Saturday, January 21, 2006

First We Maim Your Minds, Then We Dump You. It's Hard Work. Still.



This is a picture of Specialist Doug Barber. He acquired PTSD as a result of his participation in the Iraq War.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an eminently treatable psychiatric condition, one requiring individual therapy once or twice a week until symptoms--hyperarousal (anxiety, panic, hypervigilance, outbursts of rage, irritability, insomnia, etc.); numbing/avoidance; intrusive thoughts (flashbacks, nightmares)--subside. Individualized medication regimes can also be helpful.

Preznit Toad-Exploder's VA knew full well what was wrong with Doug Barber, yet denied him benefits and proper treatment for two years.

In response to this soldier's request for emergency crisis treatment, according to Jay Shaft, the VA gave him a counseling appointment every three months and threw meds at him without proper supervision and follow-up.

On January 18, 2006, Specialist Doug Barber, who had PTSD, an eminently treatable psychiatric condition, committed suicide.

We've previously mentioned the Bush regime's vicious cheapskate policy on PTSD here, here, and here.


Asserting that people with PTSD don't have PTSD, reclassifying diagnoses, stringing patients along on meds only, or groups, or whatever they can get away with--that's how Bubble Boy's VA balances their budgets.

Deny people with PTSD treatment for long enough, they just kill themselves. Saves a bundle, eh?


Sort of like waiting for someone to bleed to death so as not to pay for a surgeon.














12 comments:

enigma4ever said...

There are no words...

Beth said...

Doug Barber has finally found Peace. And George Bush has more blood on his hands.

Shimmy said...

Absolutely:

"Sort of like waiting for someone to bleed to death so as not to pay for a surgeon."

It's enough to make Mrs. Alito cry!

No Blood for Hubris said...

I wish she and her ilk would crying about stuff like that, rather than her oh-so-timely crododile tears . . .

Beth said...

Congrats on your Koufax nomination

No Blood for Hubris said...

Oh lets try that again. I wish she were crying about stuff like this, rather than squeezing out those oh-so-timely crocodile tears.

No Blood for Hubris said...

Koufax nomination? Hi, Lizzy.

Beth said...

Koufax, No Blood, that is what is written.

enigma4ever said...

Immoral minority has a post up about a Marine that has come home...and it hurtin' along the same lines as this post...

You know funny thing about Mrs Alito- if you go back and watch the video- there was a quivering lip...but NO actual tears...even crocodile tears...so I might have to take away that Stand-By-Her-Man Acting Award after all...I wonder if Lidnsay coached her as well?
I mean it was during his Bigot speech that she turned on the act....

Congrats on your nomination... ;-)

Anonymous said...

I agree that the way vets are treated when they return is yet another to list on our national disgraces... especially the practice of denying the validity of illnesses, syndromes, and disabilities. Mental Health treatment in general is done on the cheap nowadays, so much for 'saving money from de-institutionalization' and putting it into the community and better programs. The homelessness figures, suicide figures, birth defects (DU) figures, exposures...then after all this they are denied benefits are their treatment is restricted. Happens all the time, and is so wrong. Thanks for the post.

So true- if only these bitches would cry for a REAL cause. Perhaps some pictures of white phosphorous victimes, or the slaughter in the Sudan, starving people, tsunami victims, Katrina victims..or...or...I could go on all day. Evidently it falls short of 'meanie-toned democrats'. Pig woman, And thats an insult to pigs.

Anonymous said...

RIP Specialist Doug Barber, but Suicide by cop? Trying to damage a cops mind on the way out.

No Blood for Hubris said...

You're absolutely right about the damage that that can do, damaged. Happily, there are now very good treatments available for single-incident trauma, which heals more quickly, generally speaking.

Doug Barber did not take that way out, to the best of my understanding.