PTSD is like being overweight (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
I am five foot nine inches tall. By Marine Corps standards my maximum weight is 186 pounds. If I weigh in and set the scale over 186 pounds I am overweight; it does not matter if I am .00001 ounces over or 100 pounds over, I am still overweight.
So, when the VA gives you a PTSD rating of whatever percentage, it is official you have PTSD. The good news is you can lose weight; reduce affects of combat stress.
Obviously if I were one or two pounds overweight I could just walk around the block on my own and loose that weight. I will need no assistance. This will work until I am say five pounds overweight – of combat stress (self-aid).
Now, if I am more than five pounds overweight I will likely need a friend to help me; running partner (self-aid and buddy-aid). An overwhelming majority of those diagnosed with PTSD alive will live here. Most vets will be fine on their own; but will be better with a little assistance from other vets.
Most vets live in the upper categories. Now lets take at where maybe 1% of vets with PTSD live.
If I am 20 pound overweight, I will need more assistance; I need the same workout buddy, but also I may need corpsman aid and maybe some nutritional advice. So I am trying on my own, my buddy is talking to me about my stress, a doc is checking me out and I am getting counseling. My guess is that there are only a very small percentage of vets diagnose with PTSD that fall in this category. But, even if this number were just 1% it would likely overwhelm the VA system.
Now, if I am say, 100 pounds overweight, I need much assistance or I am going to die. These are the vets that are totally debilitated by their PTSD. Oh, my guess is the percentage is about .00000001% of vets. Although PTSD may be a major contributor, there are likely other issues/stressors/factors.
Now it is our (vets) mission to educate the civilians so they can stop thinking we are all a bunch of ticking time bombs.
If you like what you see, share it with a friend, and ask them to like my page at Post Traumatic Growth.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Post-Traumatic-Growth/353564111509751?ref=tn_tnmn
SF DKD
pic from Huffington Post
Originally published on: Dec 4, 2015
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