http://www.electricpolitics.com/
On January 16 of this year, back in Minnesota from Iraq, a young Marine hanged himself with an electrical cord. What's particularly troubling is that he'd begged the local VA hospital several times to be admitted and treated for suicidal depression and psychological injuries from combat, but was refused, only to be put on a waiting list. A symptom, no doubt, of a deeply disordered system. One can hate the war — and, properly, one does — but what about the warrior? How do the rest of us relate to combat veterans? How do they relate to us? And what are our responsibilities? To understand this problem better from the point of view of the combat veteran I turned to Dr. Jonathan Shay, a psychiatrist at a VA hospital in Boston, and the author of Achilles in Vietnam and Odysseus in America. Jonathan expresses powerful and original insight, as well as deep feeling for the combat veteran. I learned a great deal talking with this remarkable man and I hope that in listening you do too. Total runtime of an hour and thirty three minutes. Peace!
Marine: http://bobgeiger.blogspot.com/2007/01/youn...nd-neglect.html
warrior: http://blog.sciam.com/index.php?title=the_...b=1&ref=rss
Achilles in Vietnam Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/ACHILLES-VIETNAM-Com...lectricpolit-20
Odysseus in America Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Odysseus-America-Com...lectricpolit-20
Go here http://www.electricpolitics.com/ and look for the February 2nd entry on the right for podcast download and listen links.
Full Version: Podcast Interview with Dr. Jonathan Shays on PTSD
Common Ground Common Sense > Issues that Affect Our Lives > U.S. Military Issues > U.S. Military Issues Archive
QUOTE(Magmak1 @ Feb 7 2007, 07:57 AM) 
http://www.electricpolitics.com/
On January 16 of this year, back in Minnesota from Iraq, a young Marine hanged himself with an electrical cord. What's particularly troubling is that he'd begged the local VA hospital several times to be admitted and treated for suicidal depression and psychological injuries from combat, but was refused, only to be put on a waiting list. A symptom, no doubt, of a deeply disordered system. One can hate the war — and, properly, one does — but what about the warrior? How do the rest of us relate to combat veterans? How do they relate to us? And what are our responsibilities? To understand this problem better from the point of view of the combat veteran I turned to Dr. Jonathan Shay, a psychiatrist at a VA hospital in Boston, and the author of Achilles in Vietnam and Odysseus in America. Jonathan expresses powerful and original insight, as well as deep feeling for the combat veteran. I learned a great deal talking with this remarkable man and I hope that in listening you do too. Total runtime of an hour and thirty three minutes. Peace!
Marine: http://bobgeiger.blogspot.com/2007/01/youn...nd-neglect.html
warrior: http://blog.sciam.com/index.php?title=the_...b=1&ref=rss
Achilles in Vietnam Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/ACHILLES-VIETNAM-Com...lectricpolit-20
Odysseus in America Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Odysseus-America-Com...lectricpolit-20
Go here http://www.electricpolitics.com/ and look for the February 2nd entry on the right for podcast download and listen links.
On January 16 of this year, back in Minnesota from Iraq, a young Marine hanged himself with an electrical cord. What's particularly troubling is that he'd begged the local VA hospital several times to be admitted and treated for suicidal depression and psychological injuries from combat, but was refused, only to be put on a waiting list. A symptom, no doubt, of a deeply disordered system. One can hate the war — and, properly, one does — but what about the warrior? How do the rest of us relate to combat veterans? How do they relate to us? And what are our responsibilities? To understand this problem better from the point of view of the combat veteran I turned to Dr. Jonathan Shay, a psychiatrist at a VA hospital in Boston, and the author of Achilles in Vietnam and Odysseus in America. Jonathan expresses powerful and original insight, as well as deep feeling for the combat veteran. I learned a great deal talking with this remarkable man and I hope that in listening you do too. Total runtime of an hour and thirty three minutes. Peace!
Marine: http://bobgeiger.blogspot.com/2007/01/youn...nd-neglect.html
warrior: http://blog.sciam.com/index.php?title=the_...b=1&ref=rss
Achilles in Vietnam Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/ACHILLES-VIETNAM-Com...lectricpolit-20
Odysseus in America Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Odysseus-America-Com...lectricpolit-20
Go here http://www.electricpolitics.com/ and look for the February 2nd entry on the right for podcast download and listen links.
Well, there is something definity wrong here.
I know for a fact that the VA has standing orders that any Vet who expresses suicidal thoughts or tendencies will immediatly induct them into a facility to help them. No ifs, ands, buts, or waiting lists.
If it was just one Doc or nurse at the VA who screwed this up I have a bit more understanding but as it appears this young man asked for help repeatedly I be willing to bet from the district director all the way down to the clinic he was turned down at there will be some folks at the VA with their posteriors in a crack.
QUOTE(Marine @ Feb 7 2007, 09:36 AM)
Well, there is something definity wrong here.
I know for a fact that the VA has standing orders that any Vet who expresses suicidal thoughts or tendencies will immediatly induct them into a facility to help them. No ifs, ands, buts, or waiting lists.
If it was just one Doc or nurse at the VA who screwed this up I have a bit more understanding but as it appears this young man asked for help repeatedly I be willing to bet from the district director all the way down to the clinic he was turned down at there will be some folks at the VA with their posteriors in a crack.
I know for a fact that the VA has standing orders that any Vet who expresses suicidal thoughts or tendencies will immediatly induct them into a facility to help them. No ifs, ands, buts, or waiting lists.
If it was just one Doc or nurse at the VA who screwed this up I have a bit more understanding but as it appears this young man asked for help repeatedly I be willing to bet from the district director all the way down to the clinic he was turned down at there will be some folks at the VA with their posteriors in a crack.
I agree gunny, this just doesn’t pass the stink test. From the first I heard this I thought something was out of line. Like you, I know what the standard procedure is for suicidal VA patients, and what’s said here isn’t right. Our local VAMC maintains a dormitory just for this purpose, to get immediate help for those who have asked for it.
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