Saturday, July 10, 2010
President Obama's Weekly Address: New process for receiving PTSD treatment announced.
You know for years the problems of PTSD in the military have been minimized and the process for receiving treatment was made unnecessarily complicated and difficult. After all it is much easier to bandage a wound or provide an artificial limb than to address a mental illness which can be hard to identify and even harder to treat.
I have worked with people suffering from that diagnosis numerous times and I can attest to the frustration the patients feel when they have a very real and debilitating illness that their therapists or caregivers treat like a figment of their imagination that they are using to seek additional sympathy and medications.
So it is very affirming to see President Obama lay out a process for helping soldiers with this very real problem receive the help that they need.
But after I gave you that "attaboy" Mr. President may I be so bold as to suggest a way to dramatically decrease the number of PTSD cases in the future? Bring our troops home sir. Bring them ALL home.
Yes I understand that it might be political suicide, but it would also be the right thing to do. Besides who do YOU think the returning soldiers and their grateful families will vote for in the next presidential election?
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Gryphen, I love your post. It's good news that President Obama is embracing this policy. However, your words are very good as well. May they give many people hope and comfort. May your wish for ending the wars come true.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the war should be stopped...the President is trying to handle so many things..and, he is doing so step by step w/no credit given him by so many to include his own party! And, he is getting so thin. I worry for him! And, I'll vote for him again in the next election and support him 100%.
ReplyDelete"Bring our troops home sir. Bring them ALL home."
ReplyDeletehear hear gryphen! I totally support that position. war is bullshit. it's so... unevolved and primitive, and those poor young people... it's so wrong to put them in that position.
Bravo, Gryphen, Bravo!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! This President is faced with more than he probably imagined and he is doing everything he can do with the GOP obstructionists and right wing radio whack jobs chipping away at him all the time.
ReplyDeleteThey're not coming home, Gryph. They're going to Iran. Bibi explained Obama's next job to him this week.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed this and your comment to the President. Posted the link on my FB. Thanks, Mem
ReplyDeleteI believe President Obama would stop this war if he could. We cannot know what realities he is dealing with. It isn't so easy to get the paste back in the tube.
ReplyDeleteBush and Co. really fucked us.
I was really pleased when I heard about the President's action earlier today. A commitment to treat PTSD is long overdue. I'll never forget hearing the McCains' comments poo-pooing the disorder during the campaign.
ReplyDeleteGryphen, Kudos for taking it to the next step of prevention.
Great post!
"Bring our troops home sir. Bring them ALL home."
ReplyDeletethere you have it. nothing else to say.