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Why the IOM has found so much PTSD in Gulf War Vets
By Jim Bunker National Gulf War Resource Center
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently concluded that there is sufficient evidence of a causal relationship for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Persian Gulf War (PGW) veterans that would in turn explain their other physical ailments. What a slap in the face. When you look at only a select handful of research studies and discount most others, you can no doubt make a convincing case for PTSD as the primary cause of Gulf War Illnesses (GWI). Veterans from today’s wars as well as the 1991 Persian Gulf War know better. All one needs to do in order to find the truth is to use the internet.
The truth is, for the first 15 years after the PGW the VA focused primarily on PTSD, pushing the belief that that’s what was wrong with us. This is how it’s been for years. When the VA doctors don’t understand something new they write it off as a psychosomatic illness. In other words, they’re telling us that it’s all in our heads. Yes, some of us do have PTSD. Every time men and women have gone to war some have come home with PTSD. Sadly, some even legitimately develop PTSD from having to fight with the VA to gain access to the benefits they earned through their service and sacrifice. These battles between the veteran and the VA continue to this day with not only our PGW veterans, but with our OEF and OIF veterans as well. I just talked to a fellow PGW veteran and he is still having problems with the doctors at the VA in Houston, Texas. Whenever he brings up GWIs, they tell him there is “no such thing”.
As Dr. Robert Haley’s findings show, GWI is not caused by PTSD, but from the various toxic elements that we encountered while serving in the Persian Gulf. That is why his brain imaging studies are so important. They show that something has adversely affected our brain cells, but exactly what caused it is still yet to be determined. There are many different chemicals and compounds that are suspect. I feel it is no longer possible to assume that it was just one chemical. We were all subjected to multiple chemical exposures during the PGW. And with the strong evidence linking genetic predisposition, these chemicals very likely have affected different individuals in different ways. Others yet remain symptom-free.
To its credit, the IOM report also had some good points for those of us with GWI. The IOM has now categorically stated that GWI is real. Something the VA’s own Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses (RAC) confirmed as far back as 2004. They have stated that there is sufficient evidence that gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and multi-symptom illnesses including chronic fatigue syndrome are indeed the result of exposures during the PGW. These conditions are already listed in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for GWI. I only hope that the IOM’s report will finally force VA doctors to look at PGW veterans in a new light.
We still have a long way to go in getting Cancer, MS, and other illness added to the list of presumptive conditions. But we will persevere.
One of the other problems that I have repeatedly heard while attending the RAC meetings is that getting veterans to take part in approved research studies is quite difficult. This is one of the things that IOM falls back on as an excuse to minimize GWI. For that reason alone it’s important that we all work together to ensure that as many veterans as possible, both sick and healthy, are able to travel to, and participate in these studies.
James A. Bunker
President
National Gulf War Resource Center
2611 SW 17th Street Suite 1 B
Topeka, KS 66604
785-221-0162
Toll free 866-531-7183
WWW.NGWRC.ORG
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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=26931
Posted by Bob Higgins on Apr 15 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under Health, PTSD. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Veterans Today. Veterans Today said: Veterans Today: Why the IOM has found so much PTSD in Gulf War Vets http://bit.ly/d9efzM [...]
Great article…my only comment is on your closing statement. I have voulentered to take part in many different studies on GWI only to be ignored by the researchers. At first they say we’d love to have you, then when I ask how I get to “Georgetown” they simply stop responding. Most of us are willing to travel and don’t mind being a guiena pig if it can help others, we simply do not have the money to pay for the traveling and the researchers don’t wanna pay for it either.
Thanks for keeping us informed.
Darren
I agree with you Darren. I was working and the VA wanted me to drive once a week to a different VA hospital (there is one two miles from me) to take part in an experiment of shots. I would have liked to participate but I was doing my best to work and keep my job. I would have to drive 300 miles on two lane roads and be there at 8AM which means I would have to leave early or stay over. At the very least I would lose a day and a half per week. I would have exhausted my sick time in no time. I asked why I could not get the shots at my local VAMC and they said it could not be arranged. I had previously passed some type of Gulf exam for problems I had and was a candidate. So much for trying to help Gulf vets. They told me at the time that money for travel was not available either.
