatment, or any other “approved” therapy is a condition of maintaining the rating. New published research which shows that the brain damage caused by psychiatric drugs often causes the very symptoms of “mental illness” that the manufacturers claim to be treating is now entering the mainstream medical publications. See the new book “Drug-induced Dementia” by Navy veteran, psychiatrist Grace E. Jackson MD.
Four of my family served in Vietnam, sister, me and two brother. My kid brother was a brown river rat and got blown off a gunboat. All were killed except him. He was in and out of VA hospitals for years. Tomah VA was the worse. When my parents visited he was always grogged out on meds bug tune. Finally, I was home on leave and went with them, saw my brother and spoke with some in charge and laid in on the line. Why is he always grogged out. We went back in a week and his meds has changed. He eventually got out, is 100%, not the same, can’t work but at least people can talk to him because of the limited meds he is on. I almost felt as if the VAMC staff or MDs over medicated him so they wouldn’t have to bother with him.