We have a friend, 65, who is a Viet Nam vet.
He has applied for the PTSD disability. It involves a 9-week residency in a VA center. He will be evaluated, observed, taught coping mechanisms,participate in individual and group therapy, try out various meds. At the end he will get some disability compensation up to $2k/month.
Since he has always worked and since he is an articulate, gentle guy with a decent attitude toward life, we expect him to get something less than the maximum disability.
Does he have PTSD? I actually don’t think so, but his wife says he still has nightmares and wakes up in a sweat, getting only a few hours sleep per night.
It does seem like a rigorous evaluation with a multi-focus approach towrd coping. It doesn’t seem likely to encourage fakers.
My brother is 65 and has recently been diagnosed with PTSD. He hadn’t had a problem until the last couple of years, but has flashbacks while he’s at work.
He also has some fairly serious neurological damage, apparently from the Agent Orange and is now on full disability but continues to work - though he is moving toward retirement.
The VA has been super with him.
Thank you for a reasoned post.
Most PTSD sufferers do not “show “ symptoms. They are not crazed, violent veterans that join crazed militias like Nappy Janet is worried about.
Their wives may see the symptoms, nightmares, night sweats, hypervigilance and anxiety and depression. Very often they isolate, avoid social gatherings frequently. So these type of problems are not very “obvious”. If they try to self medicate with alcohol, what you may see is an alcoholic and not “see “PTSD.
BTW, treatment is totally seperate from compensation within the Va..they are two seperate tracks, although evaluations are also done by compensation.