According to a recent article in The Tennessean (11/30/11), post-traumatic stress disorder cases are on the rise and this is putting a strain on the military as it struggles to move veterans quickly into therapy. Every three months this past year, 10,000 combat veterans with PTSD flooded into VA hospitals, bringing the yearly total to 40,000 plus, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs. That is an increase of more than five percent per quarter. The wait for that therapy is already longer than the department's goal of 14 days or less in about a third of VA hospitals, reports USA Today. "Demand for mental healthcare is only going to continue to grow as more troops return home," says Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., head of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.
"PTSD is often characterized by flashbacks and nightmares, a state of hypervigilance or emotional numbness to the world." The total number of PTSD patients from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (211, 819) dwarfs the Pentagon tally of 47,195 physically wounded. The high numbers of PTSD patients could be due in part to the nature of these wars, where veterans have been deployed multiple times.
There is no doubt that our country and our veterans will be facing the effects of this disorder for months and years to come. Just how far-reaching those effects will be remains to be seen.
Our country has sent thousands of men and women into harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of them get seriously wounded. Others suffer psychologically from the shock and horror of war. All of their families are affected. All of them have sacrificed. We owe them. We need to support them as much as we can. If you would like to help in any way, please visit these web sites and become involved. Even if you take a small step, it will help. Thank you!
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
Attorney Jenney Springer of Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge, is the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Division District Representative for Davidson County.
As part of her job as district rep, she helps plan and facilitate an event called Wills for Heroes. The Wills for Heroes program was developed nationwide shortly after 9/11. Through this program, volunteer attorneys, witnesses, and notaries get together and assist local heroes by drafting free wills, powers of attorney, and advanced directives, for first responders and their spouses.
This year's Wills for Heroes Event took place at Metro Police Department East Precinct on East Trinity Lane here in Nashville. We will let you know when the next event will take place.
Let us know if any of you – or your friends and family – are interested in helping!!
At the September 9, 2011 pre-unveiling of the portrait of Gen. David Petraeus, benefiting Not Alone, Chairman of the Board Rear Admiral(Ret) Edward Masso, Executive Director Mike Jones and Randy Kinnard.
