Daily Show Reveals Truth About Vietnam Veterans with PTSD
A couple of weeks ago, The Daily Show did a piece about Vietnam vets getting denied benefits from the Veteran’s Administration (VA). As usual, The Daily Show piece was irreverent and fun, but like so many of the show’s pieces, it, unfortunately, contained many truthful elements.
It is true that Vietnam veterans with combat PTSD wrongly get denied benefits and it is a travesty. (See The Daily Show clip, below.)
Vietnam Vets and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
The name of the condition we now call posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) did not exist at the end of the Vietnam War. It was formally described and named some years later, in 1980. The definition and naming of PTSD was based on the experience of Vietnam veterans and the desire to get them appropriate mental health treatment. And, ironically, even though the condition was based on their experiences, combat PTSD-induced actions often resulted in a less than honorable discharge from the military.
Evaluating Vietnam Vets Reveals Unfair Discharges and Treatment
I have evaluated many veterans in this situation. These vets showed signs of anger, irritability and agitation as part of their combat PTSD. These veterans, upon return from the combat theatre, sometimes became angry at orders given by someone who they perceived as “green” (recently promoted) and, as a result, they mouthed off or became physically assaultive. This has resulted in a less than honorable discharge for many after being diagnosed with a “personality or character disorder.”
The diagnosis of a personality disorder was incorrect and implied the soldier was psychologically impaired even before military service, in spite of the fact that many had performed admirably prior to their traumatic combat-related experiences.
This type of discharge has ensured that these Vietnam veterans were denied the benefits they would have otherwise received.
Remember, there was no diagnosis of PTSD available at the time to explain the symptoms and behavior shown by the soldier, but the fact that they functioned well in the Army prior to the traumatic experience, and then radically changed after, was not considered in the discharge process. Substance abuse, which is very common in soldiers suffering from combat PTSD, also factored into some discharges.
The Country Turned on the Vietnam Veterans with PTSD
At the time, the country had “turned” not only on the war, but tragically, on the soldiers that had fought it so that when they returned stateside they were often maligned and mistreated. I saw this personally. While I did not serve in Vietnam, during the Vietnam era I was in uniform in San Francisco and was spit upon, called a coward and baby killer, and had eggs thrown at me. Imagine the impact of serving in combat and then coming home to that type of reception.
Even the VA was seen as being negative towards Vietnam veterans – “we treat sick people here . . . you are just a pot smoking angry person . . . we don’t want the likes of you here.”
And even though the VA treatment facilities have drastically changed their stance on veterans with combat PTSD since then, many Vietnam era veterans have sworn they would never go there again after such a negative initial experience.
Vets with Less than Honorable Discharges Denied Access to PTSD Services
But the biggest problem for those with a less than honorable discharge was that they were not eligible to receive disability benefits, even after 1980 when PTSD had been recognized as a legitimate condition. Even when things changed for the veterans, the paperwork required to “prove” they had been in battle was often so cumbersome to obtain that many vets just gave up. (That requirement has now changed.)
The Good News for Vietnam Vets with PTSD
The good news is that now there is a process available within the VA to get less than honorable discharges upgraded (where appropriate).
A Thanks to The Daily Show
I credit The Daily Show for their portrayal of this important subject and I can only hope that veterans affected by a less than honorable discharge, especially those vets with combat PTSD, see the show and begin the process that can enable them to receive the benefits they deserve.
Dr. Croft is the co-author of a heralded book on combat-related PTSD called I Always Sit with my Back to the Wall. Find Dr. Croft on Facebook, on Twitter, on Google+ and on his homepage.
APA Reference
Croft, H.
(2014, February 5). Daily Show Reveals Truth About Vietnam Veterans with PTSD, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, November 14 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/understandingcombatptsd/2014/02/the-daily-show-reveals-truth-vietnam-veterans-ptsd
Author: Harry Croft, M.D.
Excellent piece. The problem of recognition of the legitimacy of PTSD is clearly a cultural one. Men in general, and soldiers especially, are not seen as psychologically vulnerable human beings, which we most assuredly are. This vulnerability, like every other part of us as humans, varies from person to person, but no one chooses to be vulnerable.
Aside from this issue, there's the very real problem of not grasping the real cause of PTSD. The DSM has historically linked it to events, rather than to emotionally overwhelming experiences. That there is a correlation between the two is obvious, but only when one focuses on the experience itself can one make sense of experiences that are innocuous to one person but devastating to another. This problem remains very much with us to this day.
Just watch that video. Good Lord! Ouch. I'd better keep it clean, and stop right here....
So, we have veterans to thank for two things. First, for service to our (notice I didn't say "their") countries (I'm from Canada). If not for their service, we would likely live in a country where to speak your mind is to risk your freedom—or your life.
As well, we have to thank them for forcing someone to notice PTSD's existence.
While they aren't getting much help in either Canada or the USA, I am hopeful that we are, at least, making some headway in getting people to believe it's not a made-up disorder.
At some point, maybe we can also work on getting governments to realize that PTSD is EVERYWHERE. Accident victims, rape victims, crime victims, abuse victims, natural-disaster victims and on and on and on. PTSD and the military? That's just the tip of the iceberg, I'm afraid.
This piece nearly had me in tears. I have PTSD from several of the above listed things. I have BP II, and crippling anxiety as well. At times, from one or some of those diseases, I have felt intense anxiety/anger that is like homicidal/suicidal.
I agree with Mr Jette, that PTSD is everywhere.
How can anyone expect any young man to return to the states (or their home country) without being psychologically damaged in some way after being ordered to murder complete strangers? Something they could not possibly think of before, when at home?
I just want them all to come home. NOW. No more damage, and find a cure or good treatment for all types of PTSD, especially for those at risk of hurting themselves or others.
Mr Cloyd, any ideas on how to treat PTSD in a therapy setting?
FLJ - so sorry that I haven't seen your question until now. I'd contact you directly about this if I knew how.
There are two very well validated treatment protocols for PTSD, and both are fundamentally exposure treatments. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and PE (Prolonged Exposure) are their names. There's a lot about them on the Internet.
Here's a link to review I wrote of a major report review of psychotherapy treatments for PTSD -
http://thetraumapsych.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/update-ptsd-asd-treatment-guidelines-updat…
Look in the "Recent Posts" sidebar for more links that may be helpful to you.