[...] Why the IOM has found so much PTSD in Gulf War Vets : Veterans Today [...]
[...] Why the IOM has found so much PTSD in Gulf War Vets : Veterans Today [...]
Having my own PTSD from fighting the old Veteran Affairs I can say I understand younger veterans. I retired from fighting this VA war nearly 15 years ago. Now I keep reading about the Gulf war related illnesses, and the growing numbers of PTSD from the US’s present wars.
My rhetorical question is how can veterans change how the government works in relationship to how they do research, or compensate war related injuries when all you have to do America is put a bumper sticker on your car.
It is not the VA American Vets, it is America and Americans and they need to be educated to change.
Today in congress the 2 Veteran Affairs committees are trying to improve benefits for war veterans. They are fighting a war with their own legislators, who want the money for disabled war veterans for their corporate lobbyists special interest groups.
What I find almost evil is these same selfish grandiose congressman who are against better benefits for our war veterans, have a photo taken at veterans conventions wearing their funny little hat, and chatting up veterans.
What I find most insulting is when they put press releases out saying they are for a 1 % annual increase in disability as if it was a million dollars.
The media keep inventing the wheel when it comes to returning veterans and it’s heroes.
[...] Why the IOM has found so much PTSD in Gulf War Vets : Veterans Today [...]
Vibration + Noise + Vibroacoustic Disease + PTSD = FUBAR .
http://www.usvaw.org/
ibroacoustic disease (VAD) is a whole-body, systemic pathology, characterized by the abnormal proliferation of extra-cellular matrices, and caused by excessive exposure to low frequency noise (LFN). VAD has been observed in LFN-exposed professionals, such as, aircraft technicians, commercial and military pilots and cabin crewmembers, ship machinists, restaurant workers, and disk-jockeys. VAD has also been observed in several populations exposed to environmental LFN. This report summarizes what is known to date on VAD, LFN induced pathology, and related issues. In 1987, the first autopsy of a deceased VAD patient was performed. The extent of LFN induced damage was overwhelming, and the information obtained is, still today, guiding many of the associated and ongoing research projects. In 1992, LFN-exposed animal models began to be studied in order to gain a deeper knowledge of how tissues respond to this acoustic stressor. In both human and animal models, LFN exposure causes thickening of cardiovascular structures. Indeed, pericardial thickening with no inflammatory process, and in the absence of diastolic dysfunction, is the hallmark of VAD. Depressions, increased irritability and aggressiveness, a tendency for isolation, and decreased cognitive skills are all part of the clinical picture of VAD. LFN is a demonstrated genotoxic agent, inducing an increased frequency of sister chromatid exchanges in both human and animal models. The occurrence of malignancies among LFN-exposed humans, and of metaplastic and displastic appearances in LFN-exposed animals, clearly corroborates the mutagenic outcome of LFN exposure. The inadequacy of currently established legislation regarding noise assessments is a powerful hindrance to scientific advancement. VAD can never be fully recognized as an occupational and environmental pathology unless the agent of disease – LFN – is acknowledged and properly evaluated. The worldwide suffering of LFN-exposed individuals is staggering and it is unethical to maintain this status quo. Previous studies have shown that LFN exposure induces an accelerated onset of lupus. Full Article: http://www.noiseandhealth.org/
[...] Why the IOM has found so much PTSD in Gulf War Vets : Veterans Today. April 21st, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized | Comments are closed | [...]
[...] Why the IOM Has Found So Much PTSD in Gulf War Vets: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently concluded that there is sufficient evidence of a causal relationship for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Persian Gulf War (PGW) veterans that would in turn explain their other physical ailments. [...]