A variant of the Stockholm Syndrome, in which victims protect those who have caused them harm. A syndrome that also affects many die hard Republicans who continue to support leaders whose insane, obscene policies are destroying their country. And ours.
Of the roughly 160,000 soldiers and vets who bravely sought medical attention for PTSD or depression, only about 50 percent received treatment considered to be "minimally adequate". In addition, an estimated 320,000 service members may have experienced traumatic brain injury. Only 43 percent report being evaluated by a physician.
The RAND study was sponsored by a grant from the California Community Foundation. No Pentagon or VA funds were made available.
Government Treatment Programs
The Pentagon currently has only 1,431 mental health professionals among its 1,400,000 military personnel. Slightly more than one per thousand. VA has about 20,000 full-time and part-time health care professionals. Not nearly enough to meet the needs. As Veteran Affairs spokesman Stephen Xenakis admits:
"... the need to help these men and women goes far beyond whatever any government agency can do."
Especially an agency without adequate funding, the result of repeated budget slashing, necessary to pay for tax cuts for the richest, very few of whom ever served their country in the military.
About 300,000 soldiers and veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan currently suffer from depression or PTSD or both. Only about 60,000 vets have been seen, let alone effectively treated. Partially because VA is overloaded with current treatment needs for about a quarter-million vets who still suffer from PTSD as a result of their tours in Vietnam.
Tours that ended well over 30 years ago. An ominous indicator of the troubles Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers, and by extension all American citizens, will eventually be forced to face.
Private Treatment Programs
Some patriotic American psychologists are attempting to do what the Pentagon refuses to do and VA is unable to do, primarily because the Commander-in-Chief continues to oppose all efforts to provide necessary funding.
Brenna Chirby, a private psychologist in Virginia with $1 million in funding from a private foundation, has founded Give An Hour, which encourages fellow professionals to donate one hour weekly to provide free treatment. So far, 1,200 of her compatriots have joined hands with her. She seeks to increase that number to 40,000 over the next three years.
Nearly 200 professionals have volunteered through the Soldiers Project in Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and New York. The Coming Home Project in San Francisco has attracted dozens of professional volunteers.
As spokesman Xenakis recently admitted, thousands of professionals across the country are donating their time to support America's veterans. Thousands of true American patriots who volunteer to meet responsibilities the American government adamantly refuses to face. The Pentagon's response to this outpouring of effort volunteered in the finest traditions of what in years past made America great: Begrudging acquiescence. According to a Pentagon spokesman:
"... the military health system does not endorse volunteer health care organizations..."
Veterans Shameful Health Care
