The Oregonian Reveals Treatment of PTSD Disabled Veterans A Shameful Reality

Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician Pharmacologist and Toxicologist.

Image: June Shapiro, Ph.D. (www.juneshapirophd.com)

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I am much relieved to finally see a sympathetic article about PTSD Vets in the Oregonian, Sept 28.

Many of non-battle civilians have the attitude about PTSD that “it’s all in your head" and "just get over it”. Well yes, it is “in our heads” but unfortunately it is stuck there. It rarely gets out and once in a while, as written in Brian Denson's excellent short stories, it explodes.

Sometimes and even frequently PTSD will jump out of one's mind with disastrous results.

Recent murders and suicides by homecoming PTSD Vets is the best or worst example depending on how one perceives it. The VA Hospitals have been failing miserably in their treatment of PTSD, usually with drugs which just make the PTSD victim feel stupid.

There is probably nothing more dangerous that a PTSD Veteran feeling stupid and being subject to a PTSD rage that is nothing more than a delayed defense reaction to some battle event like having all of your nearby comrades being blown to bits by an artillery or mortar barrage which happens in battle all too often.

The Oregonian prints that 144,082 PTSD Vets have filed Social Security claims which have been denied. This is the “tip of the iceberg”! I have read that there may be 300,000 PTSD Vets or more.

One of Brian Denson's subjects was Bill Bloom. His mistreatment at the VA Hospitals ended up with him being a victim of “poor man's tranquilizer”, alcohol, which destroyed his pancreas and his life. This is all too common and condemnation of VA poor therapy which doesn’t seem to be considered.

The VA killed him.

Harry Rose, another of Brian Densons subjects, in which he got spooked by stray rifle fire while hunting reminded me of a similar incident. My father and brothers were great deer and elk hunters. When I came back from World War Two after surviving several artillery and mortar barrages, my brother repeatedly invited me to go on hunting trips. I declined.

Finally he said “what the hell’s wrong with you, if you don’t come now I’ll never ask you again.”

“Chuck,” I said, “it’s all right being the hunter, but when I was an infantry point man I got to know how it was to be like the deer, it gives one a totally different philosophy”.

For you hunters, think how it would be if YOU were being hunted by a skilled shooter and you were subject to that several days or weeks. Most cannot comprehend this but THAT IS PTSD.

I am totally disgusted with both the VA and Social Security. The battle veterans are being screwed over again, again and again.

Why should anyone want to subject himself to being abused by the armed service, the VA and then Social Security – SHAME!

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More information on the history of Dr. Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of WWII about his own experiences "from a foxhole".
Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier

Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King and Dr. Phil Leveque.

Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com:
Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

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