Discrimination aimed at people with PTSD.

[undergroundpanther]

This kind of bullshit infuriates me. People who are ignorant or being bigots, still hold stigmas against people with psychiatric injuries. The mentally ill face stigmas,but PTSD seems to be the new"they are too risky and dangerous etc.etc. PTSD,a psychiatric injury,is now a 'reason' to reject people in need of help..

I have PTSD,not from war, but from abuse and violence growing up.I have dealt with a lifetime of it.The kind of PTSD I have is "Complex PTSD" and coping with it is a daily challenge. There are lot of people who have PTSD,from abuse,bullying,natural disasters,accidents..etc.etc..and with these stupid wars it can only increase.I have faced irrational anti-PTSD bigotry from both "professionals" and laypeople, just for having PTSD. I have heard everything from: I need behavior modification, I must be faking, Just"get over it" and I must be a violent maniac or a basket case so don't expect much from me,all because I have PTSD.

Veterans can't get jobs because they might have PTSD.The Vet admin makes it very hard to get benefits if you have PTSD. And the DMV asks if you have a mental illness, regardless if you are getting an ID and don't drive,or a driver's license. I wonder what do they want that information for?? To discriminate? To keep track of us?

http://www.capveterans.com/americans_who_support_ptsd_veterans/id52.html
http://www.wbaltv.com/video/24181082/index.html
http://www.fieldandstream.com/forums/backlash-and-blowback/veterans-blast-georgia-bill-put-ptsd-diagnosis-drivers-licenses
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/undergroundpanther/144
http://www.mhanys.org/policy/2009/LegAgenda09.htm
http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/04/16/sexual-preference-linked-with-violence-and-ptsd/12888.html

[UndertheOcean]

1. People suck , don't they ?

[undergroundpanther]

4. Suck, indeed..

The bully assholes who are chicken hawk politicians sending other people's kids to war suck, Other bully assholes end up to be in charge of some part of the vets administration covering up their own incompetence.A snot ball kid bully is now a boss of a corporation getting off on being a tyrant..Another asshole became a bigot administrator controlling a psychiatric program..What's the factor sucky incompetent abusive jerks with positions of power are still thinking they can get away with discrimination against PSTD,now.. yeah MEAN people SUCK.Mean people abuse power and recreate trauma in others.

[krabigirl]

8. Yep

[pinboy3niner]

V.A. Is Easing Rules to Cover Stress Disorder:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=259x29462

Stigmatization continues to be a problem, but there are signs of hope--hang in there...

[Hutzpa]

2. It gets better

this is so much fun than I anticipated.

Now the Vets are considered dangerous.


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[undergroundpanther]

5. I know

I just got kicked out of a psych program for alleged "violence".Not once did I hurt anyone. I yelled at a homophobe bigot in the cafeteria who had threatened my ex boyfriend and I for being a trans/ gay couple.. The administrator of the program had her own issues get in the way of her judgment. It was clear to anyone not scared of losing their job,she projected on me.It was a mural of all things that got me banned.I painted small horns on my head to represent my empowerment,and my rejection of tyrants over my life..that led to me becoming more healthy.But incompetent administrators are too risk aversive to ever understand freedom to express ones recovery process is a need to express it in one's own way.Every client with PTSD or a trauma related disorder that has an alternative appearance (goth,biker, punk,metal etc.)was harassed by this administrative tyrant until they left or got banned from this program. The bigotry is real and it is discrimination.Not "fun" at all when you are the target.

[Hutzpa]

6. This has been going on for years

the bigots are always going to be bigots and they live by inflicting fear into the American public.

[sandnsea]

3. The VA just made it easier to get PTSD benefits

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/jul/08/guidelines-be-simplified-ptsd-benefits/

[iris27]

7. The professionals really have no excuse - that is indeed utter bullshit.

I think we really need greater awareness in society at large of how debilitating PTSD can really be.

I know I personally had no clue until I had a comparatively minor experience that left me with clinically significant (but thankfully short-term) symptoms. The idea of vets having "flashbacks" is widely known but mostly a joke in popular culture...but the reality of dealing with unwanted, uncontrollable memories of an traumatic event is anything but funny.

It's enough to deal with on its own - piling discrimination on top is literally adding insult to injury.

[Wilms]

9. k&r n/t

[FedUpWithIt All]

10. I have complex PTSD also. Fortunately, it is pretty well controlled now.

Extreme episodes for me take the form of severe hyperventilation and some emotional dissociation. It can come on slow or rapidly. I have been very fortunate in the fact that most people are pretty understanding and supportive about the issue. But i have also experienced the, "You're just working yourself up." It is very unfortunate to have to endure that on top of the PTSD difficulties already being endured. It can add to even more harmful self doubt, guilt and depression.

I haven't noticed a real discrimination in public, with the exception of some medical issues, but i also live largely in a comfortable little network. I am not a great fan of socializing.

I'm sorry you have had to go through such unpleasant experiences relating to your PTSD. It is tough enough to navigate life with the burden of the disorder without the added stress of other people's garbage